Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-05-03

Sary Tor MIN to nave some issue that
would increase his strength before the
people. He thought he saw such an
issue in tariff revision and Canadian
reciprocity.
At the national reciprocity meeting
held at Detroit, Mich, in June, 1903,
Mr.. Cummins is reported to have
said:
economical principles, protection and
reciprocity are not only widely sepa-
rated but are the exact opposite of
each other. We ought to understand
that in the domain of competitive COM
modities. reciprocity does not sustain,
but destroys protection. Protection is
intended practically to exclude i'm
portations upon the subjects that it
embraces, by giving to the home pro-
ket. Reciprocity to be of any advan-
t; re. or to be operative in any sub
stantial degree is intended to encour-
age importations in the subjects 1t en-
braces and to give to the importer
at least an equal chance in our own
markets Obviously, am now speak
ing of reciprocity in the Importation
of these commodities which we do not
and cannot produce. These commod-
there Is but little opportunity to pro-
mote reciprocal treaties in those things
which by nature we must import"
Again in his inaugural address, de-
livered January IA, 1904, he said:
thing In the foreclosure of the oppcS,
tunity to feed the men who are oper-
ating the plants to- which / have re-
ferred. and they will lose more when
Canada raises the barrier SO that Eng
land, France and Germany. will sup
plv the material for the wonderful de-
velopment upon which she is just en-
tering, and which we are so well pre-
pared to supply 1t has been said that
in order to obtain these changes 1t
will be necessary for us to let into our
markets, Canadas agricultural prod
ucts or some Of them. believe this
to be partially true; let me ask the
farmers OF Iowa whether they think
they would lose in the exchange?
Which would you rather do, lose the
market which would be created by our
vast imports into Canada or meet Cam
ada In competition in the things which
you produce? assert confidently that
In the sharp competition with Illinois,
Wisconsin. Minnesota, the Dakotas,
Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri you
would never be able to discern the In
fuence of Canada in corn, oats, bar
ley: hay cattle, horses. hogs, butter
and eggs
A careful analysis Of the closing
paragraph Of the foregoing extract,
will disclose the fact that he then fav.
ored absolute free trade with Canada
SO far os 1t affected farm
products. With this issue Mr..
Cummins went before the people
OF Iowa in a contest for the
selection of delegates to the national
republican convention The result was
that over two-thirds of the state con-
vent1on were opposed to his views. In
the interest Of party harmony, a thing
that he never encouraged. he was per-
mitted TO attend the national conyen-
ton as a delegate at large.
After this crushing defeat, for the
space Of few months, Mr. Cummins
made no open demonstration on issues
but he evidently kept up deal of
thinking, not as to how he could best
fill the office of governor, but as to
what new departure he could make to
reinstate himself in popular favor.
When first nominated in 1901, he had
the support of many Of the large rail-
road corporations of the state, particu-
larly the Milwaukee, The Rock Island.
the Great Western and the Iowa Cen
trail. After numerous consultations
with the leading lights Of his machine
it was decided that he was the only
person who could, as a candidate for
governor, keep the machine together
and have hopes Of success for the
nomination. 1t had been suggested by
many that Hon. George D. Perkins
would be satisfactory candidate, as
he had not been identified with either
of the so-called factions and was recog-
nized by every one as an ideal person
for the Office of governor. But for