Book Reviews

THIS FINE BOOK focuses on the years of Philip La Follet tes career as a political leader and reformer, a time span extending from 1930 to 1939. Philip, the elder Roberi M. La Follette's "second son," won his first election to the governorship in 19.30 running as a Republican. In 1932 he failed to win renomination in the Republican primary, a defeat terminating his affiliation with the Grand Old Party. Two years later Philip and his brother. Senator Robert M. La Follette, Jr., assumed leadership of a new Wisconsin Progressive party, a role accepted by Robert with considerable reluctance and bv Philip with more enthusiasm. The new party got off to a promising start in 19.'34, electing Philip to the governorship and re-electing Robert to the Senate. Two vears later Philip won another term in the governor s chair: the Progressives gained full control of the state legislature, captured most of Wisconsins congressional seats, and elected their entire state ticket. Progressive ascendency in Wisconsin turned out to be brief however: in 1938 the new party suffered humiliating defeat. An effort Philip launched in April to expand the state organization into a national third party (The National Progressives of America) evoked more negative than positive responses from liberals and reformers, and in the fall he lost his bid for re-election. So did most other Progressive party candidates. Subsequent elections confirmed that the rout of 1938 was not a temporary setback, but a harbinger of permanent decline.