The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-10-08
HENRY c. DAVIS
FORMALLY ACCEPTS
Synopsis Of His Letter to Democratic
Notification Committee.
VIEWS ON PUBLIC QUESTIONS
In a Rather Brief Document He Sets
Forth His observations Upon
some of the Questions Vow
Before the Country.

ID
some of the Questions Now
Before the Country.
Elkins, ". Va, Oct. 3.-Following is
a synopsis Of the formal letter of ac-
!. ceptance Of the democratic vice-presi-
Dental nomination by Hon. Henry q.
Davis TO the committee of notification:
Mr.. Davis Letter.
Hon. John Sharp Williams, Chairman,
and Other Members of the Committee:
Dear Sirs: In accordance with custom.
and my promise when notified by your
committee at White Sulphur Springs, on
August II, of my nomination for the Of
fee OF yice-president, ! submit the fol-
lowing observations upon some of the
questions 10 before the country.
Times Propitious For Change.
The times are propitious for the REIN
control of the government. The public
mind is being disillusioned Of the preten-
sion of the republican party, so long and SO
a~irogantly made, that the material pros
perity of the country depends upon It's
own aseendancy, Thoughtful and patri-
otto people are becoming more and more
distrustfui Of the heady and personal ele-
ment Of the present administration, and
are more tnhn NltItu& " cNt iGpihtSA
by one that better recognizes constitu-
tional and other lawful restraints. .Ipey
demand that the present wasteful ex-
travaganc in the expenditure of the
money drawn by taxation from the IN
that economy and honesty in. the pupilc
service shah be again regarded as vir-
tues in the high places Of the govern
ment.
per of Government.
The expenditures per capita of the gov
crnment are increasing at an alarming
rate. When the present administrator
went into power there was a large sur
plus. but Notwithstanding the enormous
taxation, the revenues therefrom are not
| now adequate to meet the demands made
by reckless appropriations, The revenues
tell short during the last fiscal year of
over $40, 900, 900. In the first six days OF
this fiscal year the expenditures exceeded
tho receipts by S24, 000. 900, and II this rate
| of excess should continue, the deficit Tor
the present fiscal year would be In the
| nclghborhood OF s14Q.0o 600. This needless
deficit is due TO the extravagance or the
| administration and can only be met py
bonds. thereby increasing the interest
bearing debt of the government. Which
course will the republicans adopt. Ihe
cost of government during the fiscal year
way s." per capita, which, means ina
the average tax paid In some form OF
another by every family of 1--WE persons
toward the support of the national ad-
ministratton of public AFFAIRS was over
SIS, which, in The case OF wage earners'
is a considerable percentage of their en-
tire earnings for the year. No more
money should be taken from the people
by taxation, direct or indirect, man Is
necessary for the needs OF a government
economically administered. To show the
| rapid growth Of the cost of government,
it is only necessary to give the total e
penditures In the last fiscal year of the
following administrations Buchanan, lS60,
SG3. 900, 900; per capita, sol. Cleveland, lS92,
$$45, 90. 900; per capita, s5,29. Roosevelt,
1901, 1852, 000,0 100; per capita, WIS.
The Army.
In answer to criticisms upon the size
and expense of maintaining the army, the
president has said that the number OF
soldiers now is no greater per capita tnan
in former times. But an army then was
necessary to protect settlers from The IN
dams and to dc other police duty in the
unsettled portion of the country--condi-
lions which do not now exist. Ihe army,
however, has greatly increased IN cost
much faster, relatively, h 1t has In
\ number The expenses We're; Under Blu.
chanan, in 1860, S1G,5 SOC, 600; under Hayes
in 1890, SIS, oQQ, 900: under Roosevelt, in 1904
tll5, 600, 600,
The Panama Canal.
We all hail as the harbinger Of the new
era in the of the world the in
| Tnl1lOn OIL ttlB EEtuA Will VI. pbibNAii tAit
canal that is to join the two great oceans
Int we deprecate the action Of the pres
pnt administration, which inficted
wound upon our national homo, by Its dis
regard of the rights of a weaker nation,
in order TO gain a doubtful eredd fol
energy in forwarding that great enter
prise. Territory of a ~neighboring repub'
lie, with, which we are at peace, was
seized By 4 band Of reyolgti91istss pro,
navy, and erected into a state overnight
which the president promptly recognized
as an independent nation: A gross ofenst
AGAINST a friendly republic which 1t wa:
helpless to resent. a
Imperialism.
These and many other unwarrantet
things that belong more to an empire thar
a republic, have occurred under the pres
ent administration and brought deel
concern AND alarm to .thoughtfui and pa
triotic minds. They must be regarded a.
how fast we are drifting towards abso
llutism and centralized power. The effec
4 Of the imperialistic tendency Of the repub
lican party upon our foreign affairs is II
opposition to the teachings of the found
ers OF the republic. and so impressed wa
Washington with the Importance of keep
ing aloof from the affairs OF other ma
.itions, that in his farewell address n
warned his countrymen especially agains
foreign ~entangiing alliances. Imperialism
il hurtful and abhorrent In d free gov
eminent and subversiye of free institu
lions. The policy of imperialism-if !
can b. said to have a policy--is Away
dangerous to liberty. Its powers are frs
exercised in far off territory and on con
uuered people, but once adopted for &C
quired and distant possessions, it be
comes, sooner or later. the rule of tn
home government. Liberty and free gov
eminent have always been secured at tn,
cost of great sacrifices, but histor.
teaches us that both can be easily los
without the knowledge Of the people.
The Tariff.
Our federal constitution has appropri
ated to the exclusive use of the genera
government the power Of indirect a
ton, covered by the popular designation
of tariff duties" In excluding the state
from this domain of taxation there is al
Implied and wise partition OF the taxinl
power between. the states and the fedora
government. Except in the exigencies o
war, the taxing power has been exercise
by congress largely in the direction o
the imposition of duties upon imports
No one expects to change this arrange
ment, which has proven so convenient /
the general government and so ondusiv
to the interests of the states, whose re
sort to other sources OF revenue is 1f
untrammeled, Indirect taxation, foweve
convent, needs BY reason of its indi
%rectness, to be ~watchfully guarded, les
LEXINGTON UNDER BLUE Law