The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-16
IOWA IDEA D ! = LIVES j 7. {
Man Who Named the Policy De-
olares Il Is Far From Being
Dead.
Praises Iowa Republicans for Their
Stand Against the "0strichi-
cation Of the Party.

i /, + ( { : { /
New York Sun Special Service.
Chicago, May 16.--Walter Wellman In a
special to the Record Herald
says: i5s ii. l4 4.s5
! The Iowa Idea" still lives. In fact it /
has come very near dominating the na-
tional republican party The progressive
republicans Of the Hawkeye state may
congratulate themselves upon the fact that
with a little courage and frankness and
persistency they have probably prevented
the national party bourbonizing itself and
getting ostrach-wise on tariff questions.
Since the death of Mckinley the tenden-5l
cys,in the. republican party has been de-
cidedly that of reaction toward stand pat
ism and do nothingism; toward fierce
frowning upon every suggestion of tariff
revision, toward murder Of all the Nc
Kniley reciprocity treaties and the entire
Mckinley policy of letting water off from l
behind the dam by means OF reciprocity
sluice gates.
The republicans of Iowa have stood
| alone in protesting against this ultra
bourbonism Declaring that they were as
| good protectionists as anyone, they have
pointed out the danger of making fetch
| of any particular tariff Law, and Of going
to sleep behind any particular wall. They
have stood for occasional revision of the
tariffs. when warranted by changed con-
ditions. as a just and sound principle.
Generally they have SO expressed them
selves as to carry to their fellow repubt
/ licans thruout the country, a warning that
the west will not endure tariff system in
which the consumer Is wholly ignored
/ But the Iowa republicans have done
much more than to- keep ablaZe dis
cussion as to whether or not the party
can afford to go to sleep with its stand pat
! philosophy and to thus invite that self
satisfied lethargy which is too often the
L mr. of n y, of
affording this wholesome irritation they
have managed to get themselves de-
Il nounced by many of the ultra protection
lists. The particular part Of the prodding
stick to which objection has been raised
is, Of course that which declares the
tariff shall not be used as a Shelter to
monopoly This phrase was first used
in the republican state platform of 1901,
and attracted a little, but not much, notice
turnout the country. In 1902, the phrase
was repeated after a bit of a contest over
it in the state, and at once the republi-
cans found themselves subjects of dis
cussion everywhere in the country. 1t
was perceived Immediately that here was
something new in republican doctrine
the idea that the restraining powers might
prevent high tariffism being carried to a
fatal extreme. Protection was all right
and high tariff was all right but the
moment 1t was found a tariff schedule OF
= rate was affording shelter to some monop.
oily of production or distribution dowr
: with it.
Il Much depends upon a name. This Il
particularly true of new thing. The
: writer happened to be in Des Moines las
; summer, and in writing a carefully die
tated and authorized interview with Gov
ernor Cummins, and also in giving the in
= side story Of the state republican council
]. ne labeled this new notion the low;
: idea," and thus equipped with appellatiol
= euphonious, alliterative and significant,
= has survived from that day to this
> spreading its fame and attracting admir-
= ers or infuriating its enemies. Some Q
: the consequences have been quite inter
2 esting. .5F5s y @
The, Amer Protective Tariff League
) with headquarters in New York, Srea
=, - Governor Cummins out Of the party
- Senator Dolliver delivered a sensa tiona
- speech in congress in which the Iowa pro
!, test against ostrichization of the repub
II lican party on the tariff was made yer
- vivid, and the late Mr.. Dingley's intentio
Of using certain high rates for tradin
purposes. was made clear.