Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-09-07

The republican state convention held
in Des Moines,. Iowa, on August | clos
ed a preliminary campaign which in
intensity has had few parallels in the
history of American politics. 1t brings,
more prominently than ever, before
the country at large an interesting per-
sonality-that of the nominee of the
convention for governor--Albert b.
CumminS.
With the tumut of convention day
still ringing in his ears, it is not easy
to approach the subject of this sketch
with Judgment undisturbed But those
who for years have summered and
wintered with Governor Cummins
should at least be able to avoid the
excessive praise and dispraise which
marked the extremes of the campaign.
The strained situation. now happily
relieved, was in some respects unique
in Iowa politics. Never before had any
governor of Iowa aspired to serve for
three consecutive terms. Never be-
fore had any governor of Iowa been
compelled to fight for his life-his po-
litical life-to secure nomination.
And yet, contradictory as it may seem.
never before did a candidate for re-
nomination enter the field with more
personal reluctance.
Governor Cumnins' administration
had been chiefly marked by the advo-
cacy of two reforms. The first was
in a degree overwhelmingly, tariff
reform, with its corolary, reciprocity.
use the term educational" because
1t was clearly impossible for the gov
ernor to do more than discuss the sub
ject in the abstract, using such illus
trations as the times suggested, rely
ing on an educated public
opinion for ultimate results.
The second, and the one on which
the recent campaign was made by
him, was intensely practical, taking
the form of opposition to what the
governor regarded as the over-intimate
relations which the great railroad COR
porations traversing Iowa sought to
maintain with the dominant party in
the state. the oo-evident purpose being
to control, or at least unduly influence,
legislation.
Friend Yet Opposes Railroad "lnflu-
ence."
his first nomination for governor an
attorney for railroad corporations, and
consequently familiar with every de-
tail of railroad assessments, 1t became
evident at the first meeting of the rep
resentatives of the railroads with the
executive council of the state, that the
new governors pre- election assurances
to the public and the oath taken by
him at his Inauguration really meant
something! Let it suffice to say that
assessments on railroad property in
Iowa at the recent sitting Of the coun-
Gil in August, 1906, aggregated over
fifteen millions more than in 1901, when
Mr.. Cummins became governor
But this is rot the head and front
Of his offending. The representatives
OF the railroad would have forgiven
Governor Cumnlins for protecting the
other tax-paying interests in the state;
but it soon became evident to them
that the new governor was not tract
able; was not ilnbued with the old idea
that politics is, combination of in
terests, system of log-rolling in
which the few, ostensibly in the in
terests of the many, successfully serve
perience as ar attorney for corpora
tions, far from, uniting him for his
new duties as chief of the state board
Of equalization, the better fitted him
for them, enabling him to analyze the
complicated figures of the railroad
statisticians and follow without con-
fusion the subtle arguments of the rail-
road solicitors.
The governor did not stop with the
matter of equalizing assessments. He
used every opportunity, In addresses
at home and abroad, in messages and
campaign speeches, as in his personal
intercourse with the thinking mem of
the state, to impress upon the public
mind the necessity of emancipating
politics and legislation from the undue
influence Of railroad corporations. He
early became an advocate of the aboll-
ton Of railroad passes, especially to
state officials and convention delegates,
and the establishment of a primary
law, which should control and regulate
the selections of candidates for all cleo
tive offices, from the lowest to the
highest 1t was in line with this policy
that Governor Cummins recommended
gress, for a convention of delegates
from the several states of the union,
to be held in Des Moines, on Sept. 5,
1906, to consider the ACCESSIBILITY of
moving, by states, for the passage of
constitutional amendments secur-
ing the election of United States sem
3tors in all the states by a direct vote
of the people.
The underlying motive of Governor
Cummins, as read it between the lines
Of his speeches and messages and in
his votes in council, is not revenge -
for he is the friend of the railroads and
Of railroad men; not retaliation, for
he fully recognizes the right of corpor-
ations to present their side of all ques-
tons affecting their interests. 1t is,
rather, mination-strong from
the first, but, thru the logic of events
now become a masterpurpose-to use
all the power he possesses as govern
or of the state, all the influence he may
have as chief citizen of Iowa, to COM
pei the railroad corporations to ADAM
don their present policy of interfer-
ence with politics and legislation and
to restore the reign of the common
people"
Governor Cumnlins' record shows
that this is no new purpose born of
opportunity. 1t is, rather, an evolu-
ton of the views held by him even
when he was an attorney for corpora
tons From first to LAST during his
career as attorney he kept himself aloof
from all forms of service recognized
as lobbying"
When, in 1883, he became a. legislator