The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-02-25
CUMM|NS IS OUT
FOR PROHIBITION
Iowa Senator, Possible 6. 0. P.
Candidate For President,
Says He Favors National
"Dry'' Law.

Washington, D. c., Feb. Ex-senator
Albert b. Cummins has announced
that he favors national prohibition,
thuS becoming the first of the repub-
lican presidential aspirants to make
an important utterance concerning an
issue.
The interview with Senator Cum
Minis places him before the public on
the platform he will adopt if he ac-
lively enters the lists as a candidate
for the republican nomination in 1916.
The saloon must 60" said he. So
briefly must be the rule of conduct for
the future"
There are q dozen men in public
life who gaze fondly on the nominal
ton possibility of the republican
party, and nave already placed them
selves definitely on record as favor
ing prohibition, but the temperance
forces are casting about for a strong
mar. They want n who has some
thing to recommend him other than
a leaning toward prohibition. Senator
Cummins was conceded to be a candi-
date to be reckoned with long before
his Views on the wet" and dry" is
sue was publicly announced.
Problems of Nation.
Discussing the problems of the "a
ton, considered collectively in answer
to a question, Senator Cummins said:
This is too comprehensive a question to
be answered within the limits of an inter-
answer it. Nearly all the old problems
are still with US for it rarely happens that
a problem of government is finally solved.
In addition to the old ones new difficulties
are constantly rising.
If the general purpose of government is
to do justice among the people and to see
to it that every human being has the best
possible opportunity to make a comfort
able living, to hold safely and quietly en-
joy what he fairly earns, to repress the
strong and to sustain the weak. we can
easily agree upon the vital problems of
government. These are all generalities,
and to work them out in actual legislation
is the duty before us.
New Tariff Needed.
AS they appear tc me now they involYe:
First-A new tariff law which will put
an end to the unfair competition of for
eign countries by imposing duties which
are high enough to allow our producers to
enter and hold our markets. realizing a
fair profit upon the sale of their commodi-
ties, and low enough to prevent the eXac-
ton Of undue prices without inviting riv-
airy from abroad. The establishment of
a permanent Independent tariff board to
gather and promulgate the information es-
sential for intelligent leglslo ron upon tbs
subject.
Second-A careful and continuous super
vision of the field of industry in order to
make it sure that the competitive force
in business is preserved. This does not
mean that business is to be done in 3
small way or by email units. 1t means
that big business must stop short of mo-
nopoly; that it must halt in its growth
before it reaches the point of a suppress.
sion of effective competition. Fear mus
be removed from the minds of honest
men, and the dishonest operator must be
driven from
Third-Excessive hours of labor musl
cease If we would maintain our tandard
of citizenship, and the working man mus
know that the law is his friend and pro.
tector, not his enemy and despoiier. Child
labor must be abolished, for if we cannoi
give our young. people a chance to be.
come strong physically. mentally. and
morally the end of it's republic is not ia,
away.
~Fourth-The saloon must go. Sobrietz
must be the rule of conduct for the flu.
ture.
Fifth-The small borrower must have
his opportunities widened. We have
reached a time when the agricultural out.
put must be increased by extending t1
the farmer, whether owner or Tenter,
more and better facilities for production
eSth-We must unlock. the west: moi
70 the mere promoter and monopolist. but
TO the settler and improver. Conservation
IN lts best sense can be attained withou,
denying to the people of the western
states the opportunity to grow.
seventh believe in seducing the arma.
eomplished, the United States must be
Kept strong enough so that every othei
nation Will know that we can and will
resist unjust demands and enforce oui
honorable rights. We ought not to pause
a noment IN our effort to enlarge the
round some plan for the enforcement Of
the Judgments of arbitral tribunals which
can INTO action other powers than those
OF the two nations directly concerned.