Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-11-28

those times could have rendered this
service Senator Allison rendered In
such an emergency. So far as his own
opinion was concerned, throughout the
whole controversy he never wayered
in his allegiance to that standard VI
value upon which the public credit OF
the United States was based With no
unfriendly feeling towards those sec
tons Of the United States where the
mining of silver was the chief indus
try of the people. he never failed to
avow his conviction that since the dis
use of silver as monetary standard
had been universal in the commercial
world, nothing short Of general inter
national agreement for its remonetiza-
ton would operate to restore its value.
A Diligent Student of the Coinage
Question.
Recognized everywhere as the most
diligent student of the coinage ques.
ton, it is not surprising that Presi-
dent Harrison, acting under the au-
thority of congress, selected Senator
Allison as chairman of the American
delegation to the International Silver
conference which the president had
summoned to meet at Brussels. All
the leading governments of Europe
and America were represented, and no
one can read Senator Allison's open
Ing statement of the object of the con-
ference and the proposals to be con-
sidered, without perceiving that in
practical knowledge of the silver ques-
ton he easily takes rank with the
foremost statesmen Of the world.
When it was apparent that no inter
national agreement was possible, and
that the United States was to be lett,
supporting by It's unassisted credit
the falling value of silver, Senator Al
lison, without giving a thought to the
strategy of party politics Joined with
the ten democrats in the senate who
followed Mr.. Cleveland and used his
influence as the republican leader for
the repeal Of the purchasing clause OF
the silver act Of 1890. have referred
to these acts Of congress relating to
the money standard, because 1t has
been asserted that Senator Allison
was without fixed convictions upon
these questions. The record shows
that no man Of that time, not even
Senator Sherman, Lad more perfect
understanding of our coinage prob
lens. 1t fell to Senator Allison to
save the gold standard from destruc-
ton at time when its friends were
in the minority, by the Cancellation OF
dogmatic opinions, and the adjust
ment of contradictory views and inter
ests. If the ability to achieve results
like these isNt be set down to his dis
credit, we ought to see to II that the
fine tribute paid the otner day by
Theodore Roosevelt to the memory Of
10 III {p10 a.. ~ Iii ~
pass into our school books to deceiva
the next generation Of Americanss it
Is conceded by all parties at the etaDi-
toll that Senator Allison, through years
of Industrious study has acquired a
practical knowledge of our tariff prob
lens possessed by no other man.
While the Office of senator is supposed
to be very conspicuous, it is almoSt
pathetic to consider how much Of the
work of really great senator Is unt
heralded and practically unknown toy
the public. Men outside of congress
by few we'll chosen remarks have
been able to acquire universal reputa-
tions as tariff reformers, while this
painstaking. day and night working
senator of ours has been engaged for
thirty years and more in the actual
work of revising, readjusting and re-
forming the tariff laws of the United
States without advertisement of any
sort. One cannot help thinking that
1t will be a bad day for institutions
like ours wheH men can acquire larger
measure of pubic confidence By max
ing few speeches at banquet tables
than by the modest and efficient Iii
charge Of the duties of a great and re-
sponsible Office. Senator Allison has
been student Of tariffs all his life,
and If any one will open the statutes
at large during the past thirty years
and note the vast number Of changes
which have been taking place in our
tariff laws, and then remember that
the hand of Senator Allison has guild
ed them all, he will get some sort Of
an idea of what a tariff reformer.
really is.
A .'oposer of Policies.
But our senator has been more
than a mere critic of tariff
schedules; he has been a proposer OF
policies and living factor in the
enactment of the statutes which con-
stitute the record of the republican
party. I have heard it said that ne
has represented eastern interests
rather than the interests of Iowa.
Such a charge is only parrot like
repetition of the democratic accusa-
ton against every republican who has
run for congress in this state during
the last twenty years. l suppose that