The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-07-13
A LEAF FROM THE CUMMlNS
RECIPROCITY RECORD.

The more one considers the HON
Albert Cummins, of Iowa, the more
the wonder grows at his unexamplec
versatility. He can not only lmpro
wise a lifelong opinion quicker thar
any man in public life today, witt
the possible exception of Senator La
Toilette and Senator Jonathan
Bourne but he can forget it just a:
easily.
To Senator John Sharp Williams
of Mississippi, we are indebted FOL
striking documentary proof OF this
last named peculiar talent OF the lowe
Senator. 1t is, of course, no secre'
that whereas Senator Cummins was
a short time since bowling for rect
procity he is now bowling against IT,
But it may not be SO generally known
how strongly he once assured the
farmers of his state that they mao
nothing to fear from the specific dan
gers from which he is now profess
ing to protect them.
Well. we find all this is Senator
Cummins' inaugural address as Gov
ernor in 19O4-which document was
introduced in evidence the other day
by Senator Williams during the
course of debate on reciprocity to
the visible confusion of the Iowa
statesman. And here is the most
pertinent and eloquent passage OF
all:
"It has been said that, in order to
obtain these changes concessions to
the United States in the Canadian
tariff, it will be necessary to let
VIZ TO l..
tural products, or some of them. l
believe this to be partially true; but
let me ask the farmers OF Iowa
whether they think they will lose in
the exchange. Which would you
rather do, lose the markets that will
be created by vast imports into Can
ada or meet Canada in COMPETE
ton with the things which you
produce? assert confidentl-
ally that in the sharp struggle
with Illinois, Wisconsin,, Minnesota,
the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas and
Missouri you would never be able to
discern the influence of Canada in
corn, wheat, oats, barley, hay, cattle,
horses, hogs, butter and eggs"
There wasn't any danger to the
farmers then in Canadian reciproci-
ty in Governor Cummins' opinion.
That was because the farmers hadn't
given any signs of dissatisfaction with
4 reciprocity proposal. 1t is exceed
ingly dangerous now, so dangerous
that Senator Cummins is doing all
he can to save the farmers from the
:ruinous effects of reciprocity treaty.
This is because Senator Cum
minis is beginning to understand that
he did not exactly understand how
the farmers would feel about it when
they saw it beginning to loom very
near.
But whatever may be the Senator's
attitude at present, it will hardly be
denied by any whose knowledge OF
contemporary political history ante
dates the headlines in yesterdays
newspaper that it was just these
loud, enthusiastic speeches of Cum
minis and others which brought reel
procity once more to the fore in poll
tics and persuaded President Taft
that it was the one thing that would
set the Insurgents wild with Joy and
fire the Western prairies with enthus-
iasm.
It is a thousand pities that it did
not continue as popular among the
Western agriculturists as it once
seemed to be, so that Senator Cum
Minis and the others might not be
claiming credit for their successful
cham p!onship in the past instead OF
making desperate efforts to atone for
it by executing humiliating and
complete change of front,-Chicago
Inter Ocean