The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-25

Garner, and by increasing the cost of
foreign markets.
This plank is also evasive. The tariff
revision must be reasonable. What
party ever advocated what it believed
to be unreasonable on any subject? The
duties on raw material must not be
needless duties. What party ever adj
mitted that it put needless duties on
anything? This plank justifies the
criticism of one of the leading Repub-
lican papers of the west, which sa $
that the platform does not even dare
to recommend the abandonment of Re
publican doctrine of protection of home
industries which had been fondly sup
posed by the old fashioned Jeffersonian
fellows to be about the only thing the
party dared to chfrp about at St LOUIS.
/ The eighth plank is as follows:
" The maintenance of state rights
and home rule: no centraliZatiOn.'
Nov here is plank that is a
model of obscurity and brevity. Only
ten words in the plank To what issue
is it to be applied How is it to be
construed? The ninth plank reads:
g Honesty in public service; vigil
lance in the prevention of fraud; firm
ness in the punishment of guilt, that
detected
"As President Roosevelt prides him
self upon his enthusiastic advocacy of
honesty in the public service, and as
mis- friends boast of his vigilance in
the prevention of fraud and his firm
mes in the punishment of guilt, that
plank might be regarded as an in
dorsement of him but for the fact that
it is contained in a platform that sug-
gests a candidate to oppose him. The
tenth plank reads:
g The impartial maintenance of the
rights Of labor and of capital; no I'M
equal discrimination: no abuse of the
powers of law for favoritism or op-
preston
Senator Allen has a reputation of
being able to walk on eggs without
breaking them. and this plank. if it
appeared anywhere else than in a
tributed to him. for it is about as nice
a piece of balancing as has appeared
in many day The party stands
'imDartialIY' between labor and ca n
ital. If any discrimination is made it
must not be an unequal discrimina-
ton That is. if the party discrimi-
mates in favor of one side. it must
offset it by an equal discrimination in
favor of the other side. There must
be no abuse of the powers of the law
either for favOritism or oppression.
Why this prodigality in the use of
type2 If the convention had said
that it was in favor of doing right as
between capital and labor the plank
would have been just as clear and Just
as useful as a guide for the party. In
fact the whole platform is so nom
committal, so absolutely colorless and
so capable of being construed in any
way that I'VE will do right would have
answered as wei for the whole plat
form. A Republican could run on
that platform and after the election
construe it as an Endorsement of every
policy for which the Republican party
stands, or at least he could find moth
ing in that platform that would re-
buke him fer doing anything that
Republican might want to do
What are the issues before the
country The trust question is GER
tainly an issue, and yet there is moth
ing in that platform that gives any
encOurag cement to the opponents of
trusts There is not a word or syl-
liable that binds a person elected on
the trusts are unwilling to have done.
The Kansas CITY platform stated the
party position on the trust question.
but the New York platform not only
fails to inGorse the last national plat
form, but also fails to propose any
definite or positive plan of relief
Imperialism is an issue. Our gov
eminent is now administering a colo
NAL policy according to the political
principles employed by George III a
century and a quarter ago. and yet
there IS not in this platform a single
word relating to the question of i'm
perialisn, not a plank that defines the
party's position on that subject, not
protest against the surrender of the
doctrines of f-government The
Kansas City platform stated the
party's opposition to a colonial policy,
but the New York platform not only
fails to lndOrse the Kansas City plat
form, but fails to take any position at
all on this important question
1.-THE labor question is an issue. The
laboring men have been before the
committees of congress endeavoring
to secure three important measures
One IS the arbitration of differences