The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-11-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.

$3.50 ! /. r
Washington, Nov. 10.-"The pres
ent campaign in New Jersey is of ma
tion-wide significance from the fact
Tuesday will indicate to the country
Wilson's state, accept or reject a pro-
gram which he has put into effect"
This quotation from speech made
by Senator Cummins of Iowa before
the New Jersey election appeared in
last week. The next day the people
answered and showed that they &C
copied President Wilson's policy by
giving the democratic candidate for
governor a plurality of over $4,000.
At the same time the people elected
a democratic governor in Massachu-
sets by more than 33 900 plurality
after Senator Cummins had stumped
the state for the republican nominee,
who by the way ran third, the Bull
Moose candidate polling the second
highest vote.
Senator Cummins' speeches in
Massachusetts and New Jersey were
criticised on the floor of the senate,
and a notable criticism appears in
the Sioux City Tribune, formerly one
of the senator's chief supporters. In
the senate, Senator Martin read what
he said was a stcnOgraphic copy OF a
speech made by Senator Cummins at
Plainfield, N. j., in which the Iowan
was quoted as saying that he regard
ed President Wilson as IAN enemy to
the constitutions" and assaying fur
Their:
There is no moral difference be-
tween the act of Huerta, president of
the Mexican republic, who caused the
Imprisonment of members of con-
gress who failed to repeal a resolu-
ton which he wanted repealed, and
the acts of President Wilson respect
ing the passage of the present tariff
law"
Senators MARITIME, Owen and Will
liams held this language indefensible.
Senator MARITIME challenged the
1oWan to show IAN instance where
there has been undue, ungenerous
and unpatriotic pressure brought by
the president on any senator" Sen
ator John Sharp Williams said that
if the Iowan used the language quoted
above it was uncalled and unjustifi-
ed. He added that "the man we have
now in the White House is the best
informed, the best equipped, the
most highly educated, and the most
cultured president we have had in
the White House since Thomas JET
ferSon went out of it, and he re-
sembles him somewhat. He has ex-
ercised no influence upon any man
save by an appeal to his reason or to
his party loyalty, to that sentiment
which makes man true to the
school of political thought to which
he belongs
In one of his Massachusetts
speeches Senator Cummins was quot
ed as saying that President Wilson
played the part of traitor by in
fuencing tariff legislation" This
drew heated reply from Speaker
Champ Clark, who hotly resented the
use of such language. Senator Cum
Minis in reply said: 81 did refer to the
President of Mexico. | did not say
it in comparison, of course, with any
man, but ] said that ! would just as
soon have my will as member of
congress overcome by soldier as by
any other influence from the exccu-
tive department" i.
uC o1OuA WY lIlDuuc lOOh lSSuc
with Senator Cummins for taking the
stump in Massachusetts to make pro-
tective tariff speeches. The Tribune
expressed the conviction that there
is nothing in the theory of general
prosperity depending upon protec-
tive tariff taxes The Senator did
not say to the people of Massachu-
setts,' the Tribune editorial contin-
ues, that he voted against the tariff
bill because 1T Disseminated against
the west or that he wanted to revise
it so as to increase the price to them
of flour, eggs, meat and potatoes
Had he attempted to tell them this
they would not have listened to him
with kindly feelings And he may
not tell western audiences that he |
would revise the tariff so as to reduce |
the cost to them Of their shoes, stock |
ings, underwear, of all their wear
ing apparel. the salt they feed their
cattle, the wire they fence them in |
with, or the hearses that take them |
to their long rest The Tribune |
adds that the senator's position IS a |
difficult one in logic and economics. |
In politics it. is not so hard, for |
whoever would supplant him as the |
republican leader is bound by the !
same chains that manacle him.
The criticism of Senator Cummins !
in the Tribune and the fact that the /
Sioux City News now is supporting
the Wilson administration, led the !
Sioux City Journal, Uncle George
Perkins paper, to remark that 1T is
an odd thing that the whirling of ,
time has placed the Journal in the
lead among the Sioux City papers as
a follower of Senator Cummins who
is in the midst of briery campaign
for reelection to the senate
Congressman Pepper by virtue Of |
his position as secretary OF the demo-
cratic congressional committee is
sued statement expressing pleasure
at the result of the election which
gave the democrats three governors,
a United States senator in Maryland,
three out of four congressman elect
ed and the great bulk of the city cleo
ton victories. Mr.. Pepper said:
THE results of the elections GER
tainly contain abundant assurances