The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-03

which department shall be included
the subject of mines and mining
We pledge the Democratic party, so
far as the federal jurisdiction exists,
to an employees compensation law
providing adequate indemnity for in
jury to body or loss of life
Conservation.
We believe in the conservation and
the development for the use of all OF
the people of the natural resources or
the country. Our forests, our sources
of water supply, our marble and our
mineral lands, our navigable streams
and all the other material resources
with which our country has been so
lavishly endowed constitute the foun-
dalton of our national wealth. Such
additional legislation as may be neces-
sary to prevent their being wasted or
absorbed by special or private inter
ests, should be enacted and the policy
of their conservation should be rigidly
adhered to
ministered and disposed of with due
regard to the general welfare, reserva-
tions should be limited to the purposes
which they purport to serve and not
extended to include land wholly un-
suited therefor. The unnecessary
withdrawal from sale and settlement
of enormous tracts of public land upon
which tree growth never existed, ana
cannot be promoted, tends only TO re-
tara development, create discomfort
and bring reproach upon the policy OF
NN--~
conservation.
The public land laws should be adj
rninistered in a spirit of the broadcast
liberality toward the settler exhibiting
a bona fide purpose to comply there
with, to the end that the invitation OF
this government to the landless should
be as attractive as possible; and the
plain provisions of the forest reserve
act permitting homestead entries to be
made within the national forests should
MOI be nullified by administrative regu-
atoms which amount to a withdrawal
of great areas of the same from settle
Inent.
Immediate action should be taken by
congress to make available the East
and valuable coal deposits of Alaska
under conditions that will be perfect
guaranty against their falling into the
hands of monopolizing corporations,
associations or interests.
We rejoice in the inheritance of min
eral resources runequalled in extent,
variety or value. and in the develop
ment of a mining industry unequalled
in it's magnitude and Importance. We
honor the men who in their hazardous
toll underground daily risk their lives
in extracting and preparing for our
use the products of the mine, so essen
tiaI to the industries, the commerce
and the comfort of the people of this
country and we pledge ourselves to the
extension of the work of the bureau of
mines in ever way appropriate for ma
tional legislation with a view of safe
guarding the lives of the miners lessen
ing the waste of essential resource and
promoting the economic development of
mining, which along with agriculture
must in the future even more than in
the past serve as the very foundation
of our national prosperity and welfare
and our international commerce
Agriculture.
We believe in encouraging the devel-
opment of a modern system of agri-
culture and a systematic effort to i'm
prove the conditions of trade in farm
products so as to benefit both the con-
Gent means to this end we favor the
enactment by congress of LEGISLATION
that will suppress the pernicious prac-
tice of gambling in agricultural prod.
ucts by organized exchanges or other
wise.
We believe in fostering by constitu.
tional regulation of commerce, the
growth of merchant marine which
shall develop and strengthen the COM
mercial ties which bind us to our sis
ter republics of the south, but without
additional burdens upon the
people and without bounties or subsi
dies from the public treasury. We
urge upon congress the speedy enact
ment of laws for the greater security
of life and property at sea and we
FAVOR the reDeaI OIL all laws and the
of so much of our treaties
with other nations as provide for the
arrest and imprisonment of seamer
charged with desertion or with viola
ton of their contract of service. Such
laws and treaties are unAmerican. and
violates the spirit, if not the letter of
the constitution of the United States
We favor the exemption from tolls of
American ships engaged in coastwis
trade passing through the Panama ca
nal.
We also favor legislation forbiddinf
the use of the Panama canal by ships
owned or controlled by railroad car
riers, engaged in transportation COM
petitiVe with the canal.
Pure Food and Public Health.
We reaffirm our previous declara-
lions advocating the union and
strengthening of the various govern
mental agencies relating to pure foods
health. Thus united and administered
without Partially to or discrimination
against any school of medicine or sys-
tenn of healing, they would constitute
a single health service not subordinate
ed to any commercial or financial in
terests but devoted exclusively to the
conservation of human life and eff
cheney. Moreover, this health service
should cooperate with the health
agency of our various states and cities
without interference with their pre-
negatives or with Ehe freedom of in |
dividuals to employ such medical or
hygienic aid as they may see fit.
Civil Service Law.
The law pertaining to the civil SER |
vice should be honestly and rigidly en-
forced to the end that merit and Gbil- |
ity shall be the standard of appoint |
ment and promotion rather than SER
vice rendered to a political party and
we favor reorganization of the civil
service with adequate compensation