Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-04-23
A UNITED PARTY.

Council Bluffs Nonpareil.-A month
before the state convention finds the
republicans of Iowa getting together in
a most satisfactory manner. There no
longer remains doubt but that the con-
Vention at Des Moines thirty days
hence will be peaceful and harmoni-
Gus gathering, with all members of the
party united and enthusiastic in the
one great purpose of the year, the cleo
ton of Theodore Roosevelt to the
presidency, and in doing that the roll
ing up of the old fashioned majority
in Iowa.
Developments of the past few days
go long ways toward making it GER
tain that there will be little if any con-
troversy when the hosts gather as to
what the convention shall say on tar
if and reciprocity those much mooted
questions for some time past. For
weeks it has been practical certainty
who the delegates named by the con-
vention would be, but acquiescence in
what the platform should BE did not
come quite so early:
Now, however, there seems to be a
strong probability that lis point is to
be easy of settlement. OF course, the
language to be used cannot be deter
mined in advance, but the discussion
that has been going on with reference
to last years platform seems to have
about terminated in the conclusion all
round that there will be no reaffirma-
ton, that it will be the best for the
party to leave that platform where 1t
stands and employ new phraseology to
express, itself this year.
Events of the past week that have
contributed to this conclusion include
the congressional conventions in the
First and Tenth districts, and the an
nouncement by Mr.nPerkins Of Sioux
City, through the editorial columns of
his newspaper, that he is convinced
that reaf1irmation will not be INDUCED
in.
The first district, looked on as the
firmest of all the stand patters, out
lined a declaration of faith which all
lowed for reciprocity in nom competi-
tive articles only, and which put forth
the proposed personnel of the delega-
ton at-large as basis of Cancellation
to secure united support for the ma
tional ticket. No thought was taken
of last years platform; it was left
alone where it stands. In all this the
first district set a good example for the
state convention.
In the tenth district, recognized as
the most pronounced Cummins district
in the state, no demand for reaffirma-
ton was made. The convention at
Fort Dodge touched but lightly and in
directly on the tariff and reciprocity
questions simply approving the fiscal
and economic policies of the party in
the past and expressing confidence in
the ability of the national convention
to formulate a platform upon which
all republicans can stand.
Viewing these results in the first
and tenth districts, Mr.. Perkins, who
has been among the foremost of those
who have thought that a reaffirmation
of last years platform was essential to
party peace and harmony, now ex-
presses the belief that no such reaf1ir-
nation will take place.
Thus, with it foregone conclusion
that Messrs. Allison, Dolliver, Cummins
and Blythe are to be the delegates-a at
large, giving representation to those
of all shades of opinion, and with a
declaration of principles outlined in
the resolutions of the first district that
seems to bid fair to be accepted by all
without further controversy, the re-
publicans of Iowa are coming together
in solid phalanx for the battle of 1904.