The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-10


transportation charges put into effect |
by the railroad companies and permit |
ting the interstate commerce commits |
sion on its own initiative to declare a
rate Illegal and as being more than
should be charged for such service. |
That the present law relating thereto
is Inadequate by reason of the fact
that the interstate commerce commits |
sion is without power to fix or in
vestigate rate until complaint has
been made to it by the shipper
We further declare that all agree |
ments of traffic or other associations Of
railway agents affecting Interstate
rates. service or classification shall be
unlawful unless filed with and approved
by the interstate commerce commits |
sion.
We favor enactment of a law giving
to the interstate commerce commission
the power to inspect proposed railroad
tariff rates or schedules before they
shall take effect and, if they be found
to be unreasonable, to initiate an adj
justment thereof. 4
Banking.
The panic of 1907, coming without
any legitimate excuse. when the Re-
publican party had for a decade been
in complete control of the federal gov
eminent, furnishes additional proof
that ii is either unwilling or incompet |
ent to protect the interest of the pub
lie. 1t has SO linked the country to
lators, are visited upon the whole peo-
pie. While refusing to rescue the
wealth produced from spoliation at the
hands of the stock gamblers and spec
ulators in farm products, it has de-
posted treasury funds without interest
and without competition. in favorite
banks. 1t has used an emergency for
which it is largely responsible to force
through congress a bill changing the
basis Of bank currency and inviting
market manipulation. and has failed to
give the Is million depositors of the
country protection in their savings.
We believe that insofar as the needs !
of commerce require an emergency cur |
rency, such currency should be issued, |
controlled by the federal government |
and loaned on adequate security to ma
tional and state banks. We pledge our
selves to legislation under which the
national banks shall be required to es-
tablish a guarantee fund for the prompt |
payment of the depositors of any in
solvent national bank, under an equ1-
table system which shall be available
to all state banking institutions wish |
ing to use it,
We favor a postal savings bank II
the guaranteed bank cannot be secured |
and that it be constituted as to keep
the deposited money in the communi-
ties where it is established. But, we
condemn the policy of the Republican
party in providing postal savings banks
under a plan of conduct by which they |
will aggregate deposits of rural COM
munitieS and redepoSit the same while |
under government charge in the banks
of Wall street, thus depicting the cir
culating medium of the producing re-
gions and unjustly favoring the specu-
latiVe markets. --rI
Income Tax.
We favor an income tax. as part of
our revenue system, and we urge the
submission of a constitutional amend |
ment specifically authorizing congress
to levy and collect tax upon indl-
vidual and corporate incomes, to the
end that wealth may bear its pro- |,
portionate share of the burdens of the
federal government. r. ta
Labor and Injunction.
The courts of justice are the bull
wark of our liberties, and we yield |
to none in our purpose to MAINTAIN
their dignity. Our party has given
to the bench a long line of distin-
guished judges. who have added to
the respect and confidence in which
this department must be jealousy
maintained. We resent the attempt
of the Republicans to raise false
issue respecting the judiciary. 1t is
an unjust reflection upon great
body of our citizens to assume that
they lack respect for the courts. 1t
is the function of the courts to In
terpret the laws which the people
create and if the laws appear to work
tice, it is our duty to change them.
The only basis upon which the in
tegrity Of our courts can stand is
that of answering justice and pro-
lection of life, personal liberty and
property. If judicial processes may
be abused, we should guard them
against abuse.
Experience has proven the neces-
sity of modification of the pres
ent law relating to injunctions and
he MI Of
tional platforms of 1896 and 1904 in
favor of the measure which passed |
the United States senate in 1896, but
which a Republican congress has
ever since refused to enact; relating
to contempts in federal courts and /
providing for trial by jury in cases
of indirect contempt.
Question of judicial practice have
arisen especially in connection with |
industrial disputes. we deem that
the parties to all judicial proceedings |
should be treated with rigid i'm |
partially, and that injunctions should |
not be issued in any case in which |
injunction would not issue if no in
dustrial dispute were involved.
The expanding organization of
industry make it essential that there |
should be no abridgment of the |
right of wage earners and producers
to organize for the protection of
wages and the improvement of labor |
conditions to the end that such la |
Dor organizations and their mem |
bers should not be regarded as illegal |
combinations in restraint of trade
We favor the S-hour day on all !
| government works.
We pledge the Democratic party to
the enactment of law by congress, |
as far as the federal jurisdiction ex-
tends for a general employers
liability act covering injuries to body
| or loss of life of employees.
We pledge the Democratic party
| to the enactment of a law creating a
department of labor, represented
seDarately in the presidents cabinet |