The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-29
CUMMINS REPLIES
TO The SECRETARY
GIVES AUTHORITY FOR HIS CHI
cAao UTTERANcEs.
Shows That Shaw's Statement Concern
ing the French Treaty Was Taken by
Him from Report Made by the Sec
retary's Friend and Ally, Editor
Young.

DeS MOlneS, Aug. aS9.-CTOVern A.
B. Cummins has, replied, to the attack
Shaw, who criticized him for misquot-
ing the secretary in his speech before
the Chicago reciprocity convention.
Governor Cummins shows that he had
the quotation from an editorial in the
Des Moines Daily Capital, whose editor
attended the banquet Of Des Moines
dress, and who IS a warm supporter Of
the secretary. The letter in full is as
| follows:
Executive Office, Des Moines, Iowa,
Aug. 2S, 19O5-Mr Secretary: have the
honor to acknowledge your letter of the
| Goth inst, In which you challenge a
statement that I recently made in an
address delivered before the national reci-
procity conference at Chicago. The state
| ment Is as follows: - E-455
France VS.. United States.
1.-THE secretary of the treasury in a
speech recently delivered in Des Moines
Is reported as saying that the explana-
ton of the refusal of the senate to con-
slider the French treaty is that it gives
everything to France and nothing to the
United States. must do him the justice
to believe that he never read the treaty,
for otherwise he has committed a grave
offense against the proprieties of debate
The quotation is accurate I made the
statement. You say respecting it:
II know that did not say it or any
thing that could be so interpreted, but
was not so sure about the report. The
the speech was inlpromptu, tho not ex-
temporaneous." You further say:
knowing, therefore,, that you would
not violate the proprieties Of debate
by quoting me without authority as hav-
| ing made specific statement, I write to
| inquire where you saw the report of my
speech as given in your Chicago address.
have not seen it, and I wish to correct
the .>eord as soon as possible.
Il am sincerely graHfed to know that
you deny having made the statement fol
it was impossible for me to reconcile ii
with the TRUTH and I am not less graft
fed to be given the opportunity to advise
you of my authority for imputing the
sentiment to you You may be against
the French treaty. and may be for it,
but you can no more afford to misea6
the public concerning its provisions than
I can afford to misrepresent the state
ments you make to justify the inaction
Of the senate. }#5 s s w
| Cummins' Authority. > =
You are quite right in determining
that both of us have had too long an ex
| perience in the trial of cases to believe
that any substantial victory can be won
either thru any falsehood or passive
suppression of the truth. I therefore
promptly give you my authority for stat
ing that you were reported as saying in
your speech at Des Moines that the sen.
ate failed to approve the French treaty
because it gave France everything an6
tha Init tod
In the Des Moines Capital of Satur
day, May q, 1906 (the day after YOU
speech here), you will find long editoria
entitled ''Secretary Shaw" It deals Who'll
ly with your speech Of Rhe day Sbefores :
/ quote that part of 1t Mon which I relied
in my address at, ChiaYgo: ,he1r@oTr 80 ~:
I'm his own origirfl' way he drove
home certain facts that will be remem
bered He exposed the proposed French
treaty in all its deformity, demonstrating
that we were Offering France a tire
mendous bargain, and getting practically
nothing in return" -5s g.. w.. 49, e.
If this be not a sufficient basis for the
statement that I made in Chicago have
! yet to learn the meaning Of the common
est words of my mother tongue. L;
Fayette Young, the editor of the De
Moines Capital, was present at the lunch
con and heard your speech. He is you
|
pathy with your views. He is. himself
| speaker Of wonderful power and know
l what words mean. He writes constantly
concerning the tariff and reciprocity ant
could not have been mistaken with re
| spect to the trend and conclusion Of you
| argument. r@. - '.,r r@ Il.
When he wrote in his vivid and strik
ing way that you exposed the propose'
French treaty in all it's deformity, dem
! +irer hot OFF TTr~o,o
a tremendous bargain and getting prac
tically nothing in return, it was not pos
sible for me to doubt that you had sal
what he had imputed to you. I kno1
that he could easily misunderstood me
but it is incredible that he should mis-
I understand you. .s--.- .. a. ,.,.-.s.-...
Following your example, I will hand
copy of my reply to the newspapers a
the time mail this letter. With hig
regard, am, yours very truly,
' /. -.l-,., ri --..-- Albert 3. Curnn1ns.