The Oskaloosa herald., 1910-08-04
SEN. CUMMINs
TALKS HARMONY
ere q recording sincere belief.
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the county conventions unless grave
sand important issue was involved;
ana III would be the'elimax of folly for
this body of men, after the republican
voters had determined the issue, 10
fail in recording the verdict and in
publishing to the world, in fitting
terms, the decision which the repub-
lican electorate has rendered. II IS
not my purpose TO define at this point
Just what the issue between republi-
cans has been, and is, not only in
Iowa, but throughout the length and
breadth of the country. II is sum
cient for the. present TO say that II re-
lates wholly to those questions which
concern the control, regulation and
restriction of the powers and practi-
ces Of combined or concentrated
wealth. Or, to phrase il again--to the
undue and disproportionate share
which corporate capital is able to
wiring from the profits OF industry, and
the injustice ii is able to infiict upon
helpless individuals and defenseless
communities.
In dealing with these problems the
members OF our party have ranged
themselves along the whole stretch
OF economic thought and governmental
action-from the hopeless and retreat
ing reactionary to the extreme and
visionary radical. The rear division
of this long line, with all its varying
shades of political doctrine, has come
10 be known as the standpatters;
while the other, with some diversity
Of opinion upon specific questions
marches forward under the name OF
the progressives.
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 TODD
nothing at ALL Assuming that the di-
visions of the party are equally hon
est. it is obvious that the contest be-
tween them is not trivial, although 1t
is to be hoped that it is but temper.
airy.
recur in this unparalleled situation
10 the calm and optimistic philosophy
OF Abraham Lincoln, who, in the
epochal debate of 1858, after quoting
the maxim "A house divided against
itself cannot stand" said:
Il believe this government cannot
endure permanently half slave and
half free. do not expect the union
to be dissolved. do not expect the
house to fall, but / do expect it will
cease to be divided. 1t will become
all one thing or all the other
II IS even so with the republican par
ty. 1t cannot endure permanently
half progressive and half standpat. l
do not expect to see il either defeat
ed or dissolved, but it must~speedily
become all progressive or all stand
pat.
Will be Progressive.
do not pretend 70 be able to look
far through the mists and uncertain,
ties of the future and mark with pre-
eision the path in which the party
viii walk: but remembering that II
came into existence as a protest
against the inactiOn of the wings and
the mediaevil tendencies Of the demo
Gratis, and remembering, too, that for
more than a half century 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 Mckinley and of Roose-
welt will rise triumphantly above the
clouds of its 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-vsioned men amongst
us who will continue either to bewail
or denounce individual independence,
and who will deplore free criticism of
party leaders and party acts, believing
that to be Independent Of an assumed
leadership and TO give expression to
honest censure Of party measure is
TO destroy party unity. and to invite
democratic victory. Such men dis
parage both the interrigence and the
patriotism of the people. The voters
of the country know that there is in
finitely more hope Of making the re
publican party effectually progressive
than there is of efficient and compre-
hensfye legislation from the demo
Gratis.
There are many democrats who are
distinguished for their wise and
broad views upon public affairs. but
the large majority of the leaders Of
the democratic party are incapable OF
making or administering laws for a
country like ours. for they invariably
find in the constitution an insuperable
obstacle in the way of doing the
things which are imperatiyely de.
handed, and which II done at all must
be done By the general government.
! have been accused often times by
some Of my blind and passionate op-
ponents of having democratic lean
ings, and have many warm personal
friends in that organization, but there
never was time in my whole life
when ! would have been willing to-
commit the destiny Of the country TO
the democratic party, and there is
less reason now for doing so than ever