The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-10-04
On The Firing Line.
Porter's Methods.
By Alex Miller.

tiers was it that sarcastlcally retorted i
to criticism that II was not trying
to please thee?" At any rate, in the
language Of the myriad minded bard,
we give Porter's critics the come
back, "He is not trying to please Re-
publicans." If he pleased Republicans
more, he would please Democrats less
and that We're indeed a fatal blunder.
! The Cummins Republicans say Por.
ter does not make a Democratic
speech at all, but that he merely as
sails Governor Cummins and his rec
ord. Well, admit the charge. What
more absolutely dominates this cam
paign than the personality of Hand
some Alberto" And we quote the
epithet because we got it out OF forty
or fifty standpat newspapers, like the
Washington Press, the Burlington
Hawkeye, the Cedar Rapids Republic
an, the Nonpareil, the Des Moines
Capital and others. We do not claim
authorship.
Uncle George Perkins, pretty good
sort of Republican of the old school,
but not of the new, says Cummins is
the issue. He is the predominant,
overshadowing issue, and why not
meet the issue instead of beating
about the bush? The Democrats are
willing to take the consequences Of
Porters act and abide by them.
They stand behind whatever he does
or says, so let Cummins Republicans
hold their horses. This is not their
fight. 1t is the Democrats own fam
lily affair.
Governor Cummins stands out pre-
eminent and alone. He is the issue.
Perkins said SO. He invites compari-
sons with all other Republican gov
errors and Porter would show himself
a coward not to meet the issue. Cum
Minis stands out in the limelight in
the minds of his worshipers like the
Dictionary of Mr.. Dick" in David
Copperfeld. Why not talk about him.
Mr. Dick talked about nothing but
his dictionary. He is pre-eminent
like Mrs. Jarley's waxworks were pre-
eminent. She thought Of nothing
but her waxworks and the progressive
Republicans think only of Cummins.
And Cummins stands for just about
as much as did Mrs. Jarley's wax
works. Look up your Dickens and
locate Mrs. farley and her wonderful
waxwork show and you will begin to
see why Cummins is made the issue
in this campaign.
Porter shows up his extravagant
record He gets the figures from the
books and from Republican newspa-
pers If he is wrong about it, then
half the Republican papers are
wrong If it is bad taste to make
Cummins the issue, half the Republic
an party is wrong. Cummins makes a
great show Of independence and Of a
he has to fight step by step and inch
by inch in order that he may get the
nomination. There is a great demand
popular uprising for Cummins in
his mind, yet he only wins the nomi
nation after one Of the bitterest
fights e-er seen in any party in Iowa
He poses as reformer, yet taxes
increased under him as under nc
former governor. He is railroad
nemesis, yet his labor commissioner
Brigham, rode on railroad pass,
thing that even a political blackle5
would have too much honor to do
and we haven't heard that Cummins
has criticised this case of thievery
for that is what it was. He poses as
the friend of the common people, YET
he spends more of their money OF
foolish trips to launch cruisers ant
gunboats than any other governor
Iowa ever had.
And the progressives whine because
Porter makes their idol the issue. In
stead, if Cummins is SO Immaculate
and so high and mighty, they ough
to welcome the fight on his personal
ity. Surely, they have no complain
that they do not know what Porte
believes in.
Cummins talks 2-cent railroad fare
but does not put it in his platform
although he holds the convention il
the hollow of his hand. He talk
about tariff reform, but lets the stand
patters write high tariff platform
He talks economy, but spends NOR
money than any other governor. II
talks harmony, but he himself was
bolter wien Boies ran for governor
He is flirting with the Prohibition
lists with a half promise that he vii
favor the overthrow of local self-goN
eminent in the interest Of their hot
by, while sending his henchmen abou
the state to gather in the saloon vote
And they make the charge that Poi
ter is a Prohibitionist.
We accept the challenge in so niue
that we retort, Porter is a believer i
decent, clean, honorable living. H
has never voted for prohibition
measure, but he never drank dro
of whisky in his life. If he has to
a boozer to become governor, tn
Democrats do not want him elected
The Democratic party has Away
been opposed to prohibition and