The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-11-11
CUMM|NS UPHOLDS
THE INSURGENTS
iowa's Junior Senator Delivers
Speech IN, Chicago.
SAYS He IS STILL REPUBLICAN
"lowa Idea" Statesman Defends Cause
of Insurgents Who Voted With
Democrats For Lower
Rates of Tariff.

Chicago, Nov. 5.-Albert B. Cum.
minis, United States senator from
Iowa, as chief speaker Saturday night
at the banquet of the Marquette club,
made his answer to Speaker Cannon's
recent attacks on him and the other
insurgents" Senator Cummins' ad-
dress was lively from start to finish,
and vigorous defense of those sena-
tors who refused to vote for the Al
drtch tariff measure. In part the
Iowa statesman said:
Mr.. POSTMASTER and Gentlemen: In
view OF some things that have hap
! pened since l accepted your invitation,
you will not look upon it as either
strange or inappropriate, am sure,
IL | am little more personal than is
my habit. This is Republican club,
and it has borne high and honorable
part in giving expression to our faith
and in giving strength to our organi-
cation. 1t is therefore peculiarly well
fitted to consider an interesting con-
| troversy that has recently arisen with
In the party ranks. For that reason,
! and because l am deeply anxious to
preserve the party strength, have
chosen this occasion to speak of the
dispute in hope that a better under
standing may follow fair and candid
discussion of our differences of opin-
ion.
Attacked by IIIinofsan.
A month ago distinguished son of
Illinois came to Iowa, obviously an
CRY and therefore, in one of his hys-
tcrical moods. He made a speech os-
tensibly in defense of the rules of the
house of representatives, but which
was in fact, an assault upon those
who had opposed the Republican ma
Jority in congress upon the tariff
measure. Not content with burning
us at the stake, he scattered our
ashes to the four winds in order to
make sure that We would be lost to
the Republican party forever and
ever. He exalted me to a pre-emin.
ence among these insurgents which
do not deserve, but which l would be
proud to occupy, and declared, with a
vehemence which you who know him
will appreciate, that l had become an
ally of a certain eloquent gentleman
whose quadrennial business has been
to carry the Democratic banner to ov-
erwhelming defeat. Warming to his
work, he made another speech a few
days ago at Elgin, in which he repeat
ed in all the colors of his rainbow
phraseology the denunciation of those
who committed the horrid crime of
voting against the tariff bill, and
again consigned them to the lowest
depths of Democratic perdition; and
then to completely satisfy his lust for
blood, he assigned to Senator La Fol-
lette and myself a superheated cham
Der in this region of the damned. With
all these imprecations, explosions and
determinations still ringing in my
ears, | feel like a member of the ia
ted brigade of which the poet sang:
Cannon to the right of them
Cannon to the left of them
Nolleyed and Numbered.
Cannon's Charge Futile.
1t will not avail Mr.. Cannon and his
associates anything to declare that
we have Joined hands with the Demo
cratic party, for every intelligent man
knows that this is simply an appeal
to a blind passion and a senseless
prejudice. The insurgents believe that
the Republican party is the best in
strumentality to secure and maintain
good government. They are proud of
its history: they love its traditions;
and | venture the prediction that in
the campaign of next year their voices
will be heard high above all others
defending it's doctrines and sustain
ing it's candidates. Their struggle will
be within the lines, but they will not
hide the truth as they see it; for they
know that If the Republican party is
to be permanently successful, it must
be faithful to its platforms, and must
meet courageously and justly the new
age of commerce and business with
it's new problems and questions. 1t
cannot any longer be progressive in
| its platform and stand-pat in its con-
gress.
| A few months ago | said that | was
willing to accept an arbiter as to the
Republicanism of those who voted
against the tariff bill, and hasten to
| name the judge. | appeal to the ua.
tional Republican platform of 1908;
and tested by the criterion of that In.
strument the Republican voters of the
United States will determine just as
rapidly as they have the opportunity
to do so, whether our votes were in
accordance with its declarations and
pledges.
Proposition Is Absurd.
/ understand perfectly that 1t would
have been helpful to party harmony
II We could have voted together; but
that is not the question. The plat.
form was for protection. All the Re-
publicans in congress were for pro-
lection; hut the view of these high
priests appears to be that IL they
thought that upon any given article
protection required so per cent. and
we thought the article would be am
ply protected with 20 per cent, UNI
less we voted for so we we're no long.
er Republicans. The whole PROPOSE,