The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-02
TAKE THE MINES.
N. Y.DemOcrats For Government
Ownership of Coal Fields.

lated in years.
The declaration regarding national
ownership of anthracite mines is as fell
lows:
I'VE advocate the national ownership
and operation of the anthracite coal
mines by the exercise of the right of
eminent domain with just compensation
to owners. Ninety per cent of the an
thracite coal deposits of the world being
in the state of Pennsylvania, national
ownership can but be in the interest of
the whole people.
Fuel, like water. being a public ne
cessity, we advocate national ownership
and operation of the mines as a solu-
ton of the problem which will relieve
the country from the sufferings which
follow differences between labor and
capital in the anthracite mines. This
course will insure peace in the mining
regions and remove the cause for diff
ferences leading not only to sufferings,
but ofttimes to bloodshed and insur-
rection.
1T will relieve the consumers of coal.
not only in this state. but throughout
the whole country: insure steady en-
ployment and ample compensation to
labor; transfer children from the mines
to the schools: insure. strengthen and
preserve the stability of the business in
terests and popular institutions of our
country. Whatever differences of opin-
ion may exist over other propositions of
public ownership. the propriety of that
policy as applied to anthracite coal
mines must be apparent to every citi-
zen."
Other planks devoted to national top
les were as follows:
I'VE believe with Jefferson in COM
mercial freedom. Tariff taxation, like
all other taxation. should be limited to
the necessities of the government econ
Omically administered. 1t should be i'm
posed for public objects only and never
for private purposes. 1t is not the pro-
vince of the government to abuse the
power of taxation by enriching the few
at the expense of the many. Protection
to the consumers from unjust tariff ex-
actions is therefore protection which the
people demand. and the manufacturers
of the country require relief from i'm
posts upon their raw materials that. by
increasing the cost of their product,
thwart their efforts to enter foreign
markets.
when tariffs are not needed for reve-
nue., they should be eliminated and
thereby extend and promote our market
abroad. The policy of reciprocity in
trade is the traditional Democratic pol
icy and is in harmony with the spirit of
the times
THE period of exclusiveness is past
The expansion of our trade and COM
merce is the pressing problem. The i'm
mediate revision of the tariff is the SUI
preme duty of the hour.
I'VE are opposed to any system of tax
alton that raises hundreds of millions OF
dollars more than is necessary to pay
the expenses of the government. ana
locks the same in the vaults of the treas
ury, thereby contracting the circulating
medium of the country that is needed
by the people in the transaction of their
business, creating a stringency in the
financial condition of our country and
compelling merchants and manufac-
turers to pay exorbitant rates of in
terest
THE Democratic party is opposed to
the gigantic corporate. combines COM
monty known as trusts, which practical
ly establish monopolies, destroy compe-
tition, control the raw material and in
crease the price of finished products
thus injurfously affecting both producer
and consumer; they lessen the employ
ment of labor, arbitrarily fix the terms
and conditions thereof, and deprive in
dividual energy and small capital of
their opportunity for betterment They
effectually appropriate the fruits of in
dustry to the good of q few thousands
people, thus creating wealth in limited
classes rather than in the masses of our
citizenship. We especially condemn. the
beef and coal trusts which have unrea-
sonably raised the price of meat and
coal to an extent which threatens the
improvement and lives of the people.
These trust evils are the legitimate
production of the Republican policies.
and excused. apologized for, defended
and protected by Republican admins
trations in return for campaign sub
scription and political support.
I'VE promise the people relief from
the exorbitant prices of the necessaries
of life and from the abnormal and fllegit-
innate increase in the present cost of liv-
ing and particularly occasioned by the
trust exactions. Existing law against
trusts must be enforced, more stringent
ones must be enacted, reasonable lini-
tations and restrictions should be i'm
posed upon the extent to which wealth
shall be permitted to combine and vir-
tually mOnOpOliZe any branch of indus
try or the production of any article of
mercantile; and the Whole constitutional
power of congress over the subject of
taxation, interstate commerce, the mails
and all means of interstate communal
ment of comprehensive laws and the
vast legislative powers of the states
shall be invoked to the end that the peo-
pie may have adequate relief from pres
ent intolerable trust conditions. And
as another means of immediate and
practical alienation the present Repub-
lican tariff laws should be amended by
putting those products of trusts which
are essential to the life, comfort and
necessities of the people upon the free
list and thereby prevent the further
continuance of monopoly under the plea
of protection
1--WE reiterate. that provision of the
national Democratic platform which de-
clares that we condemn the Dingley
tariff law as a trust breeding measure
sl1ilfully devised to give to the few
favors which they do not deserve and to
place upon the many burdens which
they should not bear
THE Republican party confesses itself
unwilling or incompetent to deal with
this problem. Its national and state
platforms contain cunningly devised
phrases, which, however, scarcely concea.
the insincerity of their pretensions and
are only designed to still further deceive
and mislead the people and postpone the
relief which they demand, while the diff