Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-10-18

cal history more instructive than the
record Of this mans activities during
the years following With tireless en-
ergy he sought the attention OF the
people. He dealt with the stern reali-
ties of their case. He demanded the
reform Of the ancient system of noni-
nations by caucus. and the substitution
of the direct primary. He brought the
great railway systems doing business
within the state. together with their at
torneys and other dependents, to the
bar Of public opinion for judgment;
and while bribery and the hardly less
odious corruption Of railway favors
defeated him in the next state conven-
ton. he kept up the fight. enlisting un-
der his standard thoughtful and intelli-
gent citizens. and especially the young
men, until at length he overpowered
the oligarchy which for forty years had
| handed out the honors of great po-
litical party. with the compliments of
the private interests which directed the
government OF the state.
Popuarized consressio nai Record.
! When he entered the senate. he found
hardly friend there, and those who
sympathized with his work in Wiscon-
sin were so few in the senate that they
one hand He had behind him nearly
ten years OF constructive effort. the re-
suits of which could be seen on every
hand: IN the school system Of the
state. in the highways of the state, in
the guardianship of the natural re-
sources of the state. in the moderation
of railway charges. and in a reform
system of public taxation. Nobody in
4 the senate resented this record OF good
work well done, yet he was received
with an open hostility poorly disguis-
I ed under the cover Of contemptuous
/ Indifference. OF what offense had he
4 been guilty? He was among the first
{ to discover thar the permanence of the
old political order rested upon the fact
that the public takes It for granted
! that it's representatives in Washington,
being engaged in a mysterious, far off
task. may be excused on party grounds
! il they obey the orders which are is
sued there without consulting either
the public will or public rights. There
| upon Senator La Toilette did the mean
est thing in the history Of political in
trigue. He not only read the Congress
sional Record" him self but he went
out into Wisconsin and into nearly ev-
cry state in the Union. reading TO the
people the continued story of the yeas
and nays. Curiouslv enough. he made
the old "Congressional Record OF
which Speaker Reed used to say. TT is
the safest place there is to put thing
SO explosive and destructive in its liz
erary import that IL has already begun
to justify the expense OF its publica-
ton. Experienced legislators said,
What right has this man 10 tell peo-
pie how we yoted9' and behind their
anger lay a question which they did
not dare to ask: What right has the
public to know what is going on in the
/ government OF the United Stateso"
Cumminsm in Iowa.
/ Inspired, in par. at least. by what
the people OF Wisconsin were doing.
popular movement somewhat similar
took root about ten years ago in Iowa
II did not find III that state as favor
able field for its growth as II had IN
/ Wise onstn. for the reason that the PEG
pie there had been for a generation
fairly successful in using the nachin-
cry OF the republican party to look af-
ter their interests, especially where the
justice and fairness of railway charges
we're concerned. These questions had
been fought ou- under the leadership Of
men like Governor William Larrabee,
and the public had far less to complain
of than IL Wisconsin. In fact Mr.. La
Toilette began lis crusade in that state
by demanding the same treatment from
the railways which the people Of Iowa
enjoyed. Yet & group Of able railway
lawyers had long been accustomed TO
attend Iowa state conventions, and to
wait upon the sessions Of the legtsla-
q ture- They were accommodating gen.
tlemen who acted not only as legal adj
visers OF the railways hut as assistan.
passenger agents, always ready to re-
lieve worthy people Of the burden Of
paying their fare. Their main interest
in the convention was to see to It that
NOBODY was nominated for a state Of
flce who had morbid views upon the
subject Of railway taxation, and they
attended the legislature in a body for
the purpose Of discourag.ng new legis-
iation Ihey were also accustomed to
take an interest in the choice of sena-
tors Of the United States, in order that
NOBODY Of an erratic turn Of mind
might ind his way from Iowa into that
ancient retreat for sane and safe states
men. They had a comparatively
easy Joo ana they managed 1t with such
suaVlty OF manner that their activities
seldorn produced disagreeable i'm
preston upon the public mind. The
fact that they managed it at all, that
they were able and willing to take up
en- IN eInselves all the responsibilities of
the state government, did not appar-
emily create any sense Of humiliation
In the dominant political party until
the legislature was called upon to
choose the successor Of Senator James
F. Wilson. Among the candidates who
presented themselves was Mr.. A. B.
Cunmins. Of Des Moines. He was one
OF the acknowledged leaders at the
Iowa bar, railway lawyer OF high
professional rank, and republican Of
Unknown individuality Of thought and
speech. He was Pennsylvania by
birth, brought up on the farm. tho his
family afterwards removed to Iowa,
where his father still lives in the
strength and beauty Of q serene old
age He had fine advantages Of edu-
cation, both academic and collegiate,
and, above all, has taken his dsgres. in
course very much lonese than the
customary four years, in what has BEEN
aptly called the university OF hard
knocks He became civil engineer.
and was connected with more than one