Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-02
Selected by Tavenner

justified correctly on the grouf OF
patriotism. 1t is declared correctly
that in time of war a nation mas the
right to collect large returns and that
those who have the ability to pay
should contribute such large returns.
We declare that it is as properly nee
essary fos national defense and Tor
national welfare that large returns
should be collected from those who
are able to pay for the development
of schools, leisure of children, and the
proper feelings, housing and recrea-
tional advantages of all the people.
Special Privileges Assailed.
| We believe that restitution is not
! confiscation and that all land titles,
| franchises and other special privileges
| that have been secured by fraud or
| the fraudulent exercise of influence
and power should be returned to the
government On this point we spe-'
officially recommend:
| 1. Vigorous and unrelenting prose-
| cution to regain all land, water power
and mineral rights secured from the
government by fraud.
| g A general revision OF our land
| laws, so as to apply to all future land
grants the doctrine of superior use,
| as in the case of water rights in Cali
! fOrnia, and provision for forfeiture
! in case of actual nonuse.
l. g. The forcing of all unused land
into use by making the tax on nom
productive land the same as on pro-
ductive land of the same kind, and
eXempting all improvements.
For Public Owned Utilities.
We believe that the public should
own its public utilities, whether the
unit of ownership be city, state or
| for
national public ownership of railroads,
| telegraph lines and telephone lines.
| We declare that such necessaries of
industry and commerce as coal de-
posits should be owned by the govern
ment and the mines operated by the
| government or at least operated on
leases conserving the public interest
and ownership.
Recalling the enormous waste of the
public domain and public natural re-
sources in the past, we pledge our
party to conserve the water power Of
navigabIe streams and streams in ma
tionaI reservations, as we'll as to re-
cover as far as that may be done such
resources and springs of national
wealth as have already passed out OF
public ownership and control.
We recognize the growth of tenant
farming and its twin evil of absentee
landlordism and speculative ownership
in land. We declare that our credit
system should be recast, with par
ticular reference to the needs of the
rural worker and the potential pro-
Queer who is now crowded into the
cities, largely because of the system
of land monopoly and a system OF
} credits based on the privilege of bank
ers and investors, rather than on the
rights and necessities of farmers and
other workers.
= Condemn Large Army.
4 We condemn to the strongest pos
sible degree the efforts of financiers
and monopolists to create and use the
army and navy to put the United
States into entangling alliances with
other nations. We condemn the eff
forts of such persons to use or to have
ready for use the army and navy to
exploit or bully little nations and to
, place them under huge debts for which
! they receive no adequate cOmpensa-
| ton. We believe that our commerce
should win its way. abroad upon its
own merits and without the influence
of militarism, that inevitably breeds
wars and fosters national and inter
national cruelties. In this connection
: we declare our adherence of making
profit out of war. We declare that
| so far as the manufacture of NUM-
lions of war ~of-any of all sorts may
be necessary to the moderate needs oil
an unmilitary nation, this country
= should manufacture such munitions
itself.
We declare that scientific manage
= ment, so called, is both unscientifiC
and intolerable. 1t treats the human
! being as a machine and sets him OIL
} her at the mercy of a stOp-watch OF
! other devices of speeding up workers
! beyond the limits of normal and work
/ manlike ambition. We believe thai
= whatever good can be procured in in
? dustry through scientific management
5 will come through creating for the
r workers an interest in their work
founded on proper pay, proper hours
! and conditions of labor, and such &
2 general reimbursement of industrial re-
/ lations as shall make the worker pros
Y porous and secure.
= We find that the limitation of thu
} right Of suffrage to men has been
=, most serious handicap to women il
= industry in their long and splendid
( struggle to secure compensation fOl
2 their labor, humane working condi
l lions and protective laws. We there
l fore pledge the democratic party to Dc
all in its power to extend the right o
: suffrage to women as quickly az pos
| CT mr. NV laINI