Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-06-06
Ablest Speeches Ever Delivered
In the State In Defense
Of Protection
JOINT DEBATES OF 1892
A. B. cummins Selected to Discuss the
Issue as He Was Considered Its
Foremost Exponent in the State =
What Lafe Young Said in Regard to
Cummins Then.
Special to mes-RepublIcan.

Des Moines, June 6.-The ables
speeches in defense Of the protectiv,
: tariff ever delivered in the state o
Iowa were those OF A. b. Cummiu.
when he went over Iowa with w. w
Wilmer and the two held joint debate:
in every congressional district in thu
campaign of, 1882 discussing the tar.
lift. One was the head of the republi
can electoral ticket pledged to vote fol
General Benjamin Harrison; the other
at the head of the democratic electora
cleveland. A series of joint debates
was arranged and the two held "a series
OF most interesting debates. The writ
ef has had it from Mr. Wilmer that
he regarded the debates of that year as
the most complete and most education-
al that were ever held in Iowa. and he
mas always insisted that the defense of
protection by Mr.. Cummins at that
TIME was the best ever made in Iowa.
MI. Cummins was in fact, picked for
mead OF the Harrison electoral ticket
because of his great ability and his
acknowledged soundneSs on the tariff
and other questions then before the
people. Those who heard the two men
on the stump that year will never for
get how thoroughly they discussed
every phase OF protection.
| Ihat was five years after Mr.. Cum
INNS had been called by petition of
over sou good republicans of Des
MONIES to be candidate for the legis-
lature as republican. He had been
elected as republican and no man in
FOLK county was SO foolish as to ques-
ton his republicanism. He had voted
Tor Wilson as against Hepburn in the
republican caucus. He helped elect a
republican speaker. He was chosen
to sound the keynote for Iowa repub-
leans at the time OF the convention
to select delegates to boom Allison for
president.
He had been in fact the presiding
officer at the state convention in 1892
The state committee selected him for
that position on recommendation of j.
S. Clarkson and John H. Gear. The
claim is now made that only four
months before that time he had in fact
made a speech in which he urged the
reelection Of Boies for governor. The
republican state committee would
hardly have selected as temporary
chairman OF state convention one
who had been so recently urging
vote for democratic governor; yet the
state committee unanimously selected
Cummins for chairman. His speech on
that occasion was declared by the
Des Moines Register to be "one of the
best ever delivered in a republican
convention in pes Moines," and one
that touched the universal republican
heart and conscience" The speech re-
ceived warm commentator as bugle |
call to republicans by the Burlington
Creston Gazette and other
newspapers.
Lafe Defends Cummins.
In after years 1t was brought out as
a brilliant fake that Mr.. Cummins was
a democrat, that he ran for office as
democrat and that he made speeches
for a democratic governor In answer
to this LATE Young declared in his pa
per:
LAS conclusive proof that Mr.. Cum
Minis republicanism was at no time
questioned by the leaders of the par
ty, 1t is only necessary to say that he
was made temporary chairman of the
republican convention in 1892, repub-
lican elector at large the same year,
was chosen member of the national
republican committee in 1896; and in
every campaign for more than a dozen
years has made more republican
speeches than any man, aside, per-
haps, from the regular candidates for
office"
In fact Mr.. Cummins was not only a
member of the national republican
committe, defeating James E. Blythe
FOR the place, but he was named as a
member of the executive committee to
manage the campaign for Major Nc
kinley and sound money. His conduct
1T the ST. Louis convention commended
himself especially to Senator Hanna
'or this place, for 1t was at st. Louis
hat he led in the fight for putting in
20 the national platform the declara-
ion for the gold standard opposing
such men as Hepburn. Perkins, Lacey I
IND Gear, who favored some expression
ike that which Perkins had imposed |
IN Iowa republicans few years be-
ore for free silver coinage. '
cummins' Own Defense. !
The other day in an address in Fair
ield, Governor Cummins said:
L was born protectionist and I
ave been one all my life, and for {
Wenty -four years in every campaign. t
ave been preaching the doctrine of
rejection. I believe in the reciproc-
y that Mckinley provided in his law.
believe in the reciprocity that Ding
~ provided for in his law of 1897,
nd do not believe in any other pro- {
ection or any other reciprocity than {
ill be found in these two republican )
/
The utterance is in line with his I
hole political career, and all his c
eachings. l
In another address the governor read
hat disreputable newspaper asked,
nd he answered it frankly:
Does the Iowa farmer wish to ex-
1ange the prosperity of protection T
" Canadian reciprocity and free 2
'ade?"
Il suppose those who have read this c
nd other publications think that l
n in favor of removing the duty on O
anadian agricultural products New a
: have | suggested such thing any
here, to anybody under any circum-
ances. | have not at any time sug-
ested the propriety or possibility of F
ee trade with Canada / do be- L
eve that we should admit Canadian j