Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-07-11
Gives His Estimate of the Plat
form and Ticket of the Con-
vention at st. Louis
ADMITS REPUBLICANS RIGHT
Democratic Platform a Practical Sur
render to the Position That the Re-
publicans Have Been Right and
Democrats Wrons-Thinks candi-
dates Are Men Of Clean Character.
Special to Times-Republican

Special to Times Republican,
Des Moines, July 11.--Governor Al
bert b. Cummins, although believing It
early for a careful consideration of
the democratic platform, gives his first
utterances on the platform and the
work of the convention at st. Louis
In the following interview. He said:
'vrhe time has not yet come for a
careful and comprehensive review Of
the work OF the democratic convention
and it goes without saying that the all
legged interview with me published in
the Capital was never had. have
been deeply interested in the outcome
OF the convention at st. Louis and have
read the platform it has announced
with the utmost deliberation and l
think I can speak of it with reasonable
fairness and candor.
As to the candidates presented II
gives me pleasure to feel that they are
men Of high attainments, strong, reso-
lutte characters and irreproachable
lives. The campaign. therefore, from
the republican standpoint, will be, as
all campaigns ought to be, impersonal.
AS to the platform, it is a remark
able instrument. It will be a perpetual
delight to the student of political his
tory, because it marks the passing of
the real democratic party and ends
long period Of stupid resistance to the
overpowering spirit of the times.
Examined from the viewpoint OF a re-
publican 1t is an almost complete sur
render to the justice of republican
principles and the wisdom of repub-
lican policies. With comparatively I'M
tmportant exceptions. it says substan-
TALLY to the republicans: You have
been right all these years, but we can
now carry out your plans of govern
ment more faithfully and more eff
flcientiy than you cam 1t il true that
It is silently respecting the monetary
standard, but the convention has at
tempted to supply that omission. by
what some will call the courageous and
others will term the ingenious. play of
the candidate for president.
Looking at the platform more par
ticularly it Will be observed that
thru about a column of print, down
to the point Of dealing with the Philip
pines. there is not a statement Of prins
ciple or policy upon which there isany
difference of opinion and the writer
took breath but twice to charge the re-
pubiicans first with Il failure to investi-
gate corruption at Washington and
second in refusing to prohibit contracts
with convicted trusts. These charges
present questions of fact. not of policy,
and are only thrown in to accompany
the suggestion that democrats are more
honest than republicans. N
AS to the Philippines, the substance
Of the declaration is that when the
people Of those islands are prepared to
form stable government that they
should have their independence, and
that we ought to tell them SO now.
When the work that a republican adj
has done and is doing in
the Philippines is considered, the issue
presented by the democrats VIII hardly
engage the attention of the American
people. As to the tariff, ! regard the
platform as a complete paper abandon
nent Of the democratic position and an
attempt to get on republican ground.
Kidding these clauses of their partisan
rhetoric, they mean democratic reduc>
ton Of the schedules wfth,a recognition
Of the policy of protection and, in my
they offer just this issue to
the voters: Republican revision, to
meet new conditions on the one side.
Democratic revision nominally along
the lines Of protection. but with actual
fn fHfa ~ cav.
This will be the battle-ground of the
campaign, and II the republicans can
not win In such a contest, then the
people ought to suffer the disasters
which are sure to follow democratic
victory. It Is hardly possible to be-
lieve that the revision of the tariff
schedules will be transferred from the
long time and faithful friends of pro-
lection to It's ancient and Evolutionary
Dnemies.
As to reciprocity. the difference be-
tween the two platforms is one Of
only. We say we want 1t
when it will not hurt anybody at home.
they say we want 1t when 1t will help
Everybody at horne. Take your choice.
1.-THE remainder of the democratic
platform suggests nothing that the
|iveliest imagination can clothe with
the Importance OF an issue. The re-
clamation Of arid lands, the Isthmian
canal. the protection of American
statehood for the terri
tories. polygamy. the Monroe doc
rine. the maintenance OF an army at
4 point demonstrated to be safe and
sufficient" civil service reform, the
race question. the election of senator's
BY direct vote of the people.
"All these things are either a SUBJ
Dtantial reproduction Of our platform
Or they differ in such particulars as
ean not be made the basis Of a struggle
FOR supremacy.
Summing 1t all up, say OF the plat
FORM. 1t has little bad in 1t and that
10 democratic. 1t has some good in it
Ind that is republican.
Their real challenge Is that Roose>
velt Is a tyrant and wants to usurp
power that does not belong to him and
that the republican party can not en-
Force It's own principles as well as the
Democratic party can enforce them. As
look at It. our opponents were never
10 feeble as they are at this moment. |
and their defeat ought to be over
oscEoLA COUNTY CONVENTION.
Will Hold an Early |