Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-04


suppression of honest conviction than in
tie open, candid expression VI opposing
views.
Ihis is not an age of plain living. but
Il is an age OF PLAN speaking and lhele-
! fore, With malice toward none, and
charity for ALL speak to you according
| to the truth as l see it, and according
to my duty as l understand 1t.
This convention, although cumpos %
wholly of republicans, Is the outcome OF
a political struggle carried on with ex-
ceeding earnestness in every county OF the
state. There may be few delegates VINO
are here by accident, but substantially all
of you are here by design. A conscious
purpose is behind you and clear obliga-
Every man who believes in free govern
ment must believe in the rule of the ma
tority, but that implies no more than a
peaceful submission of the will Of the ma
Jority, and does not imply the surren-
der Of the high privilege Of recording a
sincere belief.
1t was a vain and idle thing to pass
through the fight Of the primary and the
county conventions unless a grave and i'm
portant issue was involved; and 1t would
be the climax Of folly for this body of men,
after the republican voters had determined
the issue, to fail In recording the verdict
and In publishing to the world, In fitting
terms, the decision which the republican
electorate has rendered. 1t is not my pur-
pose to define at this point just what the
issue between republicans has been, and It,
not only In Iowa, but throughout the length
and breadth of the country. 1t is sufficient
for the present to say that 1t relates
wholly to those questions which concern
the control regulation and restriction Of
the powers and practices of combined or
concentrated wealth. Or, to phrase 1t
again-to the undue and disproporttonate
share which corporate capital rs able to
wiring from the profits of industry, and the
injustice 1t Is able to inflict upon helpless
individuals and defenseless communities.
standpatters and PrOEressives,
: indicating with these probiemss the mem
Ders or our party nave ranged themselves
along the Wnole stretch Of economic
thought and governmental acton-trom Ine
,gOpeless and retreatlng reacuonary TO the
extreme and visionary raaIcaI, Inc rear dI-
VISION OF TINS long Ilne, N;t4 all its varying
SnaueS OF political doctrine has come to
10 known as the stanupatters; while the
oIner with some diversity OF opinion upon
specific quesuonsT marches forward under
me name OF the progressiVes. F"
1t Is probably true that some of the
| progresslves want TO go too fast and do
! 100 much. 1t is certainly true that there
are many OF the stanupatTers VINO want
either " go back or to 40 nothing at all
assuming that the divisions or the party
are equally honesI. II Is obvious that the
contest between them is not trivial. al
tnOugh 1t Is TO be hoped that 1t Is but
| temporary. -t.
/ recur in this unparalleled situation to
the calm ana optimistic philosophy OF Abra-
| nam Lincoln, who, in the epuchal debate
| VI 1900, after quoting the maxim "A house
| dlvioed against itself cannot stand" said:
|
permanently halI slave and hair free l
| DO not expect the union 10 be dissolved.
/ do not expect the house to fail, but /
! do expect II will cease TO be divided. II
will become all one thing or all the other"
IL Is even Sc with the republican party,
| IL cannot endure Permanently half pro-
gressVe and half standpat. do not ex7
| pect TO see 1t either defeated or dissolved,
out IL must speedily become ali progressive
or all standpat.
VIII De Progressive.
l do not pretend to be able to look far
| through the mists ana uncertainties of
the future and mark with precision the
| path in which the party Will walk; but re-
| membering that 1t came into existence al
a protest against the Inaction OF the whigs
| anu the mediaeval tendencies ot the demo-
| Gratis, and remembering. TOO, that Tor more
than half century It mas been the progress
| sVe party OF the union, 1 cannot permit
myself TO doubt that the party OF Lincoln.
| OF Grant, OF Blaine, or Garfield. OF Nc.
hinley and Of Roosevelt, will rise triumph
4 antiy above the clouds of its civil war
| ana be in the future, as IL has been in the
gressive party, not only OF the nation
| out OF the world.
l understand perfectly that there are
some snort Visioned men amongst us who
will continue either to bewan or denouncC
Individual independence and who will de-
plore free criticism OF party leaders and
party acts, believing that to be independ
ent Of an assumed leadership ana to give
expression to honest censure OF party
measure Is to destroy party unity, ana e
invite democratic victory. Such men dis
parage both the intelligence and the pa
triotism Of the people. The voters OF th'
country know that there is infinitely NOR,
nope Of making the republican party eff
fectually progressive than there is Of eff
lient and comprehensive legislation from
he democrats.
There are many democrats who are dis
ingushed for their wise and broad views
upon public affairs but the large. major
tty OF the leaders OF the democratic party
are incapable OF making or administering
Jaws for a country like ours, for the!
invariably find in the constitution an in
superable obstacle in the way Of doini
manded, and which II done at al, mus
be done by the general government.
have been accused oftentimes by SOM
, of my blind and passionate opponents o
having democratic leanings, and l haV
many warm personal friends In tina
organization, but there never was a tim
Wiling to commit the destiny OF the eoun
try to the democratic party, and there 1
less reason now for doing so than ever be
, fore.
SO long as l look upon the constitution
2 as command to look after the weltar
I OF the people, rather than q mere injunC
y ton against invading the sights OF tn
states, there Will be an smpas sable gul
= between the democratic party and myself
. The character OF the problems whic
now hold the first place in the America
n mind makes the republican Vlcw " III
constitution vital 10 the common good,
= admit that the differences between reput
) Leans are many ana that they are lmpol
a tant; but any republican who, by reaso
= OF these differences, votes for a demo
d cratic candidate, win find that he hs
Is bumped from the frying pan into the fire.
Q l reiterate what l have always sal
In every campaign during the storm d'
cade in which 1 have been In publ
office. We will fight with all the strengt
that is in us before the nominations Al
made. but when they are made In n
y appointed way We Will stand shoulder
II shoulder for the republican candidates an
Is in this spirit l appeal 10 every republics
ie In the state 20 give his voice and his vo
h TO every candidate on the ticket, whethi
r national or state.
le Senator Cummins debated at length Il