Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-07-09
SAYS HE WILL RUN
WELLMAN DECLARES cUMMlNs
WOULD ENTER THE VICE
PRESIDENTIAL RACE.
The Washington Correspondent Dis
plays An Unusual Fund of Informal
ton and Tells Westerners All About
What the West Thinks.


he calls revival of the boom of A. q.
Cummins, governor OF Iowa, for vice
president in 1904, and even goes so far
as to say that Mr.. Cummins has
agreed to accept the honor if proffered.
Mr.. Wellman, who often gets a
wrong hunch," does not say who has
offered Governor Cummins the nomin-
alton but he does make some pretty
strong statements about the tariff and
the views taken Of 1t by western re-
publicans. His letter is as follows:
Wellman On cummins.
Washington, July There is re-
newal of the talk that Governor Cum
minis of Iowa will be strongly pushed
for the vice presidential nomination
next year. Todays Washington Star
says an autograph letter from Gov
ernor Cummins has been seen in this
city-a letter in which the governor
states his willingness to accept the
nomination for vice president in case
he is wanted by the party leaders. He
does not put himself in the category
Of open candidates, but leaves no
doubt that he is willing to run If ask
ed. The Star adds:
Governor Cummins' friends are in
clined to make a campaign in his be-
half. They say there are many rea-
sons why he would make an available
and acceptable candidate for second
place on the republican national tick
ct. His admirers say that primarily
he is an orator. magnetic speaker,
with the force of Beveridge and the
versatility of Dolliver. He is west
nd mr. hn
now being bruited of westerner on
the ticket"
Your correspondent has not seen the
letter spoken Of and therefore is I'M
able to vouch for its existence. But
it is presumed the Stars statement is
correct, as it is careful newspaper.
cummins' Approval.
According to the same authority the
plans of President Roosevelt for the
revision of the tariff after the next
presidential election has been COM
municated to Governor Cummins by
Senator Allison and are satisfactory
to Governor Cummins. Another claim
advanced in advocacy of the Cummins
boom is that his nomination would be
accepted by the great body of western
republicans, who are determined upon
revision, as evidence of the good
faith of the national leaders in their
promises Of ultimate revision. There
is no question that west of thel Ohio
river the sentime nt is strong among
Republicans that sooner or later the
tariff will have to be revised at repub-
lican hands OF the democratic party
will be given the undertaking. At this
time those republicans are willing to
yield to the opinion Of the eastern
leaders that it would be unwise to at
tempt revision on the eve of a presi-
Dental election, but their subordina-
ton Of their views does not indicate
abandonment"
Gives Away Secret.
In addition to the foregoing the writ
err is able to address a few facts of
interest: President Roosevelt and
Governor Cummins fully discussed the
tariff question when Mr.. Cummins was
in Washington last spring. They
agreed that there should be an early
revision of the tariff They agreed that
it would be unwise to attempt such re-
vision on the eve of the presidential
campaign, but that it should come i'm
mediately afterward. They agreed that
the extent of the revision, whether it
should apply to all schedules or to only
certain schedules, in which changed
conditions have made a change of
rates necessary, was question which
should be left to the wisdom of con-
gress. They agreed that generally
speaking, revision should mean lower
rates, not higher-less stone wall for
the purpose of keeping prices ficti-
tiously high and more consideration
for the consumer.
The one thing they disagreed upon
and on this the disagreement was en-
phatic on both sides-was as to the
efficacy Of the tariff changes as a
means of getting at the trusts, and out
of their discussion of this question
grew the suppositon that the tariff
plank adopted at st. Louis in 1896
| would make good model for the Iowa
platform for this year and also for the
national platform of next year. 1t was
| Immediately after this talk with the
President that Mr.. Cummins drew the
tariff plank that was adopted at Des
Mcines last week.
WelIman's Wisdom Wonderful.
| Another fact of interest and perhaps Of
| Importance is that President Roosevelt
| wants the tariff revised Immediately after
the presidential election and that In his
opinion it would be absurd to wait longer.
He has on his side no less a parsonage than
Mr.. Aldrich, the chief of the high protec-
tionists. Mr.. Aldrich is wholly willing to
have revision, provided he may have his
say as to what sort of revision it shall
be. have heretofore stated tho attitude
of the President and of Mr.. Aldrich on
this subject, but 1t appears to be necessary
to repeat the statement over and over in
| order to convince some people that a revi-
| sion of the tariff is coming. There are
| none SO deaf as those that will not hear.
President Roosevelt liked Governor Cum
Minis very much He liked the Iowa execu-
tive for his frank and courageous defense
of his tariff and trust Views as much as
for anything else, though with q part there
of the President was unable to agree. Now
that Governor Cummins has voluntarily
modified the form Of expression Of the
Iowa idea into harmony with the Presi-
| dents views, 1t may be taken for granted
that Mr.. Roosevelt would not object to
have the representative Of the tariff re-
form wing Of the party on the ticket with
him next year.
Roosevelt Will Not Dictate.
Unless Mr.. Roosevelt changes his mind
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