Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1901-10-03
CAMPAIGN IS OPENED
Address of Hon. A. B. Cum.
Minis, at CenterviIle.

~ Suinnhns, candidate for governor, address
thousands. * $500 $50
MT Cummlns's speech was a master.
piece oI diplomacy. Partisan rapcor was
ton was handled in an honest and fearless
manner. He touched lightly on silver ana
'eAp.ansion issues. but stated firmly his OBJ.
lie said:
My Fellow Citizens. In the ancient
1ays when every man administered Justice
tr hinseH and preserved his own safety as
pest he could, It required great deal of
MS time and all his strength TO maintain
MS MS rights and to keep his head firmly on
deliberately organized governments have
been substituted to accomplish these pur-
poses, It still requires much time, much
tthhougas, great virtue and high courage on
me part or the voter to secure just laws
and their honest execution The more com
pick society becomes, the more difficult
me ,.l., adjustment Of governmental regulations
VIII pc, and each recurring year will de-
mand higher Intelligence, purer patriotism
and more thoughtful attention at the hands
OF the citizen of the republic. You are en-
gagged therefore In the most serious bust
ness o. life and my purpose is neither TO
entertain nor amuse you, but to join you in
"a e0nrerence upon, public affairs.
what Is said here will have little in
nuep<f upon the fate OF our country, but
wp-t you think here and do hereafter will
deeply concern the future Of your fellow
Good government is the ultimate object
OF all sincere political discussion, and 1t
inspires every conscientious political act.
Inere never has been and never will be
difference Of opinion upon this fundamental
proposition. What good government Is, and
now IL can best be attained, are matters up
ON which honest, intelligent and patriotic
men have always differed, and upon which
II may safely be said they always will diff
Ter. 1t Is this concurrence in the end to
paths leading to it, which separate the
people into political parties, and which
create the basis for political gatherings.
a Mnlie u + not ct, easy to trace the bound,
marx the limits of the region of fair dis
pute, we instinctively know whether any
given question lies within the one or the
sother.lt IL plain that when we meet to
consider questions that are still open for
consideration, the most tolerant spirit
should pervade. the minds of the people
can conceive of no hours Of grayer moment
than those In which the voters of the re-
public re-examine their political faith and
discharge their political duties.
1T may sound somewhat startling. but
1 think you Will agree with me when | say,
that there Is one thing even more essential
and more important than that you should
40 right; 1t Is that you should believe that
you are doing right. 1t is better for your
selves and for your country, to do wrong,
believing that you are doing right. than to
do right, believing that you are doing
wrong.
These observations. trite as they are.
VIII disclose my mental attitude toward
ouI tppoHeHtS III beginning tue canpulRu
OF 1901: | am here, iirm and steadfast in
the belief that the republican party holds
and enforces principles which are neces-
sary to the honor of the nation and to the
welfare of the people; that il has a past
which gives it better title to your conf
denee and support, and a future with
brighter and clearer promise than any
other political organization known to the
history or your country. But | am not
here to impugn the motives or question the
loyalty OF my fellow men who advocate
CCfa ypifh 20
unfairly dlsparage. and unjustly belittle
any other political party. When l have
finished some Of you may say, that am
OF you shall say that l am either bigoted
or malicious.
An Appeal to Citizens.
Before ! touch upon those subjects
which ordinarily form the texts Of politi,
cal speech. you must permit me to say
word upon a subject in which we are all
equally interested, which should appeal to
upon which we must not be divided.
feel that there Is a sentiment. gradually
rising, that the government falls to accom-
poses for p Wheb h IL ne nope
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 righted. We
are all conscious that our constitution and
our laws are often inadequate In their
provisions, and We know that they fire.
quently miscarry in their administration.
But these things must not be permitted TO
shatter our confidence in the progress of
the world nor destroy our faith In the up
ward tendency of our civilization.
I'VE must remeber that governments are
framed that laws are made, and justice
of the universe, but by mortals who some
times wander through temptation, some
times stumble In weakness and sometimes
in public affairs until 1t becomes universal
In matters private concern. There Is
still another thought that should not es.
cape your attention. Constitutions and
10 meet present conditions. Growth and
development, increase in population, and
the extension of territorial boundaries III
ways modify, and frequently abolish old
conditions and substitute new circum-
stances out of which a myriad Of prob
lens grow. Selhshness and avarice, al
the new order of things. and 1t is beyond
human power to Immediately check their
rayages. The government, under the i'm
pulse of an upright and enlightened intel.
lgence, turns to meet Its new duties. 1t
will finally prevent the wrongs and crush
the wrongdoers, but 1t moves slowly.
republic must move slowly. There will be
innumerable opinions as to the remedy 10
be employed. These must be reconciled
and out of the chaos of Judgment there
must come plan upon which a majority
unites. Even then II may be that constl-
tutions must be changed and It Is newt
able that laws must be reformed. And
thus the hand of justice Is stayed, but re-
member and be comforted with the reiec.
tion,. that 1t is only stayed. 1t will fall as
surely as God reigns and inclines the
hearts of men to love right and to hate
wrong.
Judge your government by comparative,
not absolute standard. Measure 1t by any
other government on the face Of the earth
and your blood will riot In your veins and
where In the whole realm of humanity will
you find another government that so com.
pletely recognizes and protects the inner
emf rights Of man as the government of
which you are citizens.
Compare 10 with itself In any earlier
stage of its development, and 1t will steady
your hope iu the destiny of free institutions
Tor tolsome rs the journey has been, slow
IS progress has been, the highway Of our
aational march has been rpMard from the
moment In which we took the first step
until the moment In which am speaking"
Mr.. Cummins then turned to the political
issues which ere 4 interest to the voter
a, half hours duration. 1t Is impossible to
give in a single newspaper article more than
a brief synopsis OF his remarks, &C the
ance Of electing two republican United
States senators, which could only be done
by the election Of a republican legislature
This he said was of more Importance than
the election of republican governor. On
the silver question. he said In part.
Silver Platform is Gross Libel.
The Kansas City platform is gross libel.
And did not believe that conyenton OF
Iowa men would ever republish II. While,
from selfish point Of view; 1t was or ad
vantage to me as candidate, beilere
that / was patriotic enough to hope that
its exploded heresies would never again
he endorsed by responsible convention:
AS citizen OF Iowa, shared the hnmili1-
tIon experienced by the strong minority
which so couragecusly resisted the deter
Idnation to pledge the Iowa democracy 70
the sedltions promulgated at Kansas City
n year ago. / am not thinking alone OF
The demands for the free coinage OF silver.
However hopcst its advocates originally
were, and | doubt rot they were perfectly
sincara the history of the last five years