Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-09-05
STATE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Adopted at roplsta, Kan... Aug. 81; 1884
RESOLUTIONS.

Kansas, this day In state convention assembled
at Topeka, do hereby subscribe to the time
honored principles of the party as given us by
the national demscratic convention which con-
vened at Chicago on the sth day of July, 1884
We are proud of that grand assemblage of
statesmen, who gave the choice of the
democracy Of this country for president and
vice president Grover Cleveland Of New York
and Thomas A. Hendricks. of Indiana, and we
pledge them our hearty aud undivided support
in the coming election.
Second-The administration of George w
CLICK as governor of this commonwealth, conn
mends itself to every fair-minded citizen with
out respect to party, because ii has been wise,
pure, strong and convincing. The interests of
all our people have been attended to. One mil
lion, two hundred and fifty-nine thousand acres
of land have been reclaimed TO the state, andis
now open for homestead settlement. Large
amounts of railroad lands which have hitherto
escaped county and state taxation have been
placed upon the tax rolls of the various coun-
ties. The rates of fare and freight have been
greatly reduced on all the lines of railroads in
our state The cattle disease, which threaten
ened to paralize the livestock industry of the
state was promptly checked and confidence re-
stored. The pardoning power has been spar
ingiy and wisely exercised, and only where the
sentence was unjust or unusually severe or
where the trial was partial, unfair and not in
accord with the spirit of our constitution and
the recent decisions OF the supreme court
The stream OF immigration which had been
turned from our borders during former adj
ministration has again been restored and ESQ.,
600 Inhabitants added to our population; and,
finally. the giving of majority and minority
representation on the boards of ali the public
institutions of the state, thereby lifting them
above party control and making them public
blessings to all our people.
Third-That constitutional prohibition has
been fruitful of discord, perjury and discrimi-
nation; hGsno lessened the evils of intemper-
ance, but rather destroyed the pure fireside in
fiuences which must ever be the loving power
to control the appetites of the weak and way
ward; that il has never been Endorsed or acqui-
esed in by majority of our people; that il is
an assault upon the personal liberty of the cit
izen; that it has destroyed and literally confs-
Gated private property without compensation
and that il is not in harmony with the spirit of a
free people to dictate to the individual what he
shall eat, drink or wear, or what religion, if any,
he shall profess. In view of the foregoing and
for other reasons, we demand n resubmission of
the prohibitory amendment, and plodgo our
selves to work increasingly for this object We
demand repeal of the present obnoxious and
u ljust law for the enforcement of prohibition,
and in its stead well regulated license system
rigidly enforced, whereby the interests of true
temperance may be promoted and the liberty
of the citizen restored. And we reiterate the
views of your worthy candidate for president
in his letter of acceptance, THAT laws unneces
sarily interfering with the habits ahd customs
of any of the people which are not offensive to
the moral sentiments of the civilized world,
and which are consistent with good citizenship
| and the public welfare, are unwise and vexa-
tious"
Fourth-We congratulate the people of the
state on the successful establishment by law of
a board of railroad commissioners with statu-
| tory enactments for their guidance, the neces-
sity for which was clearly presented to the peo-
| pie by George w. Click i'm his canvass for gov
crnor, and in his inaugural message to the leg
islature. As n result, the railroad charges for
! transportation of passengers and freight have
| been materially reduced in the past year, there
| by saving 10 the people of the state several
million Of dollars, and guaranteeing to the pro
Queer and the shipper unchsnging tariffs for
the transportation of future products.
Where the railroads of the state have yielded
obedience to this law, and have modified their
charges in harmony with its provisions, ii should
| be accepted by the people an act of good
faith on theirpart, and entities them to Just and
impartial treatment by our legislature as indus
| tries of incalcuble value to the state. And we
demand such additional legislation as raay be
necessary TO do exGct justice between the rail
roads and the people
Fifth-The good work of restoring the public
lands the state for homestead settlement be con
! tlnned until the last aero Is recovered; aud thai
corporations and foreign powers be not permit
ted to acquire and fence in tracts of land to the
| injury of the settlers
Sixth-That all public lands of the United
States wherever situated, should be opened Il
| actual settlement, and we are therefore in fav
or Of opening up for occupancy by actual set
tiers, all such lands now comprised within tn,
boundaries of the Indian Territory, and we en-
phatically denounce as unjust and outrageOu
the arrest and removal of actual settlers from
such lands by United States troops. The con
tinuous refusal by the United States govern
ment to permit the question i'm relation to it'll
to lands located in the so-called Indian Terrific
ry, to be decidedly the United States courts, il
an outrage upon the rights of all citizens, an,
a cowardly evasion of a direct call 10 answer
question of vital importance to such citizens.
Seventh-That the laboring classes requir
the fostering care of our legislature, and tn
protecting hand of official power in their strug
gle for "hfe, liberty and the pursuit of happi
ness" This we pledge to them now in the spiri
of pure democracy, which has ever been tn
friend of labor; and that we denounce and vii
oppose the importation of foreign pauper labo
under contract to compete with our citizens
Dor as being I'm opposition to the free labor o
our country.
Eighth-That we respectfully invite the &C
| operation OF all good citizens. without respec
To party, who can give hearty Endorsement
this our platform of principles touching tn
questions involved between the political parte
| in our state.