Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-09-23
Candidate Cummins Fired First Gun of
Iowa Political Campaign Today.
BIG CROWD AT CENTERVILLE TO HEAR HIM.
No Uncertainty as to His Attitude on Railway
and Other Assessments
Philippine Tariff Revision Questions Touched Upon at
Lensth-.Atitud Of Iowa Democrats Money Question
Deplored. William Mckinley Eulogiz zed.-Anarchy
Scored.A Splendid Speech

Good government is the ultimate OBJ.
| ject of all sincere political discussion
and 1t inspires every conscientious po-
litical act. There never has been and
never will be difference of opinion upon
this fundamental proposition. What
good government is. and how it can best
be attained, are matters upon which
honest, intelligent and patriotic men
have always differed and upon which ii
may safely be said they always will
differ 1t is this concurrence in the end
to be reached, and difference respecting
| the paths leading to it, which separate
the people into political parties, and
which create the basis for political
gatherings. While 1t is not easy to
trace the boundaries of the field of get
| tied principles or marke the limits of
the region of fair dispute, we instinct
lively know whether any given question
lies within the one or the other. It is
| plain that when we meet to consider
questions that are still open for consid-
Grafton, the most tolerant spirit should
pervade the minds of the people. can
conceive of no hours of graver moment
than those In which the voters of the re-
public re-eSamine their political faith
and discharge their political duties. It
may sound somewhat startling, but i
think you will agree with me when 1
say that there is one thing even more
essential and more important than that
you should do right: 1t is that you
should believe that you are doing
right. It is better for yourselves and for
your country to do wrong. believing
that You are doing right, than to do
right, believing you are doing wrong,
These observations, trite as they are,
will disclose my mental attitude to-
wards our opponents in beginning the
campaign OF 1901. am here, firm and
steadfast In the belief that the republi-
can party holds and enforces principles
which are necessary to the honor of the
nation and to the welfare of the people;
that it has past which gives it bet
ter title to your confidence and support,
and future with brighter and clearer
promise than any other political organ
ization known to the history of your
country. But I am not here to impugn
the motives or question the loyalty of
my fellow men who advocate doctrines
inconsistent with my own, nor to un-
fairly disparage and unjustly belittle
any other political party. When 1 have
finished. some of you may say that I
am mistaken, but / am determined that
none OF you shall say that am either
bigoted or malicious.
Before touch upon these subjects
which ordinarily form the texts of a
political speech. you must permit me
to say a word upon a subject in which
we are all equally interested, which
should appeal to us as citizens of a
common country. and upon which we
must not be divided. / feel that there
is sentiment, gradually rising, that
the government fails to accomplish in
proper measure the noble purposes for
which 1t is organized. It lis true that our
governments, whether national, state
or municipal, are not perfect There
are many evils yet to overcome, there
is much injustice yet to be repaired:
there are many wrongs yet to be right
ed. We are all conscious that our con-
stitution and our laws are often mad
eQuate in their provisions, and we know
that they frequently miscarry in their
administration. But these things must
not be permitted to shatter our con-
fidence In the progress of the world nor
destroy our faith in the upward ten
dency of our civilization. We must re-
member that governments are framed,
| that laws are made, and justice is ad-
tministered not by the unerring ruler
of the universe, but by mortals who
sometimes yield to temptation, some
times stumble in weakness and some
times wander thru mistake. We must
not expect absolute righteousness in
in public affairs until it becomes uni
versal in matters of private concern.
There is still another thought that
should not escape your attention. Con-
| stitutions and laws are adopted with
present knowledge, to meet present con-
ditons. Growth and development, in
crease in population, and the extension
of territorial boundaries always modi-
lfy, and frequently abolish old condi-
Itions and substitute new circumstances
lout of which q myriad of problems
| grow. Selfishness and avarice, always
on the alert, fasten themselves upon the
tnew order of things, and 1t s beyond
human power to Immediately check
\ their rayages. The government, under
| the impulse of an upright and enlight-
ened intelligence. turns to meet its
4 new duties. 1t will finally prevent the
wrongs and crush the wrongdoers but
1t moves slowly. A republic must move
4 slowly There will be innumerable
| opinions as to the remedy to be em-
| ployed. These must be reconciled and
!. out of the chaos of judgment there must
4 come a plan upon which n majority
Il ,,nites Even then 1T may be that cor, !,
j stitutons must be changed and it is
inevitable that laws must be reformed.
And thus the hand of justice Is stayed,
but remember, and be comforted with
the reflection, that it is only stayed.
j 1t will fall as surely as God reigns and
linclines the hearts of men to love right
and to hate wrong. Judge your govern