Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1903-12-30

resolution did not propose any sweep
ing onslaught on all large corpora
tiOnS.
Attention further in Mr. Roberts
article is called to the approval of the
1901 platform of the party, which, he
says, was without any noticeable dis
sent and holds that the plank in Ques-
ton wss generally accepted by the
press of the state as an expression of
sentiment in favor of a progressive
policy on the tariff. He thinks if there
had been any feeling of alarm in other
states at that time over the apparent
departure of Iowa Republicans from
the recognized tenets of the party,
and any important objection or pro-
test raised against their views it
might have been expected to influ-
ence the utterances of President Nc
Kinley in his Buffalo address a month
later. But it is claimed, his speech
breathed the same spirit as the Iowa
utterance, and one of the prominent
Republicans of the state, it is stated,
who visited President Mckinley at
Canton, while his Buffalo address was
in preparation, saw the Iowa platform
on his desk and heard from his lips
cordial commentator of its declara-
ton and no criticism of any part.
This statement will dispose of the
oft-repeated story that the Iowa plat
form of 1901 was submitted to Presi-
dent Mckinley before it was adopted
and was presented to the state con-
vention with his sanction and ap-
prevail.
Mr.. Roberts takes all responsibility,
which may have been placed thereon,
from the shoulders of Governor Cum
minis, in relation to the preparat N Of
the platform or of the special plank
alluded to, by declaring that the latter
was without knowledge as to what the
platform would advocate until after it
was adopted by the convention, but
calls attention to the fact that Gov
ernor Cummins endorsed the declara-
tons unreservedly and made his cam
paign along that line.
After making quotations from the
speech made by Senator j. P. Dolliver
in 1902, when he accepted the nomina-
ton of the Republican caucus in Iowa
for the senate, and in which he took
occasion to recognize the sentiment
for tariff revision in the party, Mr..
Roberts mention several tariff re-
vision utterances which were made
later by Governor Cummins, first at
Minneapolis in April, 1902, then at
Chicago in October, 1902, and later at
Des Moines, before the Polk county
Republican convention in Marc, 1908.
In these addresses Governor Cummins
reiterated the provisions of the Re-
publican platform and explained at
length and in detail the meaning of
the tariff revision plank.
Mr. Roberts does not fully agree
with Governor Cummins in some of
his declarations and definitions, but
he does agree with him on the gen.
eral proposition that monopoly is not
entitled to be vested with power for
full control of the market, yet he
doubts the feasibility of suspending
the duty on a monopoly as the gov
ernor advocated, and restoring the
duty again when competition in that
monopoly shall have appeared. He
says in preparing the resolution he
ton of the monopoly as the protection
of society from it's evils. Society
hates a monopoly, Mr.. Roberts AYERS,
because of the power it possesses for
illegitimate gains, and his thought
was that the protective tariff Should
be SO carefully constructed and
amended from time to time that no
monopoly would have opportunity un-
der it to make illegitimate gains.
In spirit actuated for the preserva-
ton of harmony in the ranks of the
party in Iowa, Mr.. Roberts says the
leaders agreed in 1902, when the state
convention was to meet, that it was
better to reaffirm the old resolution
than attempt to write a new one,
which might make unfortunate differ
ences which might exist in the party
the subject of factional division.
This idea seemed to be acceptable, he
says, until few days before the con-
vention, when there was a demand
made that the tariff plank of the plat
form be amended so as to eliminate
the clause 'any modification Of the
tariff schedules that may be required
to prevent their affording a shelter to
monopoly" He says the friends of the
1901 platform then held that the con-
vention could not amend the same;
that they could do but one of two
things, either write a new platform
or adopt the old one. 1t would have
been no reflection on the convention
OF 1901, Mr. Roberts holds, for the
convention of 1902 to adopt new
platform. Indeed, he says, that is the
usual proceeding and the only reason
for departure from tie practice was
found ''in the peculiar state of irrita-
bility in the party which made a con-
flict in the convention highly unde-
sirable." The friends of the old plat
form won in the convention.
Then follows the history of the con-
tentions in the party which resulted
in the adoption in the 1903 platform of
modification Of tho rIotforv, %