Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-08-03
Special to rimes-Republican.

Special to Times publican.
Des Moines, Aug. Ex-senator A. B.
Gummins. as temporary chairman Of
the republican state convention today,
defined the issues at present dividing
the dominant parties and the two fac
tons Of the republican party. 1t was
one of the strongest addresses in the
long public career of the senator, and
left no doubt as to the issues upon
which the progressives in and out of
congress have been waging their fight
I'm behalf of the public welfare. Mr..
Cumrnins said:
Gentlemen of the convention: Har-
mony is like the poet, it is born, not
made. If it is amongst us we VIII
speedily hear it's sweet sounds; but If
it is not here, the effort TO create it
with deceitful protestations and false
phrases will end in miserable failure.
There is more discord in the suppress
sion of honest conviction than in the
open, candid expression OF opposing
views.
This is not an age Of plain living but
1t is an age Of plain speaking and
therefore, With malice toward none,
and charity for ALL speak to you ac-
cording to the truth as l see it, and ac-
cordng to my duty as I understand 1t.
This convention. altho composed
wholly of republicans, is the outcome Of
a political struggle carried on with ex
ceeding earuestness in every county of
the state. There may be a few dele
gates who are here by accident but
substantially all of you are here by de-
sign. A conscious purpose is behind
you and a clear obligation is before
you.
Every man who believes in free gov
eminent must believe in the rule Of the
majority. but that implies no rnore than
a peaceful submission to the will of the
majority, and does not imply the sur
render of the high privilege Of record
ing sincere belief.
1t was a vain and idle thing 10 pass
thru the fight of the primary and coun-
ty conventions unless a grave and i'm
portion Issue was involved; and il
would be the climax of folly for this
body of men. after the republican vot-
ers had determined the issue, to fail
IN recording the verdict and in publish
ing to the world in fitting terms the
decision which the republican elector-
ate has rendered it is not my purpose
to define at this point Just what the is
sue between republicans has been, and
is, not only I'm Iowa, but turnout the
length and breadth Of the country It
is sufficient for the present to say
that it relates wholly to those questions
which concern the control, regulation
and restriction Of the powers and prac-
tees of combined or concentrated
wealth. Or, to phrase It aga into the
undue and disproportionat share
which corporate capital is able to wrin g
from the profits of industry, and the in
Justice it is able TO inffict upon help
less individuals and defenseless COM
Inunities.
In dealing with these problems the
members Of our party have ranged
themselves along the whole stretch Of
economic thought and governmental
actfon-fron the hopeless and retreat
ing reactionary TO the extreme and Wis
ionary radical. The rear division of
the long line, with all its varying
shades Of political doctrine, has come
to be known as the standpatters; while
the other, with some diversity Of opin-
forward under the name of the progress
sives.
1t is probably true that some of the
progressives want to go too fast and
do TOO much 1t is certainly true that
there are many Of the standpatters
who want either to go back or do moth
ing at all. Assuming that the divis-
ions of the party ara equally honest, It
is obvious that the contest between
them is not trivial, altho it is to be
hoped that II Is but temporary.
recur in this unparalleled situation
to the calm and optimistic philosophy
of Abraham Lincoln, who, in the epoch
al debate Of 1858, after quoting the
self cannot stand said:
II believe this government cannot en-
| dure permanently half slave and half
free. do net expect the union to
be dissolved. I do not expect the house
to fall but do expect it will cease to be
divided. It will become all one thing
or all the other"
Ut is even so with the republican
party. 1t cannot endure permanently
half progressive and half standpat. 1
do not expect to see it either defeat ed
! or c. Ibut it must speedily be-
come all progressive or all standpat.
viii Be Progressive.
I do not intend to be able to look far
thru the mists and uncertainties OF the
future and mark with precision the
| path in which the party win walk; but
remembering that it came into exist
of the wings and the medieval tenden-
cies of the democrats and remember
ing, too that for more than half CEN
fury it has been the progressive party
of the union, cannot permit myself to
doubt that the party of Lincoln, of
Grant of Blaine, Of Garfield, OF McKin-
ley and of Roosevelt will rise triumph
antly above the clouds OF it's civil war
and be in the future, as It has been in
the past. the best hope OF mankind,
the progressive party. not only OF the
nation but of the world.
understand perfectly that there are
some short-visfoned men amongst us
who will continue either to bewail or
denounce individual independence, and
who will depfore free criticism Of party
leaders and party acts. believing that
to be independent OF an assumed lead
ershfp and to give expression to an
honest censure Of party measure is to
destroy party unity, and to invite DEM
ocratic victory. Some men disparage
both the intelligence and the patriot
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country know that there is infinitely