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

WEDNESDAY, OCT. is, 1905.
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:
I'VE, who advocate revision, be-
lieve that many OF the duties in 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 we'll 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 triaing 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 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 | trus,
that / 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 we'll enough
should be let alone. 1t never seems
to occur to these men, who do moth
ing but write eulogies upon our
greatness, that they measure our
prosperity by the aggregate produc.
ton of wealth and forget entirely
that its distribution is quite as es,
sential to the general welfars as is
its creation. The man who attempts
in the future to analyze and record
the history Of the last three or four
years will find it difficult to under.
stand and hard to reconcile.
President Roosevelt is earnestly
leading movement for reform in
our laws regulating RAILWAYS and
the people are enthusiastically and
almost universally following him.
We are very prosperous, and | won
der why they do not stand pat.
Secretary Shaw, the other day al
Cleveland. eloquently urged a re-
form in our monetary system in or
der to avert or mitigate disasters in
the days to come. We are very
prosperous, and ] wonder why he
does not stand pat.
Our most distinguished states
men are stirring the hearts Of the
common men and women to Their
profoundest depths in demanding q
reform in the laws for the supervi
sion of insurance companies. We
are very prosperous, and | wonder
why they do not stand pat.
Our ablest thinkers are spending
their days and nights in the pursui
of some plan to curb the growing
power of combinations and mono
poles. We are very prosperous
and ] wonder why they do not stan,
pat.
We have in this state two Join
committees of the last general as
sembly whose members are, will
intelligent and tireless efforts, seek
ing for some better plan for the gov
eminent of our educational institu
tons and our penitentiaries. w
are very prosperous, and | wonde
why they do not stand pat.
We adopted last year two amend
ments to our constitution. Ho,
strange! We were very prosperous
and ] wonder why we did not stan,
pat.
All these things and THOUSAND
others are going on all around us
We are fighting our way upward Il
more perfect laws, toward NOR
complete justice, into a purer atmos
phere, and every living man who i
worthy of the citizenship he wear
is moving forward. And yet, the
moment it is suggested that, along
with other vital changes, our taril
schedules need reformation the or,
of the standpatter fills the land
He stands before his sacred idol, anc
with passion in his tones and selfish
ness in his heart, he commands til,
resistless throng Of progress to stant
still, and he shouts, like the powe
drunken king of the olden time t.
the waves Of the sea: Thus ia
shalt thou come and no farther.
He is in great danger Of getting hi
feet wet, and il he does not quit hi.
position lie will be strangled will
the advancing tide just as surely a
the hours pass by. s u %
simply want to remove the mas
that the opponents Of reciprocit,
have worn. want them to appea
before the people as they are
l,n,ro No lnnlt thnt il,o.. a.o rs. 81