The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-03
Contcts the Impression Which Has Been Circulated That
 He is a Pro ectiOnist
STRONG AND SUCCINCT
 REVIEW OF THE ISSUES
Deprecates the Rehabilitation by the Republican Party of the Race ssue-High Tribute to
 Judge Parker.

IJlhllSt w. ' 1sB OGAODCi Is-I llS
 letter of acceptance of Henry G. Davis. democratic candidate for vice-president,
 was made public today. MT Davis writes as follows:
 Ekins, W. Va, October 8, 1904 1 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 F, of my nomination for the of flee of vice president. I submit the fol- lowing observations upon some of the questions TOW before the country.
 TIMES RIGHTEOUS FOR CHANGE.
 The times are propitious for the rein statement of the democratic party in con trol of the government. The public mind is being disillusioned of the pretension of the republican party, so long and so ar rogantly made, that the material pros perity of the country depends upon its own ascendancy. Thougaful and patriotic people are becoming more and more dis trustful of the heady and personal ele- ment of the present administration and are more tban willing to see it replaced by one that better recognizes constitu- tional and other lawful restraints. They demand that the present vasteful extra Vagance in the expenditure of the money drawn by taxation from the industry of the people, shall cease, and that econ omy and honesty in the public service shall be again regarded as virtues in the high places of the gov ernment
 EXPENSES OF GOVERNMENT,
 The expenditures per capita of the gov ernment are increasing at an alarming rate. When the present administration 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 $4O,0OO0OO. In the first sixty days ot this fiscal year the expenditures ex- ceeded the receipts by $24, GOO, OOO and if this rate of excess should continue the deficit for the present fiscal year would be in the neghborhood of Sl4O000 000 This needless deficit is due to the ex- traVagance of the administration, and can only be met by imposing additional taxes or selling bonds, thereby increas- ing the interest bearing debt of the gov ernment. Which course will the repub- licans adopt? The cost of government during the fiscal year was $714 per cap ita, which means that the average tax paid in some form or another by every family of five persons toward the sup port of the national administration of public affairs was over $25, which, in the case of wage-earners, is consid- erable percentage of their entire earn ings for the year. No more money should be taken from the people by taxation direct or indirect, than Is necessary for the needs of government economically administered. To show the rapid growth of the cost of government IL is only nec- essary to give the total expenditures in the last fiscal year of the following ad- ministrations:
 Buchanan. 1860. s6s,oOOOOO per capita. S2.01.
 Cleveland, 1892. s345OOO.OOO; per capita, S529
 Roosevelt. 1904. s5S2,OOO,Ooo; per capita, $7.14
 ARMY.
 In answer to criticisms upon the size and expense of maintaining the army, the President has said that the number of soldiers now is no greater per capita than in former times. But an army then was necessary to protect settlers from the Indians and to do other police duty in the unsettled portion of the country-conditions which do not now exist. The army however, has greatly increased in cost much faster relatively than it has in numbers.
 The expenses were:
 Under Buchanan in 1S60--.-$ 16, GOO Under Hayes in 1880 .............. SS,000, GOO Under Roosevelt in 1904 ......... 115 900 PANAMA.
 We all hail as the hamburger of the new era in the commerce of the world the inception 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 disregard of the rights of a weaker na- ton, in order to gain a doubtful credit for energy In forwarding that great en- terprise. Territory of a neighboring re- public, with which we are at peace, was seized by a band of revolutionists pro- tected by the guns of the United States navy and created into state overnight, which the President promptly recognized as an independent nation. gross of fense against a friendly republic which it was helpless to resent.
 IMPERIALISM.
 These and many other unwarranted things that belong more to an empire than a republic, have occurred under the present administration, and brought deep concern and alarm to thoughtful and patriotic minds. They must be re- garded as the first fruits of imperialism, and show how fast we are drifting to- ward absolutism and centralized power. The effect of the imperialistic tendency of the republican party upon our for eign affairs Is in oposition to the teach ings of the founders of the republic, and so impressed was Washington with the importance of keeping aloof from the affairs of other nations, that in his fare well address he warned his countrymen especially against foreign entangling al- dances. Imperialism is hurtful and ab- horrent in a free government and sub versive of free institutions The policy of imperialism-if it can be said to have policy-is always dangerous to liberty. Its powers are first exercised in far off territory and on conquered people, but once adopted for acquired and distant possessions, it becomes sooner or later the rule of the home government. Liber- ty 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 appropriat- ed to the exclusive use of the general government the power of indirect taxa ton, covered by the popular designation or 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