The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-06
BODY BLOW FOR
"SIANDPATTERS"
Governor Cummins Declares That
Senators Allison and Dolliver
Are With Him.
Executive and Senior Senator Be.
lieved to Have Had Heart
to-Heart Talk.
No Serious Controversy in the State
Convention Expected-Alli-
sons Chicago Interview.
To the Editor of The Journal:-

To the Editor of The Journal:
Des Moines, Iowa, April Ex-Governor
Cummins has thrown a bomb into the
camp of the "stand- pat element in this
state by issuing statement in which he
authoritativey declares that Senator ALI
son believes in reciprocity just as ear
nestly as he ever did, and that Allison
''believes the party should declare for it
this year. just as it has been declaring
for it for more than ten years.
More than this, the governor, after de-
claring his belief that the comnig state
platform should neither repudiate nor
retract any thought embodied in our last
two platforms. and that it will be ex-
pressed in language chosen by some emil
nent leader Of the party In Iowa who COM
mands the absolute confidence of every
republican in the land says that, so far
as reciprocity and tariff Is concerned, he
knows he is In exact accord with Senators
Allison and Doliver and a majority Of the
members from Iowa in the house.
The Allison Interview.
The statement Of the governor has been
brought out by an interview that appeared
a short time ago in a Chicago paper, in
which Allison was made to say that reel
procity. though all right in theory, could
not be put into practice. The interview
led many to believe that Allison consid-
cred reciprocity dead. In fact while ALI
son pointed out the difficulty of getting
reciprocal treaties ratified by a two-t thirds
vote in the senate his idea was that 1t
would be best to seek reciprocity by d1-
rect legislation.
Governor Cummins says in his state
ment that. in speaking on the views of
Senator Allison. he speaks by the high
est imaginable authority.'
There is reason to believe that the gov
ernor and the senior senator from Iowa
have held conference since the inter-
view was published. Governor Cummlns,
however. ". II not admit this. though there
Is reason to believe it Is true.
In this light the governors statement
becomes the more significant. 1t points
clearly to the fact that, with Allison and
DOliver and Cummins and, is the gov
ernor says, a. majority Of the members of
congress from this state aligned with him.
self as to what the platform should con-
tain; there can be little done by the
"stand- -patters'' in the state convention
this year toward preventing "a rsftera ton
of the sentiments expressed IN the Cedar
Raei6s platform and embodying the IA.
NOUS Iowa. idea.
What the Governor Says. .
Governor Cummins, In his statement,
says: y
You ask me what 1 think of the pub
lished statement that Senator Allison has
abandoned the policy Of reciprocity. The
question is easily answered. / think 1t Is
not true. 1 am willing to put 1t more
strorgly-I know 1t is not true. I have
the best imaginable authority for saying
that Senator Allison believes In reciprocl-
ty Just AS earnestly he ever did. anu
that he believes the party should declare
for it this year just as it has been declar-
ing for it for more than ten years.
"It is obvious to Senator Allison, as.
indeed it is to all of us, that reciprocity
by treaty is exceedingly difficult to accom-
plish, inasmuch as one-thrd Of the SEN
ate can prevent the ratification Of a treaty,
and the democrats are all against rec1proc-
ity; but the doctrine can be carried into
effect quite as we'll by an act of congress.
and this requires only a majority Of both
houses You will find that Senator Alli-
son will stand firmly and squarely by the
opinions he has so often and so ably eX-
pressed.
AS to the Platform.
"You ask me what kind of platform the
coming republican state convention will
adopt My answer is that do not know.
That is a ma tier to be determined by the
republicans Of the state, in whose 5udg-
mcnt have the most implicit confidence.
while cannot say what the platform
will be, I can tell you what I hope. 1t will
be. 1 hope and believe it will be a
broad. progressive statement of the essen
tial principles of republicanism, upon
which every genuine republican can stand,
and concerning which there can be no
criticism. I hope and believe that it will
neither repudiate nor retract any thought
embodied in our last two platforms and
that it will be expressed in language
chosen by some eminent leader Of the
party who commands the absolute conf
dence Of every republican in the land.
Senators on His Side.
''You ask me if I desire to reply to the
charge that I am out of sympathy with
some of the distinguished republicans Of
the state upon the tariff and reciprocity,
and as to the platform upon these sub
jects All that care to say is that I am
not conscious Of any such Divergence of
views. Men who do their own thinking
always differ respecting the application of
principles upon which they abstractly
agree; but so far as the tariff and reci-
proCity are concerned, and their express
sion in a platform. 1 know that I am in
exact accord with Senators Allison and
Dollver, and I think with ma jority of
the members of the house.
Il have discussed the question with the
most prominent leaders Of the party in
the state, not in office, including many
who have been hitherto reckoned as un-
friendly in a political way. and am glad
TO say that there is entire concurrence
in the desire to adopt platform that
will state the republican position in such
manner that there can be no further
agitation Of the subject. There is nc
difficulty whatever In doing SO, and con-
tidently predict that there will be no seri-
Gus controversy in the next convention
over the platform" ...