The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-06

! p0OpIe dS d WnOl6.
Currency.
| We believe that there exists an impera-
! tive need for prompt legislation for the
improvement of our national currency
ciaI crises in the last forty years mas
proved that the present method of iSsu-
ing, through private agencies, notes Sc
cured by government bonds is both harm
full and unscientific. This method was
adopted as a means of financing the gov
eminent during the civil war through fur
nishing a domestic market for govern
ment bonds 1t was largely successful in
fulfilling that purpose; but that need Is
! long past and the system has outlived
this feature of its usefulness. The issue
| of currency is fundamentally a govern
mental function. The system to be
adopted should have as its basis princi-
pies soundness and elasticity. The cur
rency should flow forth readily the de-
mand of commercial activity, and retire
as promptly when the demand diminishes.
! 1t should be automatically sufficient for
all of the legitimate needs of business in
means can the country be freed from the
danger of recurring panics. The control
should be lodged with the government,
and should be Safeguarded against ma
nipulation by Wall street or the large in
terests. 1t should be made impossible to
use the machinery or perqulsites of the
poses. The country must be safeguarded
against overexpansion or unjust contrac
ton of either credit or circulating
medium.
Conservation.
There can be no greater issue than that
of conservation in this country. Just as
we must conserve our men, women, and
children, so we must conserve the re-
sources of the land on which they live.
We must conserve the soil that our
children shall have a land that is more
and not less fertile than that our fathers
dwelt in. We must conserve the forests.
not by disuse but by use, making them
more valuable at the same time that
use them. We must conserve the mines.
Moreover we must insure so far as pos
sible the use of certain types of great
natural resources for the benefit of the
people as a whole. The public should not
ALLEVIATE its fee in the water power which
will be of incalculable consequence as
source of power in the immediate future.
The nation and the states within their
several spheres should by immediate leg
islation keep the fee of the water power
leasing its use only for a reasonable
length of time on terms that will secure
the interests of the public Just as tie
nation has gone into the work OF irriga-
ton in the west so it should go into the
work of helping reclaim the swamry
lands of the south. We should undertake
the complete development and control of
the Mississippi as a national work. just
we have undertaken the work of build
ing the Panama canal we can use the
plant, and can use the human ex.
perience, left free by the completion OF
the Panama canal in so developing the
Mississippi as to make it mighty high
road of commerce, and source of fruct-
fication and not of death to the rich and
fertile lands lying along its lower length
lands the reserves of every kind. should
be so handled to be in the interests OF
the actual settler, the actual home-maker-
He should be encouraged TO use them at
once but in such a way as to preserve
and not exhaust them. We do not intend
that our natural resources shall be ex-
nIoited by the few against the interests %
the many, nor do we intend to turn them
over to any man and leave to those who
come after US a heritage damaged by JUST
so much The man in whose interests we
are working is the small farmer and
settler, the man who works with
not only for himself but for his
children and who wishes to leave to
them the fruits of his labor. His per
manent welfare is the prime factor for
in developing the policy Of
for our aim is to preserTc
our natural resources for the pubic as
whole, for the average man and the aver |
age woman who make up the body of the |
American people
Alaska.
Alaska should be developed at once, |
but in the interest of the actual settler |
In Alaska the government has an oppor- |
tunity of starting in what is almost a |
fresh field to work out various problems
by actual experiment The government /
should at once construct own, and OPP |
crate the railways in Alaska. The gov
eminent should keep the fee of all the |
coal fields and allow them to be operated |
by lessees with the condition in the lease
that non-uSe shall operate a forfeit. |
lines should be operated as the |
are. Moreover, it would be well
in Alaska to try a system of land tax
alton which will, so far possible, re-
move all the burdens from those who |
actually use the land, whether for build
ing or for agricultural purposes, and will /
operate against any man who holds the |
land for speculate or derives an income |
from it based, not on his own exertfons,
but on the increase in value due to ac-
tivities not his own. There is very real
need that this nation shall seriously pre-
pare itself for the task of remedying
social injustice and meeting social prob
lens by welI-considered governmental eff
fort; and the best preparation for such
wise action is to test by actual expert
ment under favorable conditions the de-
vices which we have reason to believe will
apply in old settled communities without
experiment
International Affairs.
In international affairs this country
should behave toward other nations eX-
actly as honorable private citizen
behaves toward other private citizens. We
should do no wrong to any nation, weak
Or strong, and we should submit to no |
wrong. Above ALL should never in i
any treaty make any promise which we
10 not intend in good faith to fulfill 1
believe it essential that our small army
should be kept at a high pitch of perfec-
ion, and in no way can it be so damaged
Is by permitting it to become the play
hing of men in congress who wish to
crafty either spite favoritism, or to
secure to localities advantages to which
hose localities are not entitled. The
ldNy SnOuIu De SIedullY OoilI up' anu IhS
process of upbuilding must not be stop
,ed until-and not before-it proves pos
iibIe to secure by International agree
nent a general reduction of ornaments.
The Panama Canal must be fortified. 1t
would have been criminal to build it il
We were not prepared to fortify it and to
leep our navy at such pitch of
as to render it unsafe for any
oreign power to attack US and get con-
roll of it. We have a perfect right to
,erInit our coaStwise traffic with which
here can be no competition by the
merchant marine of any foreign nation
o that there is no discrimination against
my foreign marine) to pass through that {
canal on any terms we choose, and s
personally think that no toll should be :
harged on such traffic. Moreover, in :
ime of war, where all treaties between