The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-03
Henry q. Davis Makes Public
His Letter of Acceptance.
Thinks People Are Ready to
Vote Democrats into Power.
INCREASING EXPENSE
And Distrust of Republicans
Assigned as Cause.
Tariff Declared to Be Too High
in Many Cases.

Elkins, w. Va, Oct. 3.-Henry Gas
soway Davis, candidate for vice pres
ident on the Democratic ticket, has
given out his letter of acceptance. 1t
follows:
Hon. John Sharp williams, Chairman.
and Other Members of the Com
nittee:
| Dear Sirs:-In accordance with Gus
tom, and my promise when notified
by your committee at White Sulphur
Springs, on August II. of my nominal
ton for the office of vice president,
1 submit the following observations
upon some of the questions now be-
fore the country.
The times are propitious for the re-
instatement of the Democratic party
in control of the government. The
public mind is being disillusioned of
the pretenses of the Republican party,
so long and SO arrogantly made, that
the material prosperity of the country
depends upon its own ascendancy.
| Thoughtful and patriotic people are
becoming more and more distrustful
of the heady and personal element
| of the present Administrative and are
/ more than willing to see it replaced
/ by one that better recognizes constitu-
tional and other lawful restraints.
They demand that the present waste
| full extravaganza 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
Government Expenses.
The expenditures per capita of the
government are increasing at an
alarming rate. When the present adj
ministration went into power there
was a large surplus, but notwithstand-
ing the enormous taxation, the reve-
nues therefrom are not now adequate
to meet the demands made by reck-
less appropriations. The revenues fell
short during the last fiscal year of over
$40, ZOO, 900. In the first sixty days of
this fiscal year the expenditures ex-
ceeded the receipts by $24, 900, 900, and
if this rate of excess should continue,
the deficit for the present fiscal year
would be in the neighborhood of $14O.-
100000. This needless deficit is due to
the extrava gance of the administra-
ton, and can only be met by impos-
ing additional taxes or selling 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 VIA 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 ma
uona1 administration of public affairs
was over 40, WINCH, IN the case of
wage earnerS, is a considerable per-
centage of their earnings for the year
No more money should be taken from
the people by taxation, direct or indi-
rect, than is necessary for the needs
of a government economically admin
1ste1ed. To show the rapid growth
of the cost of government it is only
necessary to give the total expendi-
lures in the last fiscal year of the fol-
lowing administrations:
Buchanan, 1860, $63,OOO,OOO; per
capita, $2.01.
Cleveland 1892. ss45.ooO.OOO; per
Roosevelt, 1904. s5s2.ooo,ooO; per
capita, STA.
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 po-
lice duty in the unsettled portion of the
country-conditions which do not now
exist The army, however, has greatly
increased in cost, much faster relative
ly than it has in numbers.
The expenses were:
Under Buchanan in 1860. 16, 700 900
Under Hayes in 1880. S. DOC, 900
Under Roosevelt in 1904 -. us, 900 900
Panama.
We all hail as the harbinger 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 na-
tiona1 honor by its disregard of the |
rights of n weaker nation, in order to |
gain a doubtful credit for energy in
forwarding that great enterprise. Ter
ritory of neighboring republic, with |
which we are at peace, was seized by a |
band CT revolutionists, protected by the |
IF f6e Init
erected into state overnight, which |
the president promptly recognized as
an independent nation A gross offense
against a friendly republic which it |
was helpless to resent.
Imperialism.
These and many other unwarranted /
things that belong more to an empire |
than republic, have occurred under
brought deep concern and alarm to
thoughtful and patriotic minds. They |
must be regarded as the first fruits of
Imperialism, and show how fast we are
tralized proof. The effect of the inn
perialistic tendency of the Republican
party upon our foreign affairs is in OPP
position to the teachings of the found
erS of the republic, and so impressed
was Washington with the Importance
of keeping aloof from the affairs of
other nations, that in his farewell adj
dress he warned his eOuntrymen eS-
peciaIly against foreign entangling al
liances. Imperialism is hurtful and alb
horent in a free government and sub
versive of free institutions. The policy
of imperialisn-f it can be said to
have a policy-is always dangerous to
liberty. Its powers are first exercised
in far off territory and on conquered
people, but once becomes, sooner or la
ter, the rule of the home government.
Liberty and free government have al
ways 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.