The Alaska daily empire., 1914-09-15
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM


 Adopted at Skagway, Aug. 1, IA.
 We congratulate the people of AL aska upon the advent to power of the Democratic Party under the splendid and inspiring leadership of President Woodrow Wilson and the great men he has summoned to his Cabinet.
 In the nation at large, 1t has re- deer..ed every pledge made in the platform adopted at Baltimore in 1912; has freed industry from the
 domination of special interests; brought independence and prosperity to tre people as whole, in spite of the utmost efforts of the great cor porate and financial interests of Wall Street to precipitate panic for poll. tical purposes; has abandoned the Dollar Diplomacy of proceeding ad- minlstrations and with patience and wisdom guided the country through trying and vexatous foreign compli- cations into the ways O. righteous ness and peace.
 And of far more immediate concern to us, 1t has struck of the shackles which so long bound and restricted this Territory and has at last set Al. askG on the high road toward the de- velopment of rich, prosperous, hap py and contented commonwealth.
 This development is not only al- ready in full swing at many points in the Territory, but from Cape Fox to Point Barrow, and from the Gulf of Alaska to the Frozen Ocean the Wilson Administration has infused every town and camp with the spirit of hope and confidence in the future.
 The Democratic Party of Alaska, in convention assembled. therefore pled- ge5 itself and its candidate for dele gate to Congress to cooperate with the National Administration in securing the following beneficial legislation:
 1. An amendment 10 the Organic Act, so that in the words of the Presi. dent, Alaska may have a full Terri torial form of government" enlargipg the powers of the Territorial Legis. lature to every needful subject of leg islation not of strictly national char. acter.
 2. The construction of the trpnk lines of railroad from tidewater to the great interior basins. preliminary surveys for which are already under way.
 3. The creation of an Admiristra tive Development Board, to be com posed of bona fide residents of Alas ka to sit at the Capital of Alaska to perform all the work now in charge of the various bureaus i'll Washington as advocated by Secretary of the In- terior Franklyn K. Lane.
 4. The opening immediately of the coal and oil lands of Alaska, so that those great necessities of civilization may be made cheap and abundant to the people,
 5. The abolition of the National Forest Reserves in Alaska, which are wholly unnecessary to the preserva- ton of the forests, but operate mere ly as vexatious hindrance to tue min CT and the homesteader.
 6. The abolition of the St. Michael Military Reserve, except as to lands actually needed for the use of the Military Post at that point
 z. To prevent by law the great cor porate financial interests of the coun- try from taking any part in politics, or seeking to exert any secret inhu- euce upon Territorial or Federal off cials.
 8. To provide for the admission of Alaska into the Union as a State as soon as she has attained a population of 100000, which with the impulse given to her growth by the wise policy of the Democratic Administration we expect to secure within a very few years.
 g. The speedy extension of the sys- .em of public surveys to all the agri. cultural lands of the Territory so hat the homestead laws may be eff ,iently and economically administer