Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-17
ENDORSE ROOSEVELT
Republicans Of Polk Comfy Will
Support Administration.
CUMnlNS lFFIRMS HIS POSITION
In Lengthy Address The Governor De-
clared for Revision of the Tariff,
Reciprocity and No Shelter for Mon
oPoly-Mr. Cummins' Address.

Reciprocity and No Shelter for Mon
oPoly-Mr. Cummins' Address.
Declaring that they heartily endors-
ed the administration of President
Roosevelt, the republicans of Polk
county held an enthusiastic meeting in
Des Moines Saturday afternoon, at
winch Governor A. B. Cummins reaf-
frmed his political views on revision,
reciprocity and no shelter for monop-
oily The convention was held for
the purpose OF nominating county Off
GERS and the republicans took occasion
TO endorse Mr.. Cummins for renomi-
nation for the office of governor and
A. =. bishop for supreme court Judge
Mr.. cummins' Address.
Governor Cummins said:
Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the con.
Nention; ! cannot adequately express the
gratltude feel toward the republicans of
FOLK county, and therefore l shall not at
tempt 1t. l want you to know, however,
| that 1t is the dominant sentiment of my po-
itlcal life, and am conscious If no am
Dition SO potent and persistent as the am
nitlon to merit the confidence you have
L
nave SO constantly surrounded and sus-
tanned me. l have no desire to speak of
my work MS governor of the state. have
tried to do my duty in the past and all
| that l can promise for the future is that,
| II renominated and reelected, / will say
wnnt believe to be true and do what I
peneve to be right, leaving the conse-
quences to the judgment of just, intelli1
gent and patriotic people.
deeply appreciate the honor of speak
\ ing TO the representatives of the repub-
lican party of Polk county. 1t is not APP
propriate to indulge in comparisons, but
| am sure that l will not offend the most
sensitive soul when say that the republi-
cans of Iowa have no superiors in the vast
army OF repubicanism In fidelity to prin-
ciple, in capacity to grasp new problems,
in the patriotism which makes government
the agency of justice, in all the varied du-
ties of the best citizenship, our republi
| cans march in the forefront of the great
| procession which goes sweeping upward to
better civilization. OF the republicans of
| Iowa none are more faithful. constant and
enthusiastic than the republicans of Polk
county. Therefore I feel that l am speak
| ing to the choicest spirits of an organiza-
ton at once the most powerful, the most
successful and the most ciyilizing of all
the political organizations of the world.
We have right to be proud of the party
| to which we belong.
1 Work of the Party.
| Avoiding the enthusiastic eulogIes which
naturally spring to the lips upon an occa-
sion of this character, 1t may be said with
the utmost soberness that the republican
party has done more to demonstrate that
representative government is possible
among men than any other political or
Ganization that ever attempted to make
and execute laws, 1t would unnecessarily
consume your time to recount the splendid
triumphs of its long and brilliant career.
/ prefer rather to suggest the causes of
Its magnificent success. 1t has understood
as no other political organization ever did
4 the true relation between the government
and the people. 1t has known that govern
ment as an agency for the maintenance
of order and the administration of justice
among men, must be an evolution In har-
mony with the growth and development
of society. While 1t has drown its inspira-
tion from the past and grayely considers
the lessons of experience it never has and
does not now adopt with slavsh seryility
the precedents of time gone by. 1t has
appreciated as no other party has ever
appreciated that the highest function of
the government is to adjust the laws to
the needs and condition of the existing
time. 1t has never covered before a prob
lem simply because it was new and be-
cause the solution had not been handed
Il down by the forefathers.
1t has always proceeded upon the n.y.
pothess that there was power enough in
the government somewhere to meet all the
demands and serve all the interests of a
rapidly growing and expanding citizenship.
Il To sum it all up, it has believed that
government was made for man. and not
man for government, and, therefore, 1t
has held, to degree never before wit
messed the confidence of the people The
spirit that / have endeayored so made
~, - AT
the only political organization in which
there is any hope of good government and
prosperity, and l believe that its contin-
ued supremacy is absolutely essential to
the welfare of the American people.
1t is natural that in the application of its
well established policies and It's well set
tied principles to the actual affairs of men
and to conditions as they arise from time
to time, there should be honest differences
of opinion among republicans, not differ
ences which relate TO fundamental doe
trines, but to the detail of the laws which
are enacted to carry them into execution.
Recognizing these differences of opinion,
am led to consider for a very brief time
some of the questions which are now en-
crossing the public attention, and which
grow out of the platform adopted by the
4 republican party in the state of Iowa last
year and the year before, the substance
of which is found in many other state plat
of the party.
The Platforms of Last TWO Years.
With respect to our platform Of the last
two years upon the subject of the tariff,
let me say at once that l believe in every
word that we have uttered. Time and re
Election have but intensified my views, and
i unhesitatingly say that, while
! am not welded to any form of express
sion the idea or thought contained in our
platform is not only right, which ought to
/, end the controversy, but is, as l am pro
foundy convinced, essential to the contln
) ued success of the party, and | say to
, you frankly that ! intend to do whatsoev-
er lies in my power to introduce into the
national platform Of next year the thought
to which the republicans of Iowa have al
ready given utterance.
There is no conflict whatsoever between
the Iowa platform and anything that has
ever been declared by national conven
tion, but 1t Is necessary from time to time
in our platform to apply the policies ant
the PRINCIPLES of the marty to affairs ms