The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-03
JOHNSON SPEECH
Californian Talked During
Thunder Storm.
Crowd at Garfield Labor Picnic
Driven to Casino.
BUT THEY ENJOYED SPEECH
Musty Records of Old Parties;
SpIendOr of New.
Candidate for Vice President
Worthy of Place With 7. r.

candidate for vice president, talked TO
a crowd of nearly 1.5OO people Mon
day afternoon johnson hammered
the old line parties and displayed
the dreams, the hopes and the
promises of the new party in all its
splendor
On the platform in the casino, safe
from the drenching rain, stood the
man who a few hours before had call
ed on the gods to witness that Kansas
was the driest, drouthiest busiest
and hottest spot beyond the Saharas.
And now the Progressive leader was
to reap his reward in vengeance of the
elements, and in a storm which caused
hundreds of people to avoid trip to
the park to hear the California re-
former.
johnson possesses the trait of being
able to fearlessly walk into the camp
of the enemy and speaking aloud his
thoughts. AS he viewed the musty
record of the old parties. Johnson's
face cIouded with disgust and con-
tempt. Then he told the crowd in the
casino of the real work that the new
party planned, declared their promises
were not visionary, but were builded
on a rock and would give the relief
that the old parties had so often
promised and often forgotten.
For u Better Government.
I'VE are beginning to realize that
government is for some other purpose
than to make man richer said John
SON. it is to make them better. The
DOl1LlCaI T6NOIuI1On Is on am SlaQ
that the time is now here when we
talk of social and economic JUS
tice.
TT is a basic fundamental that the
richness of any nation is its humanity
Today there is a great awakening
broader vision opens up before the
men and women of this country To-
day the separate men and women who
have been devoting themselves for
years to the efforts to uplift their fell
low men are welded together in a
homogeneous whole to fight for the
same end in the entire nation. At
least we are fighting something else
than q sham battle. At last has come
our turn to do something at large.
TT is true that this movement has
arisen from a conjunction of affairs
at Chicago, when we turned sickened
from corrupt trickery.
This new movement is not politics.
in reality, but ethics. We have at
last recognized the fact that when
man shuts the door on a winters night
not all of the world is warm. The up
lift is for the entire nation.
Labor has asked fc- many things in
the PAST. most of them absolutely just.
In California the fight has been fought
and we realize that every class is en-
titled to absolute justice.
There are those who are forever
in the Hmelight, who are always OBJ
served, whose contributions to society
are known and recognized. But down
in the dirt and dust are those who
are performing just as dutifully the
same obligations to society," whose con-
tributions to society are none the less
real.
Favors Beneficial Tariff
1--WE Progressives stand for a pro-
tective tariff, but not for the purpose
of building a wall to protect certain
interests. We favor a protective tariff
that will put the benefits into the
pay envelopes of the Iaborers and the
pockets of the farmers and horticul-
turists. We do not believe in the kind
of protection which was revealed by
the textile strike in Massachusetts,
The Progressive party has adopted
6 covenant with the people which will
not be broken under any circumstan-
ces. That you may understand some
thing of this platform I will call your
attention to a few Of the things which
we have enunciated.
I'VE demand the absolute prohibition
of child labor.
Give Women a Chance.
1--WE ask that all women of the ma
ton be permitted to participate in
public affairs, the same as in Calffor-
mia and a number of other states. We
hold that the working women should
be paid a living wage, enough to en-
able them to live dccently in this land
of ours. and the hours of labor women
shall be limited. In 1911 the legisla-
ture of California passed a bill limit
ing the hours of labor for women
While 1t was in my hands my Office
was flooded with petitions requesting
me not to sign it. All the women en-
gagged in some industries signed long
petitions protesting against the bill,
and the next day after getting this
HIND Of petitions usually got many
confidential letters from many of the
same women asking me to sign the
bill and declaring it to be the best
law ever passed in the interests of
women. I asked Il friend in business
what effect the law would have. He
told me hit sign it with impun
and that it would not harm anyone,
that the industries affected would re-
adjust themselves to it and that the
increased expense would be borne by
the public and not by the industries
1t became a. law, and there hasn't been
sny harm to business resulting from
it 1t would be bold legislature that
would consider repeating it now.
I'VE ask one days rest in seven in
all industries; no particular day, Blu,
that all men may have one days rest
in every seven for hygienic reasons
I'VE ask the abolition of the convict
contract labor system.
I'VE ask full publicity as to wages
and hours of labor.
"A workmen's compensation law is
also a part of our platform.
New Party Worthy of Trust.
No other party than the Progress
sive party offers any such covenant !
or makes any such promises. The Ia
these questions, but there is also in
terested in them every citizen VINO |
values his citizenship. The only pre-
ventive of socialism and antidote for /
anarchy is a sound progressiveness in |
the government.
ITO this movement we ask the CO. |
operation of all men and of all wo-
men. It's call many of US have wait |
ed for for many years, and it's a de- |