The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-26
ALL IS HARMONY.
Not Ripple at the Democratic
Party Council.
Platform Adopted Entire With
out a Fight.
A TEXT BOOK PLANK.
Mrs. Burton Secures One Pro-
viding for State Publication.
j. 1. Sheppard's Track Main
tenance Measure Adopted.

With the adoption of the platform
late last evening and round of
speeches the Democratic party council
came to final adjournment. with
three cheers Bryan. Botkin and Far
reilly.
The party council which took an adj
5ournment at O'Clock until O'Clock
reassembled at the latter time to re-
ceive the report of the various COM
mfttees which had been appointed:
Credentials-First, Frank S. Thorn
as. Shawnee: Second, 4. A. Milton:
Third. ID. J. Sheedy. Wilson; Fourth,
II. Swan, Cottonwood Falls; Fifth,
John w. Burke; Sixth. j. c. Eresch,
Mitchell; seventh, w. A. Austin, Reno,
and Eighth. l.. G.. Criner, Mcpherson.
Permanent organization-First. F.
NJ. Pearl. Hiawatha: Second. A. F.
Hatten. Anderson; Third. G. w. Spen-
Ger; Sedan; Fourth; F. J. Fry; Fifth
John Callahan: Sixth, John Ashcraft;
Seventh. ]. NJ. Mccoy. Pawnee. and
Eighth Rufus Cone Sedgwick.
Resolutions-First Grant Harring-
ton. Brown; Second, b. j. Sheridan,
Miami; Third Moses H. Householder
Cherokee: Fourth. W. II. Carpenter,
Marion; Fifth, Samuel Clark, Wash
ington; Sixth. Fred Robertson. Raw
Inns; Seventh. d. G. Luse, Barton, and
Eighth. Ed Y. Hackney, Sumner
OF these the most important was
that of the committee on resolutions
which had the formation of the plat
form in charge.
Tho committee on credentials.
Frank 4. Thomas, chairman, filed a
written report approving the long list
of names of the candidates eligible to
participation in the party council
The committee on permanent organ
ization suggested that the temporary
officers of the council. Thomas Nor
gan OF Ottawa. chairman and w. H. L.
Pepperill. of Concordia, secretary be
made the permanent officers and the
council accepted the recommen dation
viva voce.
Then the resolutions committee re-
port was expectantly received. No one
answering the call OF the chairman for
the committee. a message was dis
patched asking when a report would
be received from the committee. In
the interim Hugh F,arrelly nominee
for United States senator and J. d.
Botkin, nominee for governor were
called on to address the waiting DEM
ocrats. Upon the conclusion of the
speeches the resolutions committee
phoned to the roof garden that they
would be unable to conclude their de-
liberations until o'clock at the ear
lest. A motion was then carried call
ing for an adjournment until O'Clock
reconvened to receive the platform.
Eight of the seventeen planks of the
platform are identical with that
adopted by the state convention at
Hutchinson on February 81, 1908, this
was prior to the adoption of the state
primary law. The enactment of that
law undid the work OF the party con-
vention and substituted that of the
party council. A new platform there
fore had to be adopted
Other planks follow the trend closely
of the national platform adopted at
Denver but sandwiched in with these
two adoptions of other platforms are
the planks covering promise to cor
rect the present tax law placing more
OF the burden upon corporations and
less on real estate, maintenance of
the present standard of wages of rail-
road employees in the state except up
on approval of the state board of rail.
road commissioners, the publication by
the state of school books. and proper
maintenance of railroad equipment and
property.
The former of the last two marks
the handiwork of Mrs. Ella G.. Burton,
who can always be counted on to lay
a firecracker right close to where the
book trust" is reclining Mrs Ella
Burton, by the way, was the sole wo-
man in the party council. being the
nominee for state superintendent of
public instruction. She had the plank
drawn up and though several of
the leaders at first demurred, Mrs.
Burton bested them and. won out.
The last plank was adopted by the
work of ]. /. Sheppard of Fort Scott,
whose charges against the Missouri
Pacific for laxity in maintenance of it's
property, especially the tracks and
bridges. resulted In the investigation
conducted by the board of railroad
commissioners.
Representatives from wyandotte
county insist that the railroads and
packing industries are not paying their
full share of taxes in that county and
acting upon the statements made by
provision was made for promise to
seek a revision of the state tax law
which would result in an adjustment.
The whole platform received the
hearty appreciation of the 200 gathered
and the reading of each individual sec
tion was punctured with applause
Platform as Adopted.
The platform follows:
We. the Democrats of Kansas. as
sembled in party council do hereby re-
new our faith in and pledge our sup
port to the principles of the Demo
cratic party as enunciated in our plat
form adopted at Denver in July. 1908
We recognize in w. j. Bryan and
John w. Kern, able and earnest ex.
ponents Of the doctrines enunciated
in that platform, and we pledge to then
the electoral vote of Kansas.
We reaffirm our position taken ir
1906 for the enforcement of law and
pledge the people of Kansas that ne
backward steps shall be taken by the
Democratic party.
We pledge the people of Kansas thai
we will enact a bank guaranty Law
that will make absolutely safe every
dollar of money deposited in a STATE
bank. Such guaranty to be under tn.
and SnnarViSyOn 20 "a
We condemn the last Republican leg
islature for it's failure to enact such &
law.
We favor the nomination of candi.
dates by the direct primary system
but would simplify and cheaper tn,
present system and amend 1t so as I,
preserve the secrecy Of the ballot.
Railroads should be nperated for tn.