The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-07
SOME PLATFORM PLANKS.

In some respects the most important
feature OF the Republican state platform
is the declaration relating TO freight
rates, as follows:
1--WE insist that the great transportation
| companies which derive their corporate ex-
| istence from Kansas laws and their Imam
| cial existence from Kansas trade and com
merce, owe to the people of Kansas TAR,
| equitable and honest treatment III the
| matter of freight rates; and we are op'
posed to the inequitable and oppressive
discrimination in the adjustment or such
Rates by said corporations, whereby the
| merchants. shippers and consumers OF
other states are enriched at the expense
and to the injury of the people of Kansas,
and we demand of the next legislature the
utmost diligence in enacting appropriate
| legislation providing a remedy therefor,
to the end that the agricultural, mercan-
| tile and other interests of Kansas shall be
placed on a footing Of equality, so far as
freight rates are concerned, with the Ike
interests in adjoining states"
This is exactly what the people IN
nearly every county of Kansas believe
in, and what they want.
The so-called "women suffrage plank
is simply this:
the people of an amendment to the constl-
tuition eliminating athe disqualification of
sex in the enjoyment Of the elective fran
chise."
This does not in any way commit the
party to the doctrine of women suffrage,
to which, as a matter Of fact, a large
number of Republicans are radically op-
posed. 1t is simply the doctrine Of re-
submission. The plank is nothing more
than statement that Republicans are
willing to let the people vote on the
question; and when they do vote on it
we may be certain it will be settled
right.
There is no endorsement of prohibit
ton in the platform. As a settled policy
of the state the only reference to the
subject is in the following plank which
demands the enforcement of all laws:
1.-THE Republican party is the party of
law and order and it demands of all pub
lie servants in city, county, and state, the
full, vigorous and manly enforcement OF
every provision of the constitution and
every law upon the statute books, inciud-
ing those enacted for the enforcement or
the prohibitory amendment"
1t simply indicates that Republicans
while they may differ as to the wisdom
of prohibition that they are in favor Of
the enforcement of it and all other laws.
There was Il strongly organized move
ment to insert plank endorsing prohi-
bition as the settled policy of Kansas,
but the convention finally agreed upon a
plank on which all Republicans can
stand without in any way sacrificing
their individual views as to the merit or
dement's of prohibition.
Another plank of great practical i'm
portance is the following:
I've favor the complete revision of the
laws relating to assessment and taxation,
to the end that all property, real and per-
sOnal, shall bear its just proportion OF the
public burdens; and we believe that sound
business pTinci pies demand that all prop
erty be assessed at its actual value"
The platform is the shortest document
of the kind adopted for years by any
state convention. 1t is just one-third as
long as the platform adopted two years
ago which contained enough planks
upon every conceivable subject to build
a convention wigwam. The chairman
of the committee was Hon. S. B. War
rem of Emporia, and there was upon the
committee a representative of each of
the thirty-five judicial districts in the
state,