Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-07


SENATOR CUMMlNS. of n United States
Senator to perfection. Not the Senator of
fat cheeks and globular figure (Which isn't
Burton, either) but the Senator of tho
naturally and pleasantly statesmanlike
manner And back in Iowa n voted
for him for Governor because 'he looks like
one" AS with Burton, the dignity of Cum
minis Is democratic, only more so.
Cummins is 65 years old. He was born
on farm near Carmlchaels. His mother
was Scotch-Irlsh, his father Scotch. The
elder Cummins was both a farmer and
carpenter Young Albert had to go to work
when he was 10 years old, and his early
schooling was scanty and intermittent. He
learned the carpenters trade, and before
long was able to earn good wages. With
this money and his pay for teaching a few
terms In a country school he went to college,
finishing the course at Waynesburg in less
than three years. He was 10 years old when
he graduated. Then he went West to carve
out his career.
He wanted to be lawyer, but he had to
earn money to pay back what he had
borrowed for educational purposes and for
his travelling expenses. For two years he
practced carpentry in Iowa. Then he got
a job on a railroad. At 20 he resigned
Michigan road to take a similar position in
Denver. Before he left he met his future
wife Also, at the station in Chicago. a few
minutes before train time. he met a lawyer,
an old friend OF his father, who gave him
his chance to become lawyer. too. Cum
Minis did not go to Denver He stayed in
Chicago till he was a member OF the bar
of Illinois, then he moved out to Des
Moines and formed a law partnership with
his brother.
Cummins a Cool. Hard Fighter
Cummns went into politics. He ran for a
number of offices and captured a few. He
was good fighter Defeat never daunted
him. 1t was the same way when Cummins.
as a boy, used to drive into the town OF
Carmichaels with his chums to fight the
city boys. Nothing pugnacious about him.
then or now but just y game fighter.
Out in Iowa he won a reputation as one OF
the best lawyers anywhere around and as a
dangerous entrant into the politics of a cor
poration- controlled State Cummins was
elected to the Iowa State Legislature. After
ward he served seven years as Governor.
During that time Iowa adopted a complete
antitrust program. Cummins secured the
passage of such acts as 2-cent fare law.
an anti-paSS law, prlInary-election law
a provision limiting the hours OF work for
railroad employees. a law to prevent corpora
tions from contributing TO campaign funds,
a complementary law, a pure-food law
and a pure-seed law. He vetoed whole lot
of bills emanating from the railroads. Cum
minis had begun his fighting career as a pro-
gressve in politics Today he calls himself
a progressive Republican.
Cummins was a railway attorney when
he began his attempt TO rid Iowa OF railway
domination. His first campaign for Gov
ernor seemed hopeless nd his success at
that time is still talk OF as one OF the
biggest things that ever Mapped in the State
DOns overalls and Jumper
He had come into notice by his work in
brsaking up the barbed-wire trust. This
trust claimed patents on all devices for
making barbed wire. Three men organized
a company and started to manufacture
barbed wire, drawing on themselves. as they
had intended. suit by the trust for in
fringement Of patents They lost the flrst
battle and then engaged cumEnins As their