Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-09-21
SIGNS OF FRACTIONAL FIGHT
G-eat Opportunity for the Democracy
to Attract independent
Voters.

Voters.
The power of organization Is shown
by the control Of the republican major
ity in congress by the protective tari1
league. Those republican members OF
congress who are not stanch for the
sacred tariff law, or even higher duties,
are threatened with defeat and gener-
ally the brow-beating is SO successful
that the congressman obeys the imper-
alive mandate of the league managers
and complacently allows the people TO
be plundered by high trust prices Tor
another term. The Economist, the or
gan of the league, has a good deal OF
responsibility on its hands in keeping
tab of the protectionist flock. Some of
the LANDSLIDE new members OF con
gress-are inclined to flock with the
tariff revisionists for they are in pref
ty close touch with the dear paople and
are anxiously looking for a reDomina-
ton next spring. Then such old bucks
as Senator Cullom and Gov. Cumlnins
have strayed from the fold and have
been guilty of addressing the Chicago
Reciprocity conference. The bell wealth
pr-the Economist-says of that lapse
If virtue:
"Other speeches of greater or less
significance were delivered there, but
none, we think, which so strikingly in
1icated the tendency to struggle and
stray from sound party doctrine as the
speeches of Messrs. Shelby NJ. Cullom
and Albert B. Cummins. Here were
.wo conspicuous republicans in attend
ince upon a distinctly anti-republican
gathering and contributing their ut
most toward the aims Of that assem-
blage."
That is equivalent to reading those
statesmen out of the communion and
fellowship of the stand-patters, and it
will be interesting to note if the league
can force them back into the fold, or
will succeed in defeating their political
aspirations. Gov. Cummins has so oft
en- deied the league and been de-
nounced by it that he finds just as good
grazing outside of the league pasture
as in it. But Senator Cullom has con-
stantly kept within the party fold since
he Fremont campaign and doubtless
would not have mixed up with the re-
yisionists unless he had arrived at the
conclusion that the majority of the
voters of Illinois favored tariff reform
end that a majority of the republicans
y that state are for reciprocity.
The league organ sees trouble ahead.
Dat Is prepared to fight it out on the
ultra protection lines, and strongly
hints that Senator Cullom and Gov
Cummins will be put to Sleep politi-
cally by the aid of the cash provided
by the trusts and corporations. For
the Economist concludes by saying:
you cannot pooh-pooh Cullom and
Cummins. They are facts that vii
have to be recognized as such ana
dealt with accordingly. The methot
or dealing with these facts is obvious
The problem is to find out how mucf
Of Cullom-Cumminism there is inside
Of the republican party, and then VIVA
TO do about IT,"
The threat Is yelled. but it does no
require much of an interpreter to rea;
between the lines that the great pro
tected interests which are plunderin:
the public with their high prices hav,
already determined what to do abou
IT,"
9 This factional fight in the republican
party will be mainly fought out at tn
caucuses and conventions that nom
nate congressman. and the sinews }
war. provided by the trusts. will b,
enough to turn the scale against TIL
tariff r~evisionists. If the protected in
terests are successful in thus defeatin:
the reform element within the republi
can party. there will be a good man!
7nters of that faith who will take t
; The woods. and there will be a percent
age of independent voters who will
throw their votes for the democrati
candidates for congress.
Therefore the democrats must nom
nate its strongest candidates, espe
cially in the doubtful districts, TO
there is where the fight for reform vii
be decided.