Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-26
REPUBLICAN sPLlT IN IOWA

The most orninous Of all the signs Of
a break-up in the Republican party is
witnessed now In Iowa. The signs are
especially portentous because Iowa has
been, as it's political history shows, ex-
ceptlonal in its uniform Republican
loyalty Not only has that state piled
up big majorities for the Republican
party, with the regularity Of the coming
Of election day. but Il has always swal-
lowed the party platform without a
grimace.
But now. strangely enough. Iowa
shows signs of nausea at sight of the
standard pabulum on which the Repub-
lican party has been nourished from in.
fancy. There have been indications Of
such squea mishness during the last two
or three years, but the extent thereof
as now shown. has not been generally
suspected.
The protective tariff, which Is not
only the chief corner stone but the
entire foundation Of the Republican
party, is the cause of a revolt that bids
fair to place Iowa in the Democratic
column. The party in that state is split
almost exactly in the middle. on the
tariff question. Governor Cummlns,
who is a candidate for recollection, Is
the leader of the wing that favors a
radical modification Of the present out
rageously high tariff. The other wing,
led by George d. Perkins, an aspirant
for the governorship, glories in its
"stand-pat" distinction on the tariff
issue. And, according to reports from
the county conventions. the tariff re-
formers are likely to beat the stand
patters in the state convention.
This situation In Iowa Is not only sig
nihcant: it is momentous. It indicates
not only insurrecton : ut revolution in
the party throughout the nation. If
Iowa finally balks at the trust protec-
tive principles Of the Republican party
what may be expected from states in
which the tracks Of the C. o. P. are
less deeply sunken?
What Governor Cummins and his fol-
lowers are aiming at, and what is called
by stand -patters the Iowa idea," is
substantially The Democratic idea pure
and simple. 1t is a recognition of the
fact, plain to all except those who are
blinded by trust dust that the mass of
the American people are defrauded for
the enrichment of the manufacturing
interests of which the trusts practically
hold monopoly.
The masses in Ill the states, and par
ticularly those of the agricultural
states, are suffering from a tariff that
bars out foreign competition and then
enables the trusts to sell their wares
abroad at prices below the figures at
which they sell to home customers.
Iowa is an example of an agricultural
state that is subject to such imposition.
The Iowa farmer pays higher prices for
the average American manufactures
than does the German, English or
French farmer for wares out of the
same American factories. And just so
with the foreigners of all the other
states.
The high tariff protects the trusts at
the expense of nine-tenths of the peo-
pie. That is the scheme which a Re-
publican congress, controlled largely in
trust interests persists in inficting
upon the people. The Democratic policy,
on the contrary, is to impose tariff
duties for government revenue only, not
for trust revenue.
And that is practically the Iowa
idea" as Governor Cummins and other
leaders of the Republican revolt ex-
plain it. But similar symptoms of out
break are seen in the party throughout
the country. Republicans have grown
weary of yelling themselves hoarse for
protection to American industries in
face of the fact that foreign consumers
mot Americans-are getting all the
benefits that the trusts do not gobble
for their own treasures