The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-08
ALL. The 'ISMS'
EXTANT ON new
PARTY PLATFORM
Includes Cardinal Principles OF
All Merged Parties.
National Convention Formally
Opens at Chicago Today.
WIRE MESSAGE To WILSON
Urge Immediate Passage of
Woman Suffrage Amendment.
Election of Officers Today With
so or More on List.
National Convention Formally
Opens at Chicago Today.
WIRE MESSAGE To WILSON

| Chicago. March S.-Co-operation of
British labor party leaders Will be
| sought in propaganda launched by the
National party turnout the United
States At today's session of the first
national convention, the party unam-
! mously adopted this resolution:
| I'm consideration of the very close
accord of their aims and ours, the
National party, thru its national con-
yention, recommends that one or two
| members of the British labor party
| be invited by our executive commit
tee to tour our country under our aus
pices to interpret more fully to the
American people their purposes and
methods"
Labor to Play Leading Role.
The British labor party and the
National party agree on practlcally
every plank of their respective plat
forms John Spargo of the resolutions
committee told the convention. He
said that labor is to play the leading
role in future world politics and that
the British labor party's platform as
well as that of the National party
best exemplifies this.
A second resolution greatly de-
plores the present zone system for
second class mail matter" and urges
it's repeal.
1t appeared probable that the Sc
lection of national officers would not
take place until late today
Chicago. March S.-Following the
opening of the National party conven-
| ton today kilograms were sent to
President Wilson and United States
senators urging immediate passage of
the Susan B. Anthony suffrage amend
ment. 1t was planned to send mes
sage to the British labor party sug-
in ont he fn n iS
country to campaign for the National
party. Election of officers was ex-
pected to consume much of the days
session of the convention, the list as
tentatively arranged including fifty or
more-executive committeeman, di-
rectors, national committeeman and
chairmen and others.
Augmented by more than a hundred
delegates who bolted the Prohibition
convention the new National party
came into real being yesterday by the
adoption of a platform. The original
hundred or more delegates were COM
posed of war Socialists, single takers,
| suffragists, Social Democrats ana
Progressives. The platform on which
these elements united is long and in
| cludes most of the cardinal principles
for which the varied elements COM
posing the new party stood as
separate units. After reciting that the
aim of the National party lis the at
tainment of democracy in government
and Industry and in our International
relat ms" the platform advocates:
What Platform Comprises
Equal suffrage and the short ballot,
franchise opportunity to the negro; in
itiative, referendum and recall with
adequate safeguards against their
abuse" bone dry prohibition and rati-
! fication of the federal amendment.
| Proportional representation so that all
minority parties may be represented
on the government; an executive
| budget for municipal, state and ma
| tional governments; election laws Civ
| ing opportunity for nominations to
minority parties and permitting alb
| sentee electors to vote; freedom of
speech and press, with 10 censorship
except that necessary in military af-
| fairs: comprehensive prison reform
and abolition of contract prison labor:
uniform divorce laws and suppression
of white slave traffic; public owner
| ship of all public utilities and of 10Th
er basic industries whose operations
| depend on franchises or require large
| scale operations on a non-competitive
or centralized basis;'' assistance to
| farmers by extension of farm loan
| laws; labor legislation including
| unionizing of government work; Scien-
tific regulation of industry to limit i'm
migration to power of country to as
hsimilate it, maternity benefits and old
age insurance; international demo-
| CrdCy ny dpolilioi u secret ulploHlacy
and the formation of union of the
nations of the world for the purpose
of enforcing international equality and
the maintenance of peace"
! Call 1t Man and Woman Party.
| Men and women will hold equal
| power in the new party, according to
| Chairman David Coats, following a
| speech by Mrs. Howard Gould of New
/ York in which she emphasized the
fact that women were supporting the
new organization financially as well
as in other ways fully as much as the
men. AS a result of the action of the
chairman equal representation on all
committees already named was made
/ The chairman said it is the intention
of the organization to be known as the
N and woman party