Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-08-27
An Outside VIEW of Cumnins.


(F'rom The ST Louis Mirror,
The nomination of Albert Baird
Cummins to the office of governor OF
Iowa by the republicans of that state Is
an event of unusual interest and sig
nificance. To this action there We're
many objections of the kind commonly
regarded by politicians as very formid-
able. He had opposed the policy OF
prohibition, which has many support
ers. He had offended against regular
ity. making successfully an independ-
ent canvass for the legislature. BY
vetoing the so-called Molesberry Bill
which was intended to promote
schemes of high finance in railroading
he had provoked the wrath of the
powerful magnates of the Burlington,
Rock Island and Northwestern sys-
tens. He did not believe that tariff
schedules were essentially sacred, and
that duties, once fixed, regardless OF
altered circumstances, were beyond the
touch Of chbnge He was holding his
second successive term az office as
governor, and the second term had
UCSA GAlCu0Cu OiiS Coi ny SOAAoNAeA
tional amendment, so that the
traditions of Iowa politics against
a third term were peculiarly APP
plicable to him. He had con-
ceived his duty as governor to be
imposed upon him by the constitution
of his state, and had administered the
duties of his office according to the
dictates of his own conscience and
Judgment, and so had incurred the OPP
position of the Washington contingent
of his party, the senator's, the secre-
taries and many of the congressman
His rivals for the nomination were
men of high standing, and made COM
mon cause against him. One of them,
Mr.. George ID. Perkins, was a leading
editor of the state, and drew to his
support many of the large dailies
Both Perkins and Rathbun. while
getting the benefits of all the points of
opposition to Cummins skillfully
avoided joining direct issue with him
upon any of them. And more than all
this, there was brought against him
the seeming, altho not the fact, of the
hostility of the national administra-
ton, badges printed by themselves and
bearing the legend Oyster Bay Re-
publican being worn by all the stand
patters, delegates and workers alike.
And still he was nominated in re-
preventative convention Of sixteen hun
bred and forty over the combin-
ed forces of his competitors, and upon
the first ballot. This, too, after a cam
vass in which the resources of the
great railroad corporations of the state
were used without stint and without
scruple to compass his defeat, and in
which there were no counter powerful
interests to come to his rescue, and
his only friends and allies were the
good people who volunteered their ser
vices without money and without price
in what they felt was the cause of
honest and representative government.
The distinctive issue made by the
Cummins people was against the In
reference of the large corporations
in politics. There was nothing radio
al about it, nothing that savored OF
a raid upon corporate interests. Cum
minis himself is essentially man Of
conservative disposition. He went to
Des Moines nearly thirty years ago
and engaged in the practice of law. He
came early into prominence in his
profession, and for years has been
recognized as one of the leaders OF the
iowa bar Naturally. and almost nee
essarily, he had railroad companies
and other large corporations in his
clientage, and represented their in
terests with entire fidelity and to the
utmost of his ability in the courts,
But he was never a lobbyist, and never
permitted his professional relations to
influence his political action. His char
acter is upon the high plane of his
abilities, and inspired d strong person
al devotion among his followers, while
a railroad lawyer, representing for
nearly twenty years the Wabash and
the Rock Island companies, he has
been. ever since his service in the leg
islature, antagonized by the compan-
les politically active in all it's public
ambitions and purposes. In 1893 and
in 1901, he was a candidate for Unit
ed States senator, and the last time
was defeated by the narrow margin OF
three votes His supporters for the
senate then insisted upon his becom-
ing a candidate for the office of gov
bv the Burlington ard Northwestern
companies he was nominated. Then
as now, there was talk of continuing
the opposition in the election. but ne
was chosen at the polls by the largest
majority which up to that time hac
ever been accorded to candidate fol-
the office of governor
$50
1t was during this first term that the
celebrated Molesberry bill was intro
duced and passed thru the Iowa legis-
la ture This bill proposed to remove
The limitation upon the amount of in-
debtedness which might be incurred by
my railroad corporation owning or OPP
Grating any railroad in Iowa, and Other
states. The terms Oh the bill limited
II to companies incorporated under the
laws of Iowa and owning or operating
railroads in Iowa and other states
There We're the time but three COM
panies to which it was applicable, and
these were the Cedar Rapids & North
ern. the Rock Island, ard the Chicago