The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-10-04
LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE
OF Hon. HENRY G. DAVIS
STRONG FACTS AND FIGURES
FROM DAVIS.
The Questions Uppermost in Public
Thought Discussed by the Vice.
Presidential Candidate-A Strong
Financial Statement-Many Other
Subjects Touched.

Elk1nS, w. va, OCt. 5, l9O4.
Hon. John Sharp Williams, Chair
man, and other Members of the
Committee.
Dear Sirs: In accordance with
custom, and my promise when noti-
fed by your committee at White Sui
phur Springs, on August II, OF my
nomination for the office of vice.
president, I submit the following OBJ
servations upon some of the ques-
tions now before the country.
Time Propitious For Change.
The times are propitious for the
reinstatement of the democratic par
ty in control of the government. The
public mind is being disillusioned OF
the pretensioneof the republican par
ty, so long and so arrogantly made,
that the material prosperity Of the
country depends upon its own ascen-
dancy. Thoughtful and patriotic
people are becoming more and more
distrustful Of the heady and personal
element of the present admlnistra-
ton, and are more than willing to see
it replaced by one that better recog-
nizes constitutional and other lawful
restraints. They demand that the
present wasteful extravaganza IN the
expenditure of the money, drawn by tax
alton from the industry OF the peo-
pie, 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
government are increasing at an
alarming rate When the present
administration went into power there
was large surplus, but notwithstand-
ing the enormous taxation, the revenu
hgthe enormous taxation, therevenues
therefrom are not now adequate to
meet the demands made by reckless
appropriations. The revenues tell
short during the last fiscal year, OF
over S4o,ooo,ooo In the first sixty
DAYS of this fiscal year the eNpendl-
tnres exceeded the receipts by $2A-
100000. and if this rate OF excess
should continue, the deficit for the
present fiscal year would be IN the
neighborhood Of S14o,ooo,ooo. lhls
needless deficit is due to the eNtrava-
qance of the administration, and can
only be met by imposing additional
taxes or selling bonds, thereby n
creasing the interest-bearing debts
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 SIS, which, IN the
case of wage earners, is a CONSIDER
able 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 a govern
uent economically administered. 10
show the rapid growth OF the COST
Of government it is only necessary
to give the total expenditures IN the
last fiscal year OF the following ad-
ministrations:
Buchanan, 1860, $63,ooo,ooo.
per capita :. ''9@ol
Cleveland. 1892, S345,ooo,ooo,
per capita .. :. o'@9
Roosevelt, 1904, $582, 100000,
per capita :. - /i4
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
Der capita than in former times. But
an army then was necessary to pro-
tect settlers from the Indians and to
do other police duty in the unsettled
-~.;o, ~ the countrv-conditions