Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-03
/. c. DAVIS ACCEPTS
Democratic Nominee for Vice
President States His Views.
URGES INFRINGEMENT
ACCUSES REPUBLICANS OF RECK-
LESS APPROPRIATIONS
Favors Tariff Revision-Alleges Fraud
and Corruption in the
Public Service.
URGES INFRINGEMENT

The following is the letter of acceptance
of Henry G. Davis, the democratic candi
date for Vice President:
ELKINS, w. Va October 3, 1904.
Hon. John Sharp Williams. Chairman, and
Other Members of the Committee:
Dear Sirs: In accordance with custom,
and my promise when notified by your COM
mfttee at White Sulphur Springs, on Au-
gust H. of my nomination for the office of
Vice President. l submit the following OBJ
servations upon some of the questions now
before the country.
Times Propitious for Change.
The times are proptious for the reinstate
ment of the democratic party in control Of
the government. The public mind is being
disillusioned of the pretension of the repub-
lican party, so long and SO arrogantly
made that the material prosperity of the
country depends upon its own ascendancy.
Thoughtful and patriotic people are becom-
ing more and more distrustful of the heady
and personal element of the present admin
istration, and more than willing to see
it replaced by one that better recognizes
constitutional and other lawful restraints.
They demand that the present wasteful ex-
trayagance in the expenditure OF the money,
drawn by taxation from the industry OF the
people. shall cease and that economy and
honesty in the public service shall be again
regarded as virtues in the high places OF
the government
Expenses of Government.
The expenditures per capita of the gov
eminent are increasing at an alarming
rate When the present administration
went into power there was a large surplus,
but, notwithstanding the enormous taxa
moi
adequate to meet the demands made by
reckless appropriations. The revenues fell
short during the last fiscal year of over NO.
0O,GtO. In the first sixty days of this fiscal
year the expenditures exceeded the receipts
by 24,OOOOO0 and If this rate OF excess
should continue the deficit for the present
fiscal year will be in the neighborhood OF
s14o,000,OOo.
This needless deficit is due to the extrav-
agance of the administration. and can only
be met by imposing additional taxes or sell
ing bonds, thereby increasing the interest
bearing debt of the government. Which
course will the republicans adopt? The
cost of government during the fiscal year
was STA per capita. which means that the
average tax paid in some form or another by
every family of five persons toward the
support of the national administration of
public affairs was over S25, which in the
case of wage earners is a considerable per-
centage of their entire earnings for the
year. No more money should be taken from
the people by taxation. direct or indirect
than is necessary for the needs of gov
eminent economically administered. To
show the rapid growth of the cost of gov
eminent 1t is only necessary to give the
total expenditures in the last fiscal year of
the following administrations: Bucha man,
is6o $63.oo.OV; per capita, $2.O1. Cleve-
Roosevelt 1904, s5s2 100000; per capita,
STA.
Army.
In answer to criticisms upon the size and
expense of maintaining the army the Pres-
dent has said that the number of soldiers
now Is no greater per capita than in former
times. But an army then was necessary to
protect settlers from the Indians and to do
other police duty in the unsettled portion of
the country-conditions which do not now
exist. The army, however has greatly in
creased in cost, much faster relatively than
it has in numbers
me expenses We're: Under Buchanan In
1871 Slo'Joo.oW; under Hayes In 1880 s3S-
100000; under Roosevelt, in 1901 slIa 400 600
Panama.
We all hail as the harbinger of the n.w
era IN the commerce of the world the in
ception of the great work of building the
canal that is to join the two great oceans.
but we deprecate the action of the present
administration, which inflicted a wound
upon our national honor by its disrepord no
the rights OF weaker nation, in order to
gam doubtful credit for energy in for
"arolhg mat great enterprise. Territory of
heiShboring republic with which we are
at peace, was seized by band of reyoIu
uonists, protected by the guns of tho
United States navy and erected into a state
overnight, which the President PROMPTLY
recognized as an independent nation
gross ofense against friendly republic
which 1t was helpless to resent.
Imperialism.
These and many other unwarranted things
that belong more to empire than re-
public have occurred under the present ad-
ministration, and brought deep concern and
alarm to thoughtful and patriotic minds.
They must be regarded the first fruits
or imperialism, and show how fast we are
drifting toward absolutism and centralfz I'd
power. The effect of the imperialistic ten
dency OF the republic party upon our for
or the founders of the republic, and so i'm
pressed was Washington with the impor-
lance of keeping aloof from the affairs Of
other nations, that In his farewell address
he warned his countrymen especially
against foreign entangling alliances Inn
perialism is hurtful and abhorrent in a
free government and subversive of free in
situations The policy of imperialism-if II
can be said to have a policy-is always dan
gerous TO liberty. Its powers are first ex-
ercised in far off territory and on conquered
people. but once adopted for acquired and
distant possessions, 1t becomes sooner or
later the rule of the home government
Liberty and free government have ALWAYS
been secured at the cost of great sacrifices
but history teaches us that both can be
easily lost without the knowledge of the
people.
Tariff.
Our federal Constitution has appropriated
to the exclusive of the general govern
ment the power of indirect taxation COW
cred by the popular designation OF tariff
duties" In excluding the states from this
domain of taxation. there is an implied and
wise partition OF the taxing power between
the states and the federal government
Except in the exigencies of war the taxing
power has been exercised by Congress
largely in the direction of the imposition of
duties upon imports. No expects to
change this arrangement. which has proven
so convenient to the general government
and so conducive to the interests Of the
states, whose resort to other sources of
revenue is left untrammeled. Indirect tax
ation however convenient. needs. by reason
of it's indirectness. to be watchfully guard
ed, lest abuses should attach themselves
unknown by the people.
That many Of the existing tariff rates are