Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-06-24
POPULIST PLATFORM.
Adopted by the Kansas State Convention
ut Topeka. June 10.


ton for it's patriotic and rigorous de
tense of the rights of the people ane
Its efficient and economical conduct Of
state affairs. We commend the actor
IT Populist members of the last legis
lature in passing laws that have saved
hundreds of thousands of dollars to
the people of Kansas. We also COM
mend the course of our Senator and
Representatives in Congress for their
opposition to the issuance Of interest
bearing bonds and the encroachments
of corporate power upon the rights OF
the people, and their vigilant devotion
to the interests of their constituents.
First, we demand that the initiative
and referendum be embodied in our
state constitution and favor proper
tional representation.
We favor the public ownership of all
public utilities and demand the public
ownership and operation of all mo-
| uopolies.
The state laws regulating the stock
yards charges having been resisted, we
| demand that the state of Kansas shall
| provide adequate market facilities by
purchasing land and constructing nee
essary buildings, yards and other con-
-enionces to furnish the people an
open public market and under such
regulations as will prevent combina-
tion of buyers and commission men
from controlling or regulating prices.
Charges for such services to cover the
.ctual cost of operation and repairs
snly.
We demand that the state of Kansas
shall provide insurance protection,
both fire and life, as Il state function
| at cost.
These demands being in opposition to
| the existing constitution of the state,
we demand constitutional convention
to the end that they may be made eff
| fective, and that other defects that
now exist in our state and constitution
may be remcdied
We demand the enactment of a
freight rate law, giving to court OF
railway commissioners, to be elected
by the people, the power to fix rates
and classifications of railways, and the
further power to compel the railways
to make full reports with reference to
their business.
recognizing the great saving and
benefits to the people from the text
book law passed by Populist legis-
lature and put into operation by Pop
lllist administration, we favor its ex-
tension along the same general lines to
include all text books and school sup
plies as far as possible.
We demand the enactment of labor
laws necessary for the public veal: ~
A law making county clerks offices
free public employment agencies, the
state labor bureau to constitute gen.
eral clearing house for the surplus APP
plications of the counties. (2) A law
making the bureau of labor and indus
trial statistics an independent depart
ment of the state government. (3) A
law completely revising the mining
laws to the end that it may be safer
for the miners to work and more dan
gercus for the operators to disobey.
! (4) A law taxing as costs in actions
for the recovery of wages reasonable
attorneys fee for the collection of the
same and providing that in case of an
employers assignment or insolvency,
wages shall be prior lien to all at
tachments and mortgages. (5) While
the law of 1897, under the operation. of
which all profits accrued to the state
rather than to the middle man under
| the guise of a contractor, was an i'm
provement on the old contract law, we
declare for a law that will confine the
output of the penitentiary mine to the
needs of the state institutions, to the
end that these institutions shall not in
the future be placed at the mercy of
combination of private corporations.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of gold and silver at the ratio
of 16 ounces of silver to 1 of gold, and
the issue of legal tender notes good for
all debts in preference to the issue Of
interest bearing bonds. r-
We oppose the issuance of all bonds,
and we condemn the Republican party
| for it's action in fastening upon the
people large bonded debt, ostensibly
for war revenue, but in reality fofl the
perpetuation of the national banking
| system. flG T.
Resolved That we send to our volun-
teer soldiers our high appreciation of
their patriotic devotion to the country,
and that every facility be extended to
them to YQte at coming elections, and
that their pay be increased to $50
mpnth. ="
We favor. service pensions for all sur
vivors of the Union armies of the civil
war. ,,i lhi
| We demand the immediate suspen-
sion of the metropolitan police system
by the governor, and its repeal by the
legislature.
| We demand the immediate abolition
of the metropolitan police system.
We denounce the Republicansin both
houses of Congress for the unanimity
with which they have followed the
dictates of foreign and domestic bond
| holders in voting against the income