Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-14
PREsrRnINa ooMPrrIrToM

Some Of the utteraDces OF Governor
Cummins in his address at Lincoln are
likely to attract wide attention, not be
cause they are novel or peculiar, but
for the reason that they are made by a
republican leader in one Of the strongest
Of republican states and may fairly be
assumed to represent the predominating
sentiment among Iowa republicans The
suggestion Of Mr.. Cummins that cor
poratlons whose operations cove the
whole c~ountry-in other words such as
are engaged in interstate commerce
tons and that every dollar Of stock
issued by them should be paid for in
money at par, 80 that the capital rep
resented In the association would meas
ure the actual value of the property it
acquires" will have large popular APP
prevail. 1t means complete national
regulation of the great corporations IN
gagged in Interstate commerce and the
placing them on a secure basis as to
their capitalization. There may be great
difficulties in the way of attaining this.
Perhaps an amendment of the constitu-
ton is necessary to effect the national
control and regulation of the great cor
porations that is manifestly desirable.
But that the principle is sound cannot
be successfully questioned The cor
porations whose operations v the ma
ton must come under national control
or the government will pass under their
control.
Governor Cummins declared that
competition is, and until we are ready
to enter the last degree Of socialism,
must remain the supreme rule Of indus
trial life, and 1t is our imperative duty
to preserve competition against the as
saults Of consolidation and monopoly"
There will certainly be no popular dis
sent to this proposition. Whatever the
advocates Of industrial and business
combination and consolidation may
urge in regard to it's advantages, public
sentiment is overwhelmingly In favor
Of preserving competition and there is
ONCAJ AOAhAcC Nhob ~ wiz COhIhuC "
insist that competition shall be pre-
served, ever though in order to do SO
1t be necessary to make revolutionary
changes in the constitution and laws.
What is likely to command chief atten.
ton in the u~tterances of Governor Cum.
Minis is the statement that consumer
have a better right to competition thar
producers have to protection" and that
therefore If protection enables any man
ufacturer to destroy competition and es
tablish a monopoly the protection should
be withdrawn from the monopolized
products. This view has a large and
doubtless growing support the vote IL
the ways and means committee on the
Babcock amendment to the bill repeal
ing the war taxes showing that there II
sentiment In congress favorable to 4
even among republicans who, like Iowa,
governor, are firm believers In the pro
tective policy. =
Another interesting feature OF the ad
dress Of Governor Cummins was hi
reference to the Buffalo speech Of Presi
dent Mckinley and his admonition I,
give due heed to the appeal of tina,
speech for freer trade through reciproc
ity. Mr.. Cummins believes that it would
be political wisdom to make som,
changes in the tariff and he does no
share the professed fear of those VIII,
say that to make changes would impai
prosperity. In this respect the governo
Of Iowa is in accord with the platform
Of the convention that nominated hin
and undoubtedly voices the feeling Of
majority of Iowa republicans.