Nine hundred people crowded into the Grants Pass Opera House in April 1912 to hear presidential candidate Sen. Robert M. LaFollette. Hundreds more people anxious to see the Wisconsin Republican were turned away from the crowded opera house, the Rogue River Courier reported.
LaFollette called himself a veteran of "a hundred political battles" and said, "It is my belief the most serious time in the history of this country confronts us." The Progressive Party candidate told his audience "the menace of this republic is the great corporation, with no heart, no soul, and an organized appetite for power and money. This is what we must fight.” He warned that money could soon kill representative government.
LaFollette was known for his rousing oratory, and the Courier reported he had thrilled the crowd. Its report of his speech shared the front page with one by Dr. John Hill, a supporter seeking reelection of President William Howard Taft, whom Hill called "a peacemaker."
LaFollette was greeted by large crowds as he toured the West, but was all but deserted as a candidate when former President Teddy Roosevelt joined the Progressive Party and entered the race.
Sources: "Bob LaFollette Thrills in Speech." Rogue River Courier 19 Apr. 1912 [Grants Pass Oregon] : 1+. Historic Oregon Newspapers. Web. 13 Dec. 2015. http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088281/1912-04-19/ed-1/seq-1/ http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn96088281/1912-04-19/ed-1/seq-5.pdf; Thelen, David P. "Robert M. LaFollette, United States Senator." Encyclopedia Britannica . Ed. Renie Petropoulos, Melissa Petruzzello, Barbara Whitney, and Noah Tesch. 6 July 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.
