Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-08-31
GOVERNOR TELLS SHAW WHERi
HE READ REPORT OF LAT
TIERS SPEECH.
HE NAMES THE CAPITAL
LATE Youns's Paper Is the One II,
Which, the Governor Declares, II.
Read An Editorial On shaws Del,
Moines Speech Regarding the Reel
procity Treaties.

procity Treaties.
Des MONIES, Aug. 29--Governo
Cummins yesterday indited reply Il
the open letter Of Secretary of tn,
Treasury Shaw to him in respect t.
go speech to what the secretary had
said in Des Moines about the Frencl
treaty of reciprocity
The governor based his interpreta
ton of Secretary Shaw's speech upor
Des Moines, which quoted the secre
Moines bankers that the United
dous bargain and getting PRACTICAL,
nothing in return.
The Reply.
Governor Cummins letter to thu
secretary of the treasury, mailed t,
him yesterday, follows:
Executive Office.
Des Moines, Aug. 28, 1905.
Mr.. Secretary: have the honor T.
| acknowledge your letter of the 28tl
instant, In which you challenge
| statement that I recently made In al
address delivered before the Nationa
Reciprocity conference at Chicago. TIL
statement Is as follows:
"The secretary of the treasury, in
speech recently delivered in De
Moines is reported as saying that tn
explanation of the refusal of the sen
ate to consider the French treaty |
that is gives everything to France an
nothing to the United States I mus
do him the justice to believe that h
never read the treaty. for otherwis
he has committed a grave offens
against the proprieties of debate"
The quotation lis accurate. I mad
the statement. You say respecting It
II knew that I did not say 1t
anything that could be so interrupted
but l was not SO sure about the re
port The occasion was an informa
luncheon and the speech was inn
promptu, though not extemporaneous.
You further say:
/ Knowing, therefore, that you woull
not violate the proprieties of debate
4 by quoting me without authority a.
having made a specific statement,
| write to inquire where you saw tn
report of my speech, as given in you
Chicago address. / have not seen II
and l wish to correct the record
soon as possible"
| am sincerely gratifled to know tina
you deny having made the statement
for 1t was impossible for me to recon
1 cile 1t with the truth; and I am no
less gratified to be given the oppor
tunity to advise YOU Of my authorit
for tmputing the sentiment to yot
You may be against the French treat
and may be for It; but you can no
more afford to mislead the public con
corning It's provisions than / can affor
to misrepresent the statements yo,
make to justify the inaction OF the sen
ate.
4 You are quite right in reminding m
that both of us have had too long a,
experience in the trial of cases to be
lieve that any substantial victory ca
be won either through active falsehoo
or passive suppression Of the truth
therefore promptly give you mi
authority for stating that you wer
reported as saving In your speech
Des Moines that the senate failed
approve the French treaty because {
gave France everything and tn
I United States nothing.
Where He Saw II.
Il In the Des Moines Capital Of Satur
day, May 81, 1905, (the day after you
4 speech here) you will find q long edi
torial entitled Secretary Shaw" /
deals wholly with your speech of tn
day before. ] quote that part OF i
upon which l relied in my address a
J Chicago:
In his own original way he drov
home certain facts that will be remem
bered. He exposed the proposes
French treaty In all Its deformit,
demonstrating that we Were offerinI
France a tremendous bargain ant
getting practically nothing In return.
II this be not sufficient basis 70
the statement that I made In Chica
go, have yet to learn the meaning j
the commonest words of my motfe
tongue. Lafayette Young, the edito
of the DeS Moines Capital, was presen
at the luncheon and heard your speech
He is your political friend and ally
He Is in sympathy with your viewi
He Is himself a speaker of wonderful
power, and knows what words mean
He writes constantly concerning tn
tariff and reciprocity, and could no
have been mistaken with respect d
the trend and conclusion of your ar
gument. When he wrote In his vivt
and striking way that you exposes
j. the proposed French treaty In all 10
deformity, demonstrating that VI
, were offering France tremendo,,
bargain and getting practically nothinl
In return 1t was not possible for M
to doubt that you had what he had i'm
puted to you. know that he coul
: easily misunderstood me, but 1t Ia In
credible that he should misunderstood
you.
Following your example, will ham
, a copy of my reply to the newspaper
at the time mail this letter.
With htf regard, am yours yer.
truly, Albert B. Cummins.