Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-10
OPENING OF THE IOWA CAMPAIGN.

800
The republican campaign in Iowa will
be formally opened September % under
circumstances demonstrating that the
party, both in leadership and ia the
mass, starts out with a united front.
Very appropriately the opening meeting
will be held in the Third district, where
Ex-Governor Boies is to be put forward
to contest with Speaker Henderson, and
on the same platform with the speaker
will appear Governor Cummins and Sen
ator Dolliver to set the pace for the cam-
paign.
The lately widely heralded notion that
serious division exists among Iowa re-
publicans is unfounded. The joint APP
pearance of Speaker Henderson and
Governor Cummins at the formal open
ing of the campaign would rebut that
notion, even If 1t were not otherwise dis
proved. 1t is true that a spirited debate
has lately been on within the party press
of the state on the subject of tariff re-
vision, and both in and before the late
state convention there was a contest
over the platform declaration on that
subject. The party the year before had
declared in favor of tariff revision and
of reducing duties If in any case they
shelter m%onopolies and trusts. The con-
vention this year reiterated in terms the
tariff plank of last year. but at the same
time it declared it's undated and unfal-
tering adherence to the Evolutionary pro-
lection policy Of the party.
What gave to the opposition hope of
fractional division among Iowa repub-
leans on this question was the strong
championship by Governor Cummins of
the declaration adopted, whereas nearly
every member of the Iowa delegation in
congress, including the senators and Sec
retaries Shaw and Wilson, were under
stood as not ~favoring such a declaration.
In point Of fact, however, the line Of
difference did not coincide with the line
separating the Cummins and the anti
Cummins elements, since many of the
strongest leaders among the latter were
most insistent for reaffirmation of the
Cedar Rapids tariff plank this year,
while some of the warmest supporters
of Cummins were conspicuous among
the opponents of such a pronouncement.
After all, there is at bottom little sub
stantial difference between the two
sides. The debate within the party press
~precipitated after the republican state
convention, however wordy and appar-
emily Jealous it may have been, was
academic rather than practical. The two
sides were emphasizing different things.
Those who favored n strong revision
declaration were emphasizing the busi-
ness need arising out of changing indus
trial conditions, without so much con-
sidering the methods of actual legisla-
ton; while their opponents, and nat
urally enough the republican congress
men who have to do with actual legisla-
ton, regarded the matter from the stand
point OF the practical difficulties.
According, after thorough conference,
the campaign managers, party leaders
and congressman, announce a harmoni-
Gus program. At the very outset and
from the same platform Speaker Hen
derson in the same voice with Governor
Cummins will declare that the tariff
needs republican revision. On the other
hand, he will declare, and Governor
Cummins will ~corroborate him, that it
is impractical to revise the tariff at the
short session of congress, and that
needed changes cannot be successfully
undertaken at best before the regular
session a year from next December.
And all the party leaders and spokesman
will go into the campaign standing hon
estly on the Iowa platform.