Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-09-12
CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR
SPEAKS AT OTTUMWA.
Address of Hon. Claude r. Porter, Delivered at
Offumwa, Thursday, September 8. 1906,
Opening State Campaign.

VI udltOu, IL WOulQ Ue wien Tie IOuu.
dations were being laid on which it .
would be expected that the super I
structure of the future national great. |
ness would be built. Such a time ,
surely existed, if it ever did, when the |
First President of these United STATES
was about to close his eight years OF |
service, and close forever his official
services to his country. A country |
but recently severed from the mother |
country; with a new and untried |
constitution; with financial chaos at |
home and lack of credit abroad; |
with not discordant voice within |
his own party and all parties unani-
mously demanding continuation OF |
his services; being first in the
hearts of all his countrymen; he. by
precept and his great example, laid
it down as rule that no chief exec.
utive should ever accept a longer
period in ONCE. That example has
been followed without single ex-
cepuon by the chief executives OF
this nation from that day to this,
and with an occupant at present in
the White House who has been elect
ed to the Chief Executive position
but once; and who, when his present
term of Office will have expired, shall
not have had two full .erms, and
with party apparently united, IN
keeping with the example If the first
of our presidents, Theodore Roose-
welt adheres to his previous deter
minatiOn to not again permit his
countrymen to continue him in Office
for longer period than second
term. The rule thus so closely adj
hered to on the part Of the eXecu-
tives of this nation has been with an
equal regularity adhered to by the
chief executives of this state. II
there ever has been a time in the
history of Iowa when the conditions
seemed to imperatively demand a
departure from this honored rule, 1t
woul.. certainly have been when this
nation was in the throes Of a great
civil war. When our great war Gov.
ernor, Samuel !. Kirkwood, was the
chief executive If this state. guard
ing the interests of the boys In blue
who by the thousand had volunteered
their services for the preservation
of this union; and who was ever
faithful in unfolding the arm of the
great and mighty Lincoln, and yet,
WhNA lVihi vi ouCC SApllcu III
the very midst of such time he,
lousy kept by tie first great national
chief executive. From that day to
this, with but single exception,
when our grand commoner, Horace
Boies. against his own judgment and
wishes, was compelled by his party
to lead Democracy to an inevitable
defeat, the two-term rule has been so
strictly kept that not even single
candidate has offered himself before
the electors of the state as DESTROYS
of third term, and never, so far as
have learned. in any party. has
even candidate for the second
term been nominated otherwise than
by the unanimous choice of his party.
How strange it seems that if our
Governors record Is SO conspicuous,
or the emergency" SO urgent, that
1t was only after more than two hun
dred speeches had been made in the
pre-convention campaign, and several
strenuous automobile rides had been
taken, together with the assistance of
the persuasive powers of congress
sional delegation brought to bear up.
on his State Central Committee, who
in preparing temporary roll-caII of
the late republican convention, so ad.
justed the same as to give the Gov
ernor clear working majority in the
organization of convention, and 10
this was added the efforts of friend
ly committee on credentials, before
our republican brethren, discordant
and divided, were able to see that
the emergency" actually existed
Is it possible that party in the
state which boasts of the fact that
two of its members occupy places In
the official family of the president of
the United States, and who in it's
platform rejoices in the prominence
and influence OF its representatives
In congress, and approves most hear.
tily their work, was unable, among
some of these or the two hundred
thousand republicans OF the state. to
find a single other individual wise
enough in craftsmanship and friendly
enough to the common people" to
measure up to the emergency" and
become candidate for Governor?
Perhaps some of our republican
friends. like the citizen of old, have
exclaimed, Now. in the names of all
N'Ao Souo ~ phSS, upoA WAdl ucul
doth this our Caesar feet, that he is
grown so great?"
1t has been publicly stated in the
press OF the state, that a remarkable
occurrence might have been observed
at the recent republican convention;
That for the first time known to men
Old In the service of their party and
familiar with the manners and Gus
toms of the conventions, our distin.
guisned Governor maintained his
headquarters jointly with his chosen
candidate for Lieutenant Governor,
and over the door, in flaming letters,
were the names Of the two who now
head the republican ticket. And it |
has been suggested in various quar-
tiers. that the Governors interest in
the makeup Of the state ticket largo
ly ceased with the nomination of |
! Lieutenant Governor: AMI 1t has also
been limited that in this action of Gov.
ernor Cummins may be seen motive |
not entirely altruistlc, and which /
serves in manner to explain a pos
sible emergency that might erise in
Iowa politics.
do not believe it is wise state
manship. or in harmony with the spir-
1t of our republican institutions, that
any man, or set of men, shall be con-
tinued in control and possession of
the highest offices of the state or ma.
ton for longer period IAN two
terms; that no matter what the occa.
sion, or how great the demand, there
can always be found in this state or
nation man, or men, worthy and
able to meet any condition that may
arise no matter how grave or import
ant