The Washington times., 1906-07-18
Time to Stand Pat,

It is now time for Governor Cum
minis to char ge places with the fel-
lows he has roundly defeated, and
do some standing pat on his own
account. The Iowa governor has
won his victory, and despite some
knowledge of the earnest purpose of
his opponents TO rob him of its
fruits, we fully expect to see him
garner the goods. The other crowd
counts much on having a majority
Of the State committee, re-enforced
oy the police force of the city OF
Des Moines; but il will not do to
forget that the governor of the
State is commander-in-chief of the
militia.
10. gentle reader, these sugges-
tons are not emanations of a fever
ell fancy that has got Iowa mixed
up with the parliamentary situation
in Russia. They are just mild fore
casts Of some possibilities of the
sssuation in the premier Republican
State of the trans-Mississippi en-
uire. Governor Cummins once, for
the sake of harmony, "compromis-
ed" with the other faction in Iowa;
the faction that stands for high
tariff taxes and low railroad taxes.
He was q good enough Republican
10 permit himself to be bunkoed for
the sake of the party. Now let him
- be a good enough patriot 20 stand
pat for the sake of the State and
the nation. This fight has got be
yond the point where there can be
compromise. Compromise viii be
equivalent 10 surrender.
These observations are aimed at
the tariff plank that is to be writ
ten into the platform of August /.
Governor Cummins' great victory
Will be boOtless if he backslides on
the question of shelter TO monopoly.
The eyes of the nation are on Iowa.
The banner of the tariff reform
cause has been turned over to the
custody of Cummins and his fight
ing followers. They viii mistake
sadly if they assume that theirs has
been merely a contest for control Of
Iowa. 1t has been distinctly A na-
tionaI struggle. To the unstinted
sympathy which has been extended
10 him by press and people all over
the land-excepting the Admins
tration and the American Protective
Tariff League-Governor Cummins
and his army owe more than they
vet appreciate. They have been
made Z. e trustees of a cause. In
them have ceutered the hopes and
fears of the thinking, progressive
element on which the Republican
party must rely for leadership if it
is to save itself.
Why is Bryan so strong? Why
does every sane Republican poll
tician shake his head obviously as
he contemplates 1908?
Because the Cumminses have too
often COMPROMISED. Because nobody
believes the best that is in Repub-
Iicanism has possibility of getting
control of the party.
1t is for Cummins To give impetus
and encouragement to the effort for
. better things. Cummins' position in
the party, Iowa's position in the na-
tion. depend very greatly on
whether this convention shall go
back TO the Iowa idea7 and re
affirm that doctrine. To write back
into the platform of this year the
very words of that declaration
would be the surest proclamation
Of determined purpose. It's natural
father was George Roberts; McKin-
ley blessed il at the christening.
and Cummins became its foster
parent when others had left il "a
founding. Lec Iowa's platform of
this year reaf1irTl il, and Iowa will
have put itself at the head of the
procession of national Republican
ism that is moving toward better
ideals.