Is Gov. Cummins A Real Reformer?

IS GOV. CUMMINS A REAL REFORMER?

Governor Cummins, of lowa, before the reciprocity convention, took strong ground in favor of tariff revision. Tariff reform is something this country needs and needs badly in the interest of justice, fairness and a more liberal spirit in keeping with the progress of the nation in other respects. The tariff policy of this county today is a grab policy. Our tariff schedules are built up just the same as the appropriations in river and harbor bills are constructed and enacted. The pork and a "judicious" placing of the same is all there is to it.

The position of Governor Cummins is interesting at this time because of element that is back of him in demanding tariff reform. There is a powerful element in the republican party of Iowa which stands back of the able and popular governor of this radical republican state. This indicates that there is an element among the republicans that is not wholly given over to the flesh pots of the extreme protection policy now in operation. The governor desires to have a tariff constructed which will safeguard the highest interests of the entire country, he desires that this policy be made national, not local as it always has been. The greediness and selfishness of individual interests have always made the tariff what General Hancock declared it to be. Gov. Cummins would make it national in order to constitute a basis upon which to operate in negotiating reciprocity treaties. We cannot hope to establish fair trade relations with other countries so long as we continue to be so unjust, unfair and illiberal with our tariff regulations among our own people. Because the same narrowness and greed are bound to come to the surface in an aggravated form in our trade dealings with outside peoples.

But just how far Gov. Cummin is prepared to go in his advocacy of his national tariff policy and fair trade propositions with other countries, does not yet appear from his utterances. He is ready to fight for tariff reductions on those articles which the people of Iowa have little concern about except as consumers, iron and steel products, for instance. There are tens of thousands of others like him to this respect. In fact it may be said that all consumers, as consumers, are like him. But Gov. Cummins has not yet indicated that he will stand for this idea when it touches the special products of his own state which are so liberally "porked" in the present tariff schedules. We have not heard of his advocating the removal of any portion of the tax on beef for instance. The good governor must hit the beef tax just as he does the coal, iron and steel tax, if he is to be a real reformer. If he can live politically in Iowa under the advocacy of such a liberal policy, one that hits the specially favored interests of his own state just as he proposes to hit those of Pennsylvania, then he may be classed as a real reformer.