Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-10-30
On The Firing Line.
our Extravaoa ant oovsrnor.
BY Alex MIlls,.

Our governor has tried to make Q
Great reputation - Rsfcrnsr With
= big h. but like 10 many Estormsss
he has fallen dowa ct the vital spot
on In the vital point. Every rsformsl
has imitators. Every good man haa
anitatoss. without being saoTilegtous,
NOBODY has ~ many who have -.
sumsd the virtues and pretended to
have the faculties. as there are who
have assumed the virtues and auat
ttiss q Jesus. They run from Confu'
sius and Nohamnsd 70 John Ale1
SAdsr Dowts. Some have done gooo
n way aad others have merely bssn
stdseuleus. n every cline and svsEy
60 there have been lm1ostsrs ana
~ might extend the list inds6nitsly,
but for the purpose q our Argument
re have suggested enough.
% that svsfy good thing o. psrso.
- measure has countsrfstts. Rsform:
ors have couatsYfsits. ana We say, u
AAsss ever WAS Q counterfeit rsSormsr.
Cvnmias 10 one. And W viii show
him 70 bs 90 or you are invited By this
article to vote TOR him.
He poses - the great opponent Of
sAilroaAs, and ret the tsst time hs ran
Tor govssnor II was Q aght Of one OK
two railroads against one OF two other
eailroAds. It was . case q dog eat
Aos, every fellow for himself and the
devil take ne hindmost. No thought
mas had Of railroad reform. y any
BODY had suggested that Cummins
Mas . rsformaT IKE unto LaFollstte
Or Folk the people would havs laughed
themselves sick and they would have
M 8 Tisht to laugh.
But aftsr no WAS IN once the sen
pAoeial bee still continued to buEs and
hsss. He haA 70 End new lead II he
0oxIA hssp himself IN the NmsliSht,
"a q Carroll Wright had bean an'
oolAtsd counsel for the Rock Islaad in
2laeo g OumEias hs found IN easy
ny mo ths reform movement. Gum.
il1s haA ridden "a passes I'll hss life.
~ - 8 saos he became % sistuoua
~ - "oould taste It," He would
1aln - In the night with virtuoua
t1eolng end the railroads haunted him
~ aAl ntEht and his sympathiss fol
- dear 'psspul" were 20 worked
3poa tAas he would ut UP nights "a
weep wet tears over them.
H had always ridden on passes.
but now 10 was convinced that he
Nd bssn criminal "a his life, and
NJ Hoadsr that he aid not get busy
oaA pay back the money. Ne might
@ well have done dat ~ to squander
lAa4saads OF dollars Of the states
money on junkstins trips that did
aoboAy any good whatever and that
other governors had gone on with
AAll q tho sxpsnss. But the gov.
traof never got quite that good.
He will IN time. but this thing Of
osing 90 good is . new thing to him
oad he will have to 80 slow.
BIT when you SET to thinking Of
what great good he has done tho state
ef Iewa, you must not forget that
while 10 was reforming everybody
end everything that he also squaa.
lsfsd money Ike reia.
Jtgxrss are dry reading, but Il you
have read Claude Portsr's opening
speech you will know about the gov
or1er's reckless extravaganza and We
want you to ponder It. We are not
afraid Of the record in either case.
We want you to look up Claude Por.
1sr's public record and We want you
10 look up Cummins' public record.
and W 90 UP or down on tAoss rec
1sds. Look up you tax rsosspts and
r you ars not paying mere taxes now
eAsa you aid bsfors OuUmans became
governor. then you ought 70 vote tor
him. II taxes are higher. then you
havs . hight 70 rsnouuee oummins -
ths John AIaxeaAsy powie Ct Iowa pol.
sEqs. You sss, tki6 rsfermine bHsssess