Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-05-16
IS POOR
Iowa Preacher Talks of Prohibition
in This State.
OPINION is IINCED WITH PESSlMISN

Says That People Who Desire Lesser
Number of Names on Consent
Mulct Petition Are Pushing Candi-
dacy of A. B. Cummins.
ut must be confessed the outlook is
dark. The mulct law was partial sur
render to rum power. 1t was under
stood to be satisfactory to very large
percentage of those who were opposed
to what they were pleased to. call
. sumptuary legislation. These people
were satisfied with this law in its pres
ent form so long as there was no
chance to get better terms for the sa-
looms. 1t is believed that those who
favor saloons are sufficiently strong to
cut down the provision for sixty-flve
per cent OF the qualified voters in the
county to fifty per cent. The nlulct
law as it is gives great advantage to
the friends of the saloon. They can
work in clandestine manner and
spring their sharp games on the
friends of temperance when they are
least prepared. If the sixty-f1ve per
cent clause is changed so as to require
but fifty, it will open nearly all the
counties is Iowa to the saloon" writes
| Rev. Robert Smylie, D. D., of Algona.
in the Northwestern Christian Advo-
cate of Chicago.
THE people who are hoping to &C.
complish this, and, at length, the COM
plete overthrow of prohibition, are put
ting forward A. G. Cummins for COVER
nor Mr.. Cummins was; conspicuous
in the independent republican bolt
which resulted in the election of Hon.
Horace Boies as governor of Iowa and
| the surrender of the republican party
on prohibition. 1t is no doubt the plan
of the saloon power to reward Mr..
Cummins for his detection. He was a
candidate for senator against the late
Mr. Gear year ago. When Gear died
his friends pressed him very strongly
for appointment to the vacancy 1t
was understood in both these cam
paigns that Mr.. Cummins did not want
to be governor, but did want to be SEN
ator. His friends have no doubt con-
cluded that the best way to the SEN
atorial toga is by way of the cover.
nor's chair. Then, if he can be made
governor, it will carry with it much
that BODIES evil to prohibition and will
fill the friends of the saloon with de-
light. Is.
There is much prohibition senti-
ment in Iowa, but it is disorganized
and has no standing in the councils
of the ruling party. The friends of the
saloon know that nomination by the
republican party in this state is equiva.
lent to an election, and they. hope to
capture the nomination before the
friends of prohibition wake up.
1T goes without saying that Hon,
A. b. Cummins is an able man and q
man whose private life is believed to
be clean. But it is painful to the
friends of prohibition who have stood
by the old party, notwithstanding
their humiliation by the infamous
mulct law, to see the man chiefly re.
sponsible for the republican back
down receive the highest ,honors of
the party. If, Mr.. Cummins had done
his work inside the party he would
not have been open to challenge from
the standpoint of a republican,. There
are doubtless many influential repub-
llcans, whose party fealty was never
open to question, who believe prohibit:
ton a mistake. The prominence of
Mr.. Cummins is due to the fact that
he was a leader in the independent
movement which knitted the party in
1889, and again in 1891. In order to
insure republican supremacy in the
state treason had to be compromised
with and its leaders honored. These
people, and those who have made al.
liances with them, believe they con-
troll votes enough to have anything
they want.
The attempt is being made to fool
the public by the cries "anti-ma-
chine!" and 'anti-monopoiy." If there
is any combination in the : United
States more heartless and conscience
less than the rum power it is I'M
known to the public. The saloon
crowd are accustomed to adopt any
cry that suits their PLAN, but it re-
mains true that the bulwark of mo.
nopoly and machine rule is the rum
power. 1t stands for nothing but
what promises to bring money into it's
Golfers. N
Mr.. Cummins is making, and will
make, a vigorous campaign. No.
doubt, as the representative of the
rum power in this state, he will have
plenty of the sinews of war. They
are no doubt anxious to prove that
treason to party in their behalf is
sure way to positions Of honor and
trust. Then the great abilities of Mr..
Cummins would doubtless be of great
value to them in the Office of chief ex-
ecutive, and in the United States sem
ate. to which it may lead.
There is temperance sentiment
enough in Iowa to prevent the nomi-
nation of Cummins: but it is not or
ganized, while his friends have a thor
ough organization all over the state
There are, no doubt, thousands OF re-
publicans who will not be able to
bring themselves to vote for Cum
Minis. but the party will depend on
enlistments of the democrats to fill
their places. If he is nominated, the
last chapter in the history of prohibit
ton in this state for at least a gener-
alton will have closed. If this Is to
be prevented. the friends of temper
ance must wake up.. The men who
are booming Mr.. Cummins must be