Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-07-06
Misrepresentation About the
..Iowa Idea" Platform OF
1908 Explained
REACHING COMMON GROUND
Il Was cummins' Declaration That He
Would Agree to No Platform Except
ing One Containing in the Fullest
Measure the so-called Iowa Idea
Tho Leaders Kept Posted.
special TO Times-Republican.

a small coterie or envious politicians in
this state supplemented by the inten-
tional unreliability of the press asso-
Citations and a few correspondents OF
outside newspapers to have the impress
sion go out to the world that in the
recent republican state convention the
man who was unanimously selected as
again the party leader was the most
numerically beaten man in the whole
convention, to leave the impression that
the man who wrote the platform and
reluctantly forced to accept it at the
hands of bitter enemies and to read into
fractional lines the great governing
body of the convention, which was
moved by the spirit of compromise -
these efforts suggest the propriety of a
plain statement of the origin, growth
and development of the Iowa idea"
platform of 1902. Here are some facts
that will not be questioned by anyone
having knowledge. For sufficient reas-
ons they have not been before related
In any one connected story.
The 1902 Platform.
The Iowa platform of 1901 and 1902,
especially the part touching tariff and
trusts, was written by George &. Rob-
erts. In February last Governor Albert
B. Curnmins was called to Washington
and while there took occasion to discuss
the Iowa platform and the Iowa idea
of tariff revision with national leaders.
While there he brought up the subject
OF the next Iowa platform with Director
of the Mint Roberts. and in the course
of the conversation the latter suggested
to the governor that he write out his
idea OF the tariff and trust planks so
that they would have something con-
crete to work on. The governor did so.
He stated then to Mr.. Roberts and to-
Senator Allison to whom he showed the
rough draft, that he was not only will
ing but anxious to substitute for the
shelter to monopoly" phrase. which
had been SO greatly misconstrued by
the democrats and some others, the
expressions found in the national re-
publican platform of 1896 covering the.
same ground, which he regarded as,
stronger and more desirable in every
way, and expressing more exactly what
the governor had all along commended
was the meaning Of the Iowa platform
It was his suggestion, not that OF any
other man, that the misunderstood and
mach abused reference to shelter to
monopoly" be transformed into the ref
erence to rates equally opposed<to for
eign control and domestic monopoly"
1t was Governor Cummins who wrote
into the platform the declaration that
the tariff rates must from time to time
be changed" to take the place of the,
what to him seemed to be, weaker ex-
such changes in the tariff from time TO
time as becomes advisable.
cummins and Allison.
On the return home of Cummins and
Allison after the close of the congress-
ional session they took up by cores
pondence the matter Of the wording of
the platform. 1t is but fair to say that
the senator and the governor found
themselves In perfect accord on the tar
1ff and reciprocity planks. They did
differ as to the wording OF the trust
plank. Governor Cuminins had made
OF this, two planks, and they were rad
ical. Senator Allison did not believe,
after thinking it over. that the situation
fully justified the complete condemna-
ton OF monopolies in the trust plank to
which he had formally given in assent
in Washington in February A con :
ference was arranged in Chicago April
3. between Allison. Cumlnins and
George ID. Perkins. The matter of chief
concern there was the trust plank. Per-
kins set himself to the task of reconcil
Ing the views of the two men. He
struck out the last clause that Cum
MINIS had written, and wrote into the
other plank the sentence: I'VE do not
desire their instruction, but insist that
they shall be so regulated and controll-
ed as to prevent monopoly and promote
competition and in the fullest measure
subserve and advance the public good"
The remainder Of the plank was ar
ranged to correspond to this, and this
form was recently accepted by both
Cummins and Allison. Whatever else
was done to the original draft was in
the nature OF perfecting its rhetorical
or grammatical features. The three
men found themselves agreed as to the
entire substance Of the tariff and reci-
procity planks. AT later conference
in Dubuque where ]. w. Blythe was
present, he made no suggestion as to
any change in regard to tariff and reel
procity, but merely gave him adherence
freely and fully to the draft as pre-
pared.
The Iowa Idea.
AT the very outset of the negotia-
tons for reaching a common ground,
Governor Cummins declared that under
no circumstances would he agree to a
platform except one that contained In
the fullest measure the so-called Iowa
idea. He would not agree to any plat
form that failed to express clearly the
essence of the views he had so often
expressed in public in regard to chang
ing tariff rates to withhold protection
from monopolies and in regard to the
give and take brand of reciprocity.
Cummins' Platform.
It is true that the platform is not
word for word and letter for letter az
Governor Cumnins wrote It, Some
changes were made. For instance the
governor desired that the reference
should be to tariff rates" and not to
tariff schedules or "the tariff 1t Is
more explicit. The reference to enabl-
ing labor to secure good wages is not
as at first written. The word there
FORE had been in the draft just pre-
ceding the declaration that tariff rates
must from time to time be changed
and the word therefore" was stricken
out by the governor. He did not want