The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-02-14

coinage of silver. In a letter to Sen
ator Gorrell, of Jasper county, he said.
Il am in favor Of the free coinage OF
silver, not only of American silver, Tut
Of all silver being absolutely sure
that it will not and cannot be coined
to excess" John H. Gear was elected
senator. In 1896 Cummins was an
advocate of the gold standard.
In 1901 he was again candidate
before the legislature for the senate,
and Senator Gear was reelected.
Following his second defeat for the
senate he became a candidate for gov
ernor He had been told, the record
of the time reported, that it was not
customary to choose man for the
senate who had not served in congress
or as governor His aim was to reach
the senate. He began by denouncing
j. w. Blythe and N NJ. Hubbard. His
plan was to overturn what was called
the machine" and to establish an
organization of his own. Corporations
then in rivalry with the Burlington
and Northwestern went to his assist
ance. He was nominated and elected.
| In 1903 he desired a unanimous re-
nomination for second term. The
first man with whom he negotiated
was J. w. Blythe. A truce was eff
fected and there was no opposition in
the convention to his denomination.
1t was hoped to avoid party disturb,
ance the following year, when Presi-
dent Roosevelt would be a candidate
for nomination in his own right for a
second term. The truce was broken
by Cummins when hd was inaugurated
and he boldly made issue in behalf of
reciprocity with Canada. Delegates
suggested for the national convention
had included the governor, and Sell
ators Allison and Dolliver The state
convention in 1904 on the reciprocity
issue was largely against Cummins.
He had guessed wrong. Blythe was in
control; Col. Late Young was chair
man of the resolutions committee.
Cummins did not decline to be dele
gate He accepted commission from
the silver platter of ]. w. Blythe.
The biennial election law was en-
acted and the governor held over for
year. In 1906 he became candi-
date for third term, to keep himself
in line for the senate, as a Des Moines
newspaper has recently explained. By
| this time he was the violent opponent
of all corporations. He quoted the
fears of intimate friends of Allison by
pledging that he would not seek to
displace the senior senator. He re-
newed his relation with the liquor in
terests. He succeeded in gaining a
denomination, and he narrowly es-
capped defeat at the polls.
! In 1908, in violation of pledges, he
j became candidate for the senate
against Allison. He was defeated in
the primaries. Senator Allison died
in August and Cummins vacated the
governors office to be appointed to
the senate by Governor Garst, ad
vanced from lieutenant governor. The
following year he was elected by the
legislature, and his term will expire
March 8, 1915.
With the incoming of the Taft ad-
ministration he became active in a
campaign to discredit the administra-
ton. In his zeal he refused to men,
ton the presidents name in the con-
vention of 1910 over which he pre-
sided as temporary chairman. In the
senate he voted against the proposed
reciprocity treaty with Canada, in the
face of the record he had made in
1904.
When it was agreed in insurgent
conference that Robt. M. La Toilette
should be named as the progressive
candidate for president, Cummins
assented He urged the Wisconsin
| SSldlOI W Sldllu, uCCllIlCu " CdhC IAC
leadership himself and pledged his
earnest support. Then he became a
candidate himself.
Cummins has never helped anyone
in politics except as he saw opportuni-
ity to help himself. The democrats
of Iowa have dragged him from miry
places, partially in response to his bid
ding and largely to the end of stimu-
lating quarrel they hoped might inure
to democratic advantage. But the
senator, intent upon his own advan-
tage, in the last campaign made fam
boyant confession that he preferred
the worst republican to the best demo
crat.
AS the wind has changed, A. B.
Cummins has changed, to the single
ness of purpose of realizing on per-
sonal ambition. The record is of
sufficient answer without the need of
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