The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-05-17
Senior Senator from Iowa Opens His
Campaign for Reelection Before
Large Crowd in First
District.
WHAT HIS BILL DOES
He Accepts Full Responsibility for 1t
and Explains Why He Thinks
It is Best Measure for Help
ing All.

people from Keokuk attended the big
Cummins rally at Winfield Saturday
afternoon and evening, and heard the
senior senator from Iowa plead MS
case before the constituents OF the
first district. Winfield's hospitality
was greatly enjoyed by the local
people, and everyone praised the
Winfield way of entertainment. The
town was decorated appropriately,
and the barbecue. and the meeting
were both well attended.
Senator Cummins in opening his
speech said that he was on trial IN
the most patriotic and intelligent
forum known To the world, the people
of Iowa, assembled for the purpose
of Judging their public servants.
Shall the entire public be made -
suffer. the farmer be deprived OF MS
means Of marketing stock and grain,
the merchant and manufacturer
forced to idleness while two groups,
the managers on one hand and the
employees of railroads on the other
attempt to settle their difference by
the antiquated method OF might and
force? This was the question he put
UP to the people of the first district.
Senator Cummins defended his
course in the drawing of the Escn-
Cummins railroad bill and declared
that opponents of. this bill had de-
ceived the public regarding its cou-
tents
Asserting that the labor unions
were opposing him because of his
support of the bill he declared:
Il ask for no immunity. l ACCEPT
full responsibility. l am here to i'll
dictate the soundness and wisdom OF
this legislation to the people of Iowa
assembled for the purpose of Judging
their public servants.
Will Continue Fight. t
| Samuel Gompers and his followers
are not SO much opposed to the law
as they are to me personally. They
are opposed to me because the bill
which / reported to the senate and
which passed the senate made it un-
lawful to enter into combination or
agreement to prevent the movement
| of trains and the shipment of com.
Imodities in order to settle dispute
as to wages and working conditions.
This provision, however, did not be-
come the law The house of repre-
sentatives would not. accept it. This
did not and ought not, to change the
attitude of the labor unions toward
| me, for I did all could to keep those
provisions in the law. and l intend to
continue my efforts to put them
there so long as l remain in public
life.
Better Way Than Strike.
"The question for the republicans
to-, Lo l.
mary is this, should be retired from
the senate because | believe that
there is better and more just way
ito settle disputes between railway
workers and their employers than
through the strike. which always IN
fiicts upon the innocent millions O.
America, untold loss and suffering,
and which at this moment is destroy
ing not only the commerce or the
country but the strikers themselves!
The Plumb plan-which he called
"unthinkable" and government OWL
ership which, he animated had tallei'
and would continue to fall, were the
alternatives of the railroads, had his
plan failed of adoption, CummlnS
said.
Was Real Meeting.
Great political meetings have been
held before in the many years that
Iowans have met to consider pending
questions, but it is doubtful if ever
before has there been such a meet
ing. The music and the barbecue,
the novel method of ASSEMBLING hun
dreds, from distances that in the days
of former great meetings meant more
than a days travel by road or a
round about trip by steam cars, as
sembIing them in from one to three
hours by motor cars, these things
lent a festive air to the occasion.
But the big, noticeable thing, evident
on all sides was that the people, the
rank and file, are interested in,
vitality interested and determined TO
Judge for themselves the merits II
the issue that has forced itself upon
the American people-the right Of
the great public to be protected from
inconvenience, loss and suffering
while groups of the people settle
their disputes
Farmers Predominant.
AS was TO be expected, by far the
largest number of those gathered a