The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-31
EYES Of NATION
LOOKING TO IOWA
Delegation Will Ask Next
State Convention to En-
dorse Election
TAFT NOT OPPOSED,
But RECIPROCITY Is
Responsibility Falls Upon
Senator Cummins, but
Delegates Will Not
be Instructed
BY VICTOR ELLIOTT.

special session Of Congress. and which
part, In twain and came near dis
rppting IT, will be heard when the
Iepuil'can State Convention OF Iowa
meets next spring for the selection of
delegates to The national convention.
The issue will he reciprocity, and not
Taft. The Republican leaders Of Iowa.
have been. are and ever Will be OPP
posed to reciprocity They propose to
mahe a tight on reciprocity. Opposi-
ton to it VIII be the most important
plank j their Platform, An endeavor
viii be made to keep the anti-Taft
question in the background. This
has beeh agreed upon by most Of the
members CT the Iowa delegation.
Seldom n the political history OF the
country has q State beiono'r~ to the
party In control made such bitter
dght against measure endorsed hnd
sun"orted by the administration as has
Iowa against reciprocity. But single
member of its Congressional delega-
ton, Representative Hubbard has sup
ported the agreement
May Lose State.
The bitter fight because OF reciproc-
ity Is liable to cause the Republicans
TO lose the State OF Iowa. 1t is pre-
dicted that their defeat in the State,
win be- SO crushing that 1t may take
fifty year2 for them to recover from the
effects of It, Nothing 1t seems. can
stave off the impending disaster. The
administration has gone too far. 1t
cannot retreat. II has pledged itself
to the measure and the loss of tho
State to 1t will be one of the results
of the passage OF the pact,
1t is the purpose to put up to the
next state convention the question Of
endorsing the opposition of the Iowa
Republicans In Congress to the reel
procity bill. With the single excep
ton of Representative Hubbard. the
members Of the House delegation voted
against the measure. When the vote
was taken in the Senate, Senators
Culnmins and Kenyon cast their votes
In opposition to it.
A resolution will be introduced at
the next State convention indorsing the
opposition to reciprocity by the dele
cation. II resolution of this char
acter is passed. the delegation. now in
Congress. will be sustained in the
stand they have taken, and IL such a
resolution Is defeated in the convention
they viii be rebuked.
Cummins 10 Loader.
The responsibility of leadership will
Cummins. He IL the logical man, for
it was he who has so bitterly fought
the measure in the Senate. All of the
amendments to the agreement pro-
posed by him were voted down, ana
the sting of defeat viii only serve as
81 stimulus to him in the coming battle.
His task Will be TO get the state con-
vention to take a firm stand against
the reciprocity measure proposed by
the White House.
Senator Cummins will have The
backing of both the stand pat and the
progressive elements of the party in
the State. Opposition to Taft has be-
come q secondary question in Iowa,
The leaders Of the Iowa delegation
in Congress do not propose to enter
! into the fight in hopes OF securing an
| anti Taft delegation or to make a fight
sip7g, ti7,s ~i.sc-Gonaily All opposition
I 10 him is founded upon his stand in
i the reciprocity question. The purpose
i of the delegation In Congress viii be
! to prevent Itself from being rebuked
as ii would be II the convention passed
/ a resolution indorsing the stand that
Taft has taken In the matter Al
/ the same time. while trying to see to IL
that the State convention does not
take a pro- reciprocity stand. efforts
will be made to send a delegation te
the national convention without in
structions. A long, bitter struggle Is
to be looked for, and the political flu
ture Of more than one politician hangs
in the balance None will be allowed
to perch on the fence, watch which
| way the tide is going and then join the
ranks of the victor. Each will have
to stake his political future on the out
come before the fight is begun.
Taft Gets DcIcgatcs, If
There is no question that IL an UNI
instructed delegation goes from lowe
1T will be a Taft delegation. provid-
ing 1t Is clear that he will be nomi-
mated. If, however, the chances OF
some strong progressive Republican
for securing the nomination seems
good, IL is just as sure that the dele
cation will not be a Taft delegation
This Ia in accordance with the plans
Senator Cummins and his friends are
now formulating.
1t is almost certain that no fight
will be made in the State convention
to secure a La Toilette delegation
Little activity in Iowa along that line
is looked for by politicians familiar
with the conditions in the State
Twenty delegates will be selected
two from each OF the congressional
districts and four at large. OF this
delegates chosen in the district con
ventions some undoubtedly will be
instructed for Taft and others will
not be. 1t is probable that among
the uninstructed there will be mum
Der of anti-Taft. men who will refuse
to vote for him unless IL is sure thai
he will be nominated.
The fight In the State convention
will concern the resolutions and the
attitudes of the four delegates a.
large toward President Taft, The
opponents of Taft will seek to preven
Instructions. But 1t Will not be the
purpose to make primarily a fgh
upon the nomination of Taft. VIVA
} the Republican leaders OF fowas wan
most is the approval of the State In
the stand that they have taken In
Congress In regard to reciprocity
Oppose Reciprocity.
1t Is well known fact that Sen
ator Cummins Is far more anxious
for the State OF Iowa to go on recorc
as opposed to reciprocity than he /.
fors.it 10 declare itself against Taft
He does not care particularly for ar
anti-Taft delegation. What he want.
Is one opposed to reciprocity. Th'
same is true OF the other progress
sives OF the State who have no par
ticular liking for President TAFT i
ia quite possible that II La Toilette
Cummns or some other progr essiv,
should loom up unexpectedly stronS
l. Ia ~.