Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-03-24

evenly shared to help the people who
must pay for them. An American mer-
chant marine. half government owned
nalf privately owned, cannot exist. The
individual must go down in the I'M
equal struggle. never to reappear. We
declare that this measure is a menace
to individual enterprise and initiative,
which, If properly respected, stands
ready today unaided to take advant-
age OF the present unprecedented con-
oltlons and again restore our flag to
the seas
Uniform Labor Laws
We declare for maintaining and devel.
oping the advanced position of American
labor throughout the United States and
In shortening the day as improved ma
chlnery warrants commensurate with the
maintenance Of adequate economic pro.
duction. We believe in the Republican
social betterment platform which has al.
ready ameliorated the condition of chill.
dren and wage workers. We declare ais.
Tor federal legislation to protect women
and children against exhaustive labor
and long days in factories and workshops
OF the entire country, calling especial at.
tention to the fact that want of uni.
formity of labor laws imposes great in.
justice on the industries OF the New Eng.
land states.
State Issues
y. We affirm and commend the pas.
sage of the law limiting the hours of la
Dor for women and children as enacted
by the last legislature and now before
the people under the referendum, and
the September election.
% We endorse all measures tending to
organize and promote broader and more
effective development of the agricultural
interests Of the State and to promote an
economic saving by the cooperation of
those interests.
g. We recommend to the Legislature
our ballot laws as will prevent the exist
ing confusion between the primary ballot
and the election ballot with a view of Civ
ing a simpler form of ballot so as most
effectually to express the intentions of
the voter :s>
"a. We advocate the submission to the
people of an amendment to the constitu-
ton of Maine granting equal suffrage to
women-the same being an endorsement
of similar plank in the Republican plat
form of 1914
I'VE urge the effective support of fed
eral legislation that shall tend to make
the principles of national prohibition
practicable and that shall lead to the
speedy submission to the voters of the
several states Of an amendment to the
constitution of the United States that
shall ultimately prohibit the sale, the
manufacture for sale and importation
for sale of Intoxicating liquors for use
as a beverage in the United States and
all territory subject to its jurisdiction.
We reaffirm our belief in the principles
of temperance and propose and demand
that officers of the law shall enforce the
statutes as we'll as all other
laws.
We believe in good roads and that no
tax levied returns to the people a greater
benefit or tends to greater increase in
the value of the property of the State
And we recommend such legislation as
shall provide adequate means for their
in all parts of the State;
also for system of care and repair that
shall keep in good order such improve
ments as have been and shall be made.
We recommend that all overhead charges
for surveys of new road construction.
such as engineers surveys. etc, against
the joint funds of the State and towns,
shall hencefo4h be borne by the State
alone and not charged against said joint
funds.
I'VE favor economy in all branches
Of State government. but we insist
that taxation for no other purpose than
a treasury balance is false
and unjust to the taxpayer.
We condemn such piling up in the
State treasury of large sums of money
at the expense of State institutions
for which appropriations were made
oy the last Legislature and which have
not been used by the present Demo-
cratic administration for the purposes
'or which they were appropriated.
ION this platform and declaration
If principles the Republican party of
Maine goes to the people for their JUS
ification and support. We believe that
N this critical hour true Americanism
should align itself with the party that
has ever stood for individual freedom,
he elevation Of American labor fair
,lav to enterprise ana capital, the pol
CIV Of protection to American indus
ries and for a foreign policy neither
;eryile nor belligerent, but firm in its
to uphold the liberty
owing traditions Of our fathers (and
o preserve to America what the past
vas handed to us sealed in the blood
# heroes and Of martyrs). With
irm and unfaltering purpose to keep
n step with the advancing thought
md spirit Of the times, we ask the
,upport not only of those who have
hitherto acted with us but also of our
elbow citizens regardless OF past
political opinions. who desire to see
enforced a forward facing policy In
state and nation for the uplift OF man
lind and the perpetuation OF the pol
cies and the blessings of a more ben
ficent and more potent nationality
throughout the world"
-4DrvrA, mr. ICV