The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-09-14
THE PERCENTAGE fALsEHooD.

The most habitual liars in literature
are figures, and the most extreme form
of this kind of mendacity is percent
ages. 1t is worth noticing that the
worst example of the proposition in re-
cent years has been furnished by the
Democratic candidate for the Vice.
Presidency in his recent speech of &C.
ceptance. To disprove the acknowl-
edged prosperity of the United States
under the administration of President
Mckinley and President Roosevelt, he
said:
"our Republican friends are prone
10 refer to the great commercial
growth of the country under their rule
and vet the census reports show that,
from 1850 to 1860. under Democratic
rule and the Walker tariff, the per-
centage increase was greater in popu-
lation, wealth, manufactures and rail-
road mileage, the factors which affect
most largely prosperity, than in any
decade SINCE
The absurdity of this passage could
be illustrated in a hundred ways by
merely assuming a few figures. a VII
lage, with population OF 500 in 1850
may have had 1000 in 1860. Therefore,
as Mr.. Davis argues, the rate of in
crease was 100 per cent. In 1890 If the
same village had become city with
400 600 inhabitants and, in 1900, it con-
tanned 10000, the rate of increase In
the latter decade would be only fifty
Der cent. What an irrefragable con-
trast in favor of the Democratic party
The Republicans had better hunt
their holes"
Again: In 1850, western farmer
may be eonjectured to have raised 100
bushels of wheat. In 1860 his crop was
200 bushels. Another 100 per cent in
crease is thus demonstrated. In 1880,
on the same land, the same farmer
may have harvested 10000 bushels, and,
ten years later, in 1900, most likely
only had 1850, and, therefore, in that
decade, he had enlarged his produc-
ton of this staple article but % per
cent. Here is another contrast, which
simply demolishes the Republican
claim!
once more: In 1850, let it be as
suned there were only 5000 miles of
railroad in the United States, which,
nnder Democratic administration, in
1860, had grown threefold, and, there
fore, the development was equal to 200
per cent. Between 1888 and 1Ss7,-and
these are actual fsures.-the miles OF
railroad in the country We're extended
IRON, ,222 to 179.71S, and increased
less than twenty per cent. This show
ing. on Mr.. Davis's Interpretation,
would prove that the Republican party
had absolutely arrested transportation
facilities on the mainland!
IT is useless further to pursue this
farcical appeal to American voters
with a common school education. But
Mr.. Davis reaches his climax and dons
the ounces cap permanently, when he
to show an increase of per
rapita government expenses from $2.11
per head. under Buchanan in 1860 to
s.. 10 per head, in 1904, under Roose-
velt. and thus to disprove the Repub-
iiean assertion of successful admin
istration The gist of this argument
is that if a clerk, with $4,000 per
wear salary. spends $4,000 in 1860, the
same clerk in 1904, with a salary of
SIC, 900 per year, if he expends $7,500.0o,
has been reduced to poverY- What
man makes is ordinarily a criterion of
what he is authorized and even COM
PEELED to spend. and the same rule ap>
plies alike TO individuals. and to ma
tons If, in 1860, an average citizen
was mulcted s211 for the national ac-
count. and found it hard to make both
ends meet, and in 1904, he contributed
$40 but no money was wasted and he
was better housed. better fed, better
clothed, better educated, and had
large surplus in bank, then, in the lat
ter year, he was UNNECESSARILY bet
ter Off And this Is the record of the
United States, with eighty millions of
population and as many billions Of
property.
The Democratic nominees must be
hard driven, if they are compelled to
rely upon groundless statements and
comparisons which any American
schoolboy can answer.
If the Russians have not invaded