Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-10-18
Iowa Idea VS. standpatters

Iowa Idea VS. Standpatters.
In an address delivered in Des
Moines on the 18th inst. Governor
Cummins re-affirmed his position
on the tariff; known as the Iowa
Idea" and threw many bombs into
the camp of the Stand Patters.
The speech is an able one and we
regret that we are not permitted, by
reason Of its length, to publish it in
full. The governor in part said:
We, who advocate revision, be-
lieve that many of the duties i'll the
present schedules are too high, and
that they should be reduced, not on
ly to save our own people from I'M
just exactions and excessive prices,
but, through reciprocity, TO preserve
and extend our trade with foreign
nations.
Those republicans who have,
rather boastfully, segregated them
selves under the name of stand
patters," believe, or say they believe
that the duties are as well adjusted
as they can be, and therefore none
Of them should be reduced; that if
any of them be to high, the excess
is so trifling that it results in no
harm to our own people, and that
the injury that would be done, by
an attempt to change any Of the
schedules would be greater than
any possible good that could come
from the change. They believe, or
say they believe, that reciprocity is
a beautiful theory, but a practical
absurdity, and that at the most it
can be applied only in noncompeti-
tive commodities.
Here, gentleman, is the issue, and
if / have not stated it fairly | trust
that l may be reminded of my error
at once. 1t is with us to stay until it
is settled. and it will never be set
tied until it is settled right
The constant and unvarying reply
to the demand that congress shall
undertake the correction of the tar
if schedules is that we are prosper.
GUS, and that, therefore well enough
should be let alone. 1t never seem.
to occur to these men, who do moth
ing but write eulogies upon GU
greatness, that they measure GU
prosperity by the aggregate produc
ton Of wealth and forget entirel,
that its distribution is quite as es
sential to the general welfars as il
its creation. The man who attempt
inthe future TO analyze and recort
the history Of the last three or fou
years will find it difficult to under
stand and hard to reconcile.
President Roosevelt is earnestl
leading a movement for reform ii
our laws regulating RAILWAYS ans
the people are enthusiastically ant
almost universally following him
We are very prosperous, and I won
der why they do not stand pat.
Secretary Shaw, the other day a
Cleveland, eloquently urged re
form in our monetary system in or
der to avert OF mitigate disasters ii
the days to come. We are yer,
prosperous, and wonder why h,
does not stand pat.
Our most distinguished states
men are stirring the hearts of tn
common men and women to thei
profoundest depths in demanding
reform in the laws for the superyi
sion of insurance companies. W.
are very prosperous, and ! wonde
why they do not stand pat.
Our ablest thinkers are spendin,
their days and nights in the pursui
Of some plan to curb the GROWN,
power of combinations and mono
poles. We are very prosperous
and | wonder why they do not stan
pat.
We have in this state two joir
committees Of the last general a.
sembly whose members are, wit
intelligent and tireless efforts, seel
ing for some better plan for the go'
eminent Of our educational instit,
tions and our penitentiaries. W
are very prosperous, and | wondt
why they do not stand pat
We adopted last year two amend
ments to our constitution Ho
strange! We were very prosperou
and / wonder why we did not stan
pat.
All these things and thousan
others are going on all around u
We are fighting our way upward
more perfect laws, toward mo-
complete justice, into a purer atmo
phere, and every living man who
worthy of the citizenship he veal
is moving forward. And yet, tn
moment it is suggested that, alon
with other vital changes, our tart
schedules need reformation the Ell
of the standpatter fills the Ian
He stands before his sacred idol, an
with passion in his tones and selfs
ness in his heart, he commands Il
resistless throng of progress to star
still, and he shouts, like the pow
drunken king of the olden time
the waves of the sea: "Thus Fl
shalt thou come and no farther
He is in great danger Of getting h
feet wet, and if he does not quit h
position he will be strangled wi
the advancing tide just as surely
the hours pass by. 6 81 e
/ simply want to remove the ma
that the opponents Of reciproci
have worn. / want them to appe
before the people as they are
have no doubt that they are hone
in their opposition to reciprocit