Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1911-07-18
us 1T RIGHT?"

Senator CumminS has never SAID
in so many words, so far as The
Register and Leader has been able
to discover, that he would vote
against the Canadian pact. He has
criticised it and attempted to amend
it, but he has never committed him
self finally and unequivocally
against it.
1t is in view of this situation thai
The Register and Leader wishes, be-
fore his final decision is reached, 10
take short look ahead and to sug-
gest to all of the republican leaders
the embarrassments that are bound
to come if attempt is made to COM
nit Iowa squarely against the adj
ministration on what must inevitab-
ly be the dominant issue of the ma
tional mpaign.-Register and
Leader.
This sounds queer coming SO soon
upon the heels of the Register and
Leaders commentator of Senator
Henderson of Missouri for standing
out for principle against public SEN
timent. Why should Iowa consider
the embarrassment that are bound
t. come if the republicans of the
state oppose President Taft on what
may become the dominant issue Of
the campaign? 1t seems to the Free
man-Tribune that the thing for Iowa
and its delegation in congress to do
lis to do right, to stop and ask them
selves: "Is it right This was the
position of the Register and Leader
| only a day or two ago, but now that
paper apparently wants to trim sails
to avoid embarrassments.
Continuing the Register and
Leader says:
Do Senator Cummins and Senator
Kenyon and the members of the del
egation in the house propose to put
| themselves in position where an
| In dorsement of the pact in the iowa
platform will be a reputation CT
them, and where, in order to. sus-
tain their own position, they will
have to join with Senator Young
and his friends in committing Iowa
against the administration on the
main issue in the campaign? DO
they propose to put the progressive
newspapers of the state where they
must choose between keeping still
and allowing Senator Young to
write the platform, and fighting for
ratification of the pact against the
delegation in congress?
Evidently the Register and Lead
er's editorial expatiating upon the
virtues of standing for principle, as
voiced in its Senator Henderson edi-
| torial did not have much influence
upon the writer of the editorial, as
it is so soon forgotten. Why should
Cummins and Kenyon hesitate in
their duty and inquire what the
next Iowa platform will contain
Shouldn't they do as Senator Her.
derson did-disregard public opin-
ion and vote as their judgments die
tate?
The error of the Register and
Leader is in comparing the propos-
ed trade agreement with Canada
with a moral question, surrounding
| it with a halo it does not deserve,
when in fact the proposed agree
ment is nothing more than bust
ness consideration and is not enti-
tied to be elevated to the rank Of a
moral proposition embodying an I'M
dying principle. 1t is question OF
dollars and cents and the man who
does not believe the United States
will at least get as many dollars as
IL loses because of the pact, ought to
oppose it. No republican need stop
to ask whether his attitude will in
jure the republican party or not.
The party ought to be injured when
condition arises In which each
member cannot do what he consid-
ers the right thing. Hence the Iowa