Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-05-30

the full vote of this convention on
all questions which should come up
for disposition. 1t would be neces-
sary, he said, for the convention to
continue it's life until after the COM
pletion of the full ticket. The pop
ulists, if the democratic programme
be carried out, will select candidates
for the remaining places on the
ticket and their action must be rati-
fed by the formal nomination by the
democratic convention of the candi-
dates they select. This action will
make the ticket democratic really
and legally.
Kansas Democratic Platform.
We hereby reaffirm the platform of the
national democratic convention held at
Kansas City in 1900, and the state plat
form of the democratic party of Kansas
adopted at Fort Scott, Kan, in 1900, and
we declare our unfaltering devotion to
the great and abiding principles of Amer
lean democracy. by which alone popular
rights be defended and maintained.
We denounce the trusts. which. under
the protection of the republican party,
are continually growing stronger, more
inSolent and aggressive, and have within
the last few years advanced the cost of
living at least 40 per cent and have lately
made enormous exactions in arbitrarily
fixing the price of food products at
natural figures as tt sOreley Cypress all
persons not in affiuent circumstances.
We remind the voters that we have for
years pointed out these dangers and have
demanded the suppression of these arti-
ficial, unconscionable and monstrous COM
binations which are not only depressing
the present generation, but are threaten
ing to enSlaVe and diSinherit poSterity.
The perfidy of the republican party in
declaring in its platform for an elective
railway commission and then passing
law establishing appointive commits
sion is without a parallel in the history OF
the state and is such an insult to the in
telligence, integrity ard self-respect Of
the people at large as should be resent
ed in no uncertain manner by the voters
of the state, and we favor the election of
railway commissioners by the people
We denounce the action of the last re-
publican legislature in passing cleo
ton law by which of the existing
political parties of this state has been
wholly disfranchised and the right Of the
people to express themselves in I'M
trammeled manner at the ballot box has
been ruthlessly violated and trodden I'M
der foot by a statute at once unconsti-
tutional, revolutionary and Infamous.
The record of the rep blican party of
Kansas shows that thes have always
stood for corporations and trusts, and
against the people. We pledge our can
didates. if elected, to protect the material
and political rights and liberties of the
people, whenever and wherever unjustly
aSSailed by corporate power.
We favor reform in the tax laws of the
state and such changes in the law as
will reach the trusts and monopolies and
give to municipalities the right TO de-
termine to methods of taxation re-
speeding local matters, provided that no
law shall authorize any violation of the
constitution
We stand for the ownership and opera
ton of all public service functions by
and in the interest of the people. Wher-
ever municipal corpora lions inaugurate
efforts to own and operate their own
water or light plants or transportation
facilities, we commend to the voters of
our party the support of such measures
as being in line with the principles of
democracy, and we will welcome the day
when the entire interstate transportation
system of country can be acquired
and operated by the people, thus doing
away with these gigantic monopolieS in
private hands which discriminate unjust
ly between trade centers and constitute
the real basis for the greatest trusts ever
organized.
In the interest of the people, we plead
for a state administration and for a leg
islature free from railroad domination
The proposed republican tax law, which
will be adopted if the next Legislature
is republican, leaves, by command of the
railroads, the valuation of all railroad
| state administration. Attention is called
| to the fact, in this connection, that in
democratic Missouri the Burlington road
pays taxes on a valuation of SD, 225 pei
| mile, while in republican, Kansas it pays
taxes on a valuation of $1,000 per mile:
the Missouri Pacific oil in Missouri,
$7,492 in Kansas; the Rock Island $167Hi
| in Missouri S7,064 in Kansas and the
Santa Fee SIT 057 in Missouri and 6.749 il
Kansas; and that the general valuation
of n
purposes of taxation is 60 per cent. highef
| than the same property is valued in Kar,
saS.
OF all the evils of the railway dis,
criminati ton none are SO insdious, so cor,
| slant and so powerful as the free or com,
| plimentary pass and other like discrin,
| nations among the travelling public,
| There can never be any progress mada
toward correcting the abuses practiced
| by transportation companies until all
| discrimination in pas niger travel is alb
| Solutely abolished
| We therefore demand the immediate
| abolition of the free pass and all other
| like devices.
| democratic members of the national con-
| gress with respect to the duty of the
| government of the United States toward
| the Philippine islands and their people.
| In the interest of the government by the
| people we stand for direct legislation and
| for minority representation in. our legis.
| lature.
| We congratulate the republic of Cuba
| upon her admission to the sisterhood OF
| republics. and we congratulate the United
| States upon the same suspicious event.
| We condemn the official action and
| hypocrisy of the republican state admin
istration for icowardly lodging the pro-
| hibitory question to satisfy the unreaSOn-
| able demands of radical prohibitionists
/ and in making effort to enforce the
| law for the purpose of drawing to their
| support the liquor power outside OF Kan.
| sas and those who violate the law with
| in the state in order TO perpetuate them.
| selves in political and official power.
! We. therefore. believing in the princi.