The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-14
.CUMMINS HOLDS
TO HIS COURSE
Tariff, Reciprocity and the Trusts
Discussed in a Great Speech
at Des Moines.
''Iowa Idea" He Contends, Is Es-
sential to the Continued Sue
cess Of the Party.
Reciprocal Treaties Which Take
Away Less Than We Ac-
quire Strongly Urged.
Special to The Journal.

Special to Tho Journal.
: Des Moines, Iowa, March 14.-Remark-
able interest for county convention was
shown this afternoon in the meeting OF
Polk county republicans. This was due in 3
part to the struggle between the forces Of
Congressman Hull and the Judge Prouty
men for control Of the county committee,
but very largely to the address OF Cover
nor Cummfns who, it had been repeatedly
announced, would reaffrm his stand as to
the Iowa idea. and other issues. The
address was delivered with great force
and was heard by a large crowd which ap-
pauded the governors sentiments lber- Z
ally. .7.a.
The convention adopted strong reso,1-
tions unanimously indorsing every sentf-
ment of the last two state platforms and
commencing the administration of Cover
nor Cummins in unqualified terms The
selection Of delegates to the state con-
vention was entrusted to Governor Cum
minis and Judge C. A. Bishop of this city,
who will be renominated for judge of the
state supreme court. Howard Clark a
prominent attorney here, was temporary
chairman.
Prefacing his remarks with an eloquent
tribute to the republican party, which he
said had never failed to settle and settle
right the policies of party, state and ma
ton, and which he remarked had never
covered before problem simply because
it was new and because the solution had
not been handed down by the forefathers,' y
Governor Cumnins said:
The Tariff. j.
with respect to our platform Of the last
two years upon the subject of the tar
iff. let me say. at once that I believe in
every word that we have uttered Time
and reflection have but intensified my
views, and unhesitatingly say that. while
| 1 am not welded to any form of express
| sion, the idea OR thought contained in our
! pla tform is not only right which ought to
end the controversy, but is. as I am pro-
foundly convinced, essential to the con-
t1nued success Of the party. and I say to
you frankly that intend to do whatsoever
i 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 conf1iet whatsoever be-
| tween the Iowa idea and anything that
/ has ever been declared by a ma atiasaI con =
/ jvention,s shutit is necessary, frsfii- time to-
4 Ia el,ra p1at ffsas to ply.
/ and the principles of the party to affairs
las they at the time exist. In making this
suggestion let it be fully understood that
/ this is a controversy within the party,
| from which the democrats must be rigor-
| ously excluded, and from which they must
! take no encouragement whatsoever. for
| the reason that whatever may be the form
! OF expressing the doctrines of the party,
we are al lioyal republicans and all
| know a government administered by the
republican party is better than any gov
eminent that could possibly be adminis-
tered by any other political organization
known to the American people. With
these preliminary suggestions, let re-
cur again to the tariff.
What Protection Has Done.
I'VE are all profound believers in the
policy of protection. Notwithstanding
the statement Of an eminent republican,
recently made, I venture to say that pro-
lection is not only practically sound, but
theoretically sound. It is not only vim
dicated by the experience of our people,
but can be defended by the highest and
most exact. processes Of abstract reason.
This policy has written the brightest and
most glowing pages in the history of the
| republic. It has contributed more to the
! honor and renown of the American
ton than any other policy known to our
institutions. God made US foremost in
natural resources; protection has made us,
, also, foremost in actual production. It
has enabled us to pay American wages,
award capital with American profit,
and still occupy our own markets. The
man who says that the followers of the
: Iowa platform have abated one jot or tit
I tie of their belief in the policy of protec-
tion is the only enemy that protection
: has in the ranks of the republican party.
''The schedules which now carry this
). policy into effect were adopted In 1897.
, I have no criticism for them. They were
= adopted when the country was in the
depths of commercial distress, created and
: perpetuated by the weakness Of faliacies
Z of democratic administration and demo-
cratic doctrines. I doubt not that some
), of these schedules were prepared under
"" " | the expectation, declared in the act itself,
u that they would be lowered through the
: operation Of reciprocal treaties. / be-
:. | leve that these schedules were the potent
. factors in the commercial and industrial
: rescue of the Mckinley administration
= = | and the prosperity which has ensued is
= the result of the confidence which the
people have always felt in a government
. through the agency of the republican
d party. Six years have passed-the most
J ! wonderful not only in the United States,
! ! but throughout the world. They have
seen an awakening and readJustment
= among the nations of the earth, indus
5 trially and commercially. without paral-
= lei in recorded time
:, SIN our own country changes In the
- methods and process of industry nave
> occurred which could only be described in
;, y volumes devoted to that purpose. and OF
= which the Intelligent people of this coun-
: try are sinstinctively conscious UndeF
$. these circumstances, the question pro-
= pounded by the Iowa platform is whether
: the time has come to make corresponds
ing changes in our import duties. Ii l
> understand the real purport of what we
y said last year. it is that the epublicans
: of Iowa. and in this respect they are
: Joined by the republicans of nearly every
y state in the union, believed that the time
: had come in which the subject should be
IS again examined. not necessarily In the
way of a general revision OF all the sched-
Y ules, but that some of them. and notably
the iron and steel schedules. should be
taken up for the purpose Of determining
o whether the duties were SO high that they
were being used, not for the purpose OF
| protection alone, but for the purpose OF
unduly enhancing the prices of the vari-
IN ous commodities manufactured from iron
It. ore
ye Duties that Are Too High.
al ."There are some other things which
IN have also attracted public attention, but
e. which cannot at this time mention.
d-| for one, and believe that in this respect
orl I speak the sentiment Of the great ma
iority of the republicans of this state. be-
90 lieve that some Of these duties are too
IN high, and that they are capable OF being
We used for an unlawful object. We all know
lyi the principle upon which protective duties
are laid. They are intended to eQuallze