Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-04-14

POSdl VI IAO SOnS OAIlOA. I1OAIoS NOuAJy
has not had place on the bench for
one of it's lawyers for more than thirty
years, and Mr.. Anderson's friends be-
lieve the bar of that county is entitled
to recognition. All other counties of
the district have, within that time, been
one or more times given judge. In
volume Of court business transacted,
Monroe county now stands third on
the list and is rapidly approaching sec
ond place.
THE SHELTER PLANK IDEA.
Are the advocates OF Governor Cum
Minis denomination for the third term
going back to fight out the old and
stale problem Of the shelter plank idea,
which was effectively settled by the re-
publicans of this state In the conven-
ton Of 1904? Governor Cunmins him
self at that time accepted the dictum
of that convention. Iowa republicans
then declared that control and regula-
ton Of the trusts was not a matter to
be handled through tariff revision
and it has been along the line of this
conclusion that President Roosevelt
has made his magnificent fight during
SAO PeboI eLlOO JSoio o5olhoI OlO u ooe
interests in this country The trusts
exist in spite Of the tariff, not because
OF the tariff. The regulation and con-
troll Of the trusts depends upon the en-
actment and enforcing Of laws entire
ly separate and distinct from those re.
lating to tariff schedules. Even Con-
gresham Babcock, who has expressed
himself In favor of tariff revision dur
ing the past few years, declares that
the tariff is not a trust weapon. He
says:
'It would be next to impossible to
fight the trusts through the tariff. The
democratic idea, which has been re-
peated by some republicans who have
not studied the situation, that we
could profitably reduce the tariff on
trust made goods will not bear analy-
sis. There is scarcely any product
which is made absolutely by the trusts
alone. In almost every case, there are
Independent producers and they would
be the principal sufferers. It would be
impossible to make q tariff which
would hit the trusts and trusts alone"
And yet the special partisans who
are advocating the necessity of renom-
mating Mr. Cummins for a third term
as governor Of Iowa, are telling us that
we should do this because, forsooth,
the trusts must be smashed and the
way to do it is by means of tariff re-
vision, and Mr.. Cummins is in favor Of
tariff revision. This is practically a
reductio absurdum. It is true that
Governor Cummins Is in favor OF tariff
revision In speech at the Foster
opera house in Des Moines last winter
he made the astounding declaration
that "all the robberies and thefts Of
the insurance officers since insurance
began would not equal the extortion Of
the Dingley act for one year" It is.
also true that for some very peculiar
reason, since the present pre-conven-
ton campaign began, the governor has
had little or nothing to say about the
tariff, whatsoever. Did the governor
suddenly awaken to the realization
that the people Of Iowa did not follow
him in his amazing declaration with
reference to the extortion of the Ding
ley act? Did he suddenly realize that
the farmers of Iowa were almost to
man opposed to his declaration in
favor Of reciprocity with Canada? Did
he find that those declarations of his
were red hot pokers that were burning
his fingers? It certainly looks that
way.
with business in the condition that
It is today, we do not believe there is
any cause or necessity for general tar
republicans of Iowa want to, or intend
the proposition as laid down by Cover
.l,,a III Il,
are much more ready to follow Con-
gresham Lacey and Iowa's other able
republicans in the national legislature.
This may be "standpat" position, but
if SO, it certainly in our judgment, is
a common sense position. President
Roosevelt has demonstrated that sup
preston and regulation Of the trusts
does not depend upon the tariff laws.
On the other hand, the people realize
that we are enjoying prosperous condi-
lions in every line of business such
as this country has never before ex-
perienced. Why then should the peo-
pie Of Iowa take any action that will
give the world abroad, reason to be-
lieye that they are ready to see these
conditions changed by general revision
Of the tariff. We suggest that repub-
lican voters of Iowa read the following
extract from Major Lacey's recent
speech upon the question of tariff re-
vision ard then sit down and do a
little solid thinking as to what is for
their own best interests:
Better Conditions Than Ever Before.
THE manufacturer is prosperous.
The miners is well employed. The
farmer of the north and the planter of
the south are enjoying better condi-
lions than at any time in their history.
Conditions certainly conduce to a
cheerful optimism. In Iowa farm land
has increased in value under the
Dingley law 100 per cent. And the out
put of the Iowa factories for 1905
was S160,572;213, as shown by the re-
cent census bulletin.
"a pessimist has been well defined
as man who, when it comes to a
choice between two evils, takes both
of them The tariff reformers tried to
prove an abb in 1894, but the people
found them guilty and returned the
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