The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-25

I'll
can party fulnils Victor Huso's defini-
ton OF reaction al q boat rowing up
stream and unaware that the stream
Ess steadily carrying it down With the
current. He declared that Il II be-
cause Of the exiate1oce OF the Rrcgree-
sixe party that woman suffrage exists
in Illinois,. and thia, he HatdsrNtu 90
more to solve the problem Of the MOD
ern city than anything else that could
be devised. He continued:
I'VE Progressives are trying 70 elve
to the plain men and plain women OF
the nation the power to run their own
government. That Is why we are try
ing to secure the initiative, the refer
endum and the recall. Is
1T il idle to say this II an assault
on representative government. On
the contrary, It represents an effort TO
make government really represent
you, then you will never have to use
the initiative, the referendum and the
recall. In such case there can be no
possible objection from any standpoint
to placing these .measures' on the stat
misrepresentative. They won't initi-
ate and enact q law which their rep
resentatives are willing to give them;
only initiate and enact q law
II those who should be their represen-
btatives misrepresent them and deny
them the right to have such law.
They won't refuse by, the referendum
to endorse q law which their repre-
sentatives have passed. unless the So
called representatives have In every
fact proved not to be representatives
Of the people behind them. The ini-
tiative, referendum and recall are
measures to make our government
\ tvp0 " a
representative government. II our OPP
ponents do not believe in democracy
let them say SO frankly; let them say
that the people are incompetent to
govern themselves, and that the boss
acting through the boss-chosen exec
utive, the boss chosen Legislature and
the boss-chosen Judge. shall govern
us: but If they believe we can govern
ourselves then they cannot with good
conscience oppose legislation to reduce
that theory in q downright action.
Representative government gave you
of Illinois Mr.. Lorimer. Representa-
tive government gave you the street
railway systems and gas franchises
which gentlemen such as Messrs
Sherman and Sullivan have at differ
ent stages Of their career supported"
Outlines Program.
Colonel Roosevelt outlined a part OF
the Progressive program as follows:
Effective legislation looking to the
prevention Of Industrial accidents. &C.
cupational diseases, overwork. tnvolun-
tary unemployment, and other injurious
effects incident to modern industry.
THE fixing of minimum safety and
health standards for the various oc-
equations, and the exercise of the pub
lie authority OF state and nation, IN
GLIDING the federal control over inter-
state commerce and taxing power to
maintain such standards. ss9s
1.-THE prohibition Of child labor.
Minimum wage standard for working
women, to provide living scale In all
industrial occupations.
1.-THE prohibition of night work for
women and the establishment OF an
eight hour day for women and young
persons.
zone days rest in seven for all wage
workers. a.
THE eight hour day in continuous
twenty-four hour Industries.
The abolition Of the convict contract
labor system: substituting a system OF
prison production for governmental
consumption only; and the application
of prisoners earnings to the support OF
the dependent fan1flEes. esg
Publicity as to wages, hours and
conditions Of labor: full reports upon
industrial accidents and diseases. and
the opening to public inspection OF all
talhes, weights, measures and check
systems on labor products.
STANDARD OF compensation for death
by Industrial accident and injury and
trade diseases which will transfer the
burden of lost earning from the families
OF working people to the industry and
thus to the community. -. '.sss. ,
Insurance and Trade Schools.
The protection, of home life against
the hazards Of sickness. irregular en-
ployment and old age through the
adoption of a system Of social insuT-
ance adapted to American use.
The development Of the creative: la
Dor power OF America by lifting the
last load of illiteracy from American
schools for industrial education under
public control and encouraging agri-
cultural education and demonstration
in rural schools.
THE establishment of Industrial re-
search laboratories to put the methods
and discoveries Of science at the SER
vice of American producers.
THE organization of the workers.
men and women, as means Of protect
ing their interests and Of promoting
their progress
Continuing he said:
Bit by bit We are battering the vari-
GUS measures to achieve these ends
through hostile legislature. In the end
we shall accomplish all we have thus
outlined. and then we shall go on and
accomplish much more along the same
general lihes''
BOSTON IS BUSY.