Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-03-08
CUMMINs ACCOMPLISHMENT.

day the congress OF the United Stat
es enacted a railroad law which Will
bear his name and which will stand
out In the history OF a democracy aS
monument or mile stone ~ pro
gress. It was compromise. as all
important laws are, and is not as
tried to make 1t but II will mark the
beginning of a great accomplishment
in self government which will be
awarded toward the senator's pur-
pose as the future develops It's wis
dom. The welfare OF all the people
hencetorth is TO he made paramount
to the self interest Of q few people
who happen to be employed in
public service and who are organic
ed for private gain.
Senator Cummins began his public
service twenty-five years ago as
vigorous champion of the great is
sue of that day; the right OF govern
ment to regulate private property
then known as big business when
ever the power of its organization
became an enemy TO the public well
fare. Then Cummins was known as
a radical and a reformer. Union labor
and the average man were with him
because he fought the fight Of the
public against organized privilege.
Cummins carried an honorary card
in the carpenters union. "a trade at
which ne had worked in his youth.
and for three successive terms he
was elected governor of our state
using his influence always for the
public welfare and for most OF the
things desired by union labor. He
worked by the roadside and was the
friend of man.
Then he went to the United States
senate over the opposition Of big
business where he became national
ly known as man OF great intel
lect and an expert upon railway law
ard railway problems. 1t was Cum
Minis who put into statute the most
important provision that a railroad
company must obtain the consent OF
the interstate commerce commits
sion before II raises its rates. Before
that railroads would boost their rates
their rates and then fight
the shippers as hong as they
could make their lawsuits last.
Today Senator Cummins Is the
president protein OF the United
| States senate chosen almost UNI
animously by his colleagues and
chairman of its committee upon in
terstate commerce. I
He has seen the power Of organic
ed labor in the railway service grow
until it threatens to paralyze all
other business even to starve the
populations Of our cities and towns.
He has seen the government Of Eng
! land forced to come to the public
! rescue in time Of railroad strike. He
has seen a coal miners union close
down factories which threw other
| laborers out OF work threatening to
/ freeze the population. He has seen
! that the hour has arrived in a great
! democracy for the whole people to
regulate organized labor as 1t has
regulated big business. He proposed
a government tribunal to fix wages
! as the interstate commerce com
mission now fixes rates. He plan
ned by law to prohibit strikes in
the railway service. He got the trib-
unal with power to fix wages and
legal compulsion TO submit to ar
bitration but he failed to have the
strike made an illegal conspiracy
against the public v elfare. He will be
condemned by labor radicals as he
was condemned by big business but
he is right now as he was then and
he has the quits to fight for what he
knows TO be right.