The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-04
HOke Smith FIays Roosevelt for
 His Assertions
TOUCHES NEGRO QUESTION
Shows Where Expenditures of Present Administration Fave Exceeded Those During clevelands
 Term by $es3, 3,ooo,o ,ooo.

Charlotte, N C., October 3-Hon. Hoke Smith of Georgia, secretary of the inte- rior in President Clevelands second cab met spoke here tonight, the audience en- trely filling the Academy of Music. MT. Smith, who is a native of this state, was enthusiastically received. He was introduced by United States Senator Overman, who made his first appearance before Charlotte audience since his elec- tion He said:
 The democratic party during the first sixty years of the last century was al- most continuously in power. It's record was not one of opposition, but of con struction.
 Tn 1906 Thomas Jefferson preserved the gold standard when it was first in jeop- ardy Under democratic rule our terri tory spread from ocean to ocean. Our manufacturies grew Our commerce prospered. But our system of taxation did not foster great monopolies nor take money from the masses to enrich the few. Our tariff taxation was for reve- nue with only incidental protection. We aunered to constitutional government. We conducted no wars of conquest. We regarded international law.
 Only Break in Forty Years.
 eThe nasterful and patriotic service of President Cleveland makes the only break in republican administrations for the past forty years.
 We may well compare the record of the democratic party under MT. Cleve- land with the record of the republicans under MT. Harrison. MT. Cleveland left the treasury in 1889 with a surplus on and faf Q1 ha6 not o,,t tha public debt $334S4S.499. When he returned to office in March, 1893. he found the surplus squandered and appropriations already made for the ensuing year ex- ceeding the revenues provided to the amount of $90,0OO0O0. The republicans had already prepared the plates for q b5nd issue w.-.--. their administration had rendered necessary.
 Roosevelt's administration has exceed ed the expenditures of the last Cleveland administration to the amount of $SS3,- O00,O O00 During MT. Harrisons adminis- tration, the Sherman purchasing act was passed. Under this act 4500,000 ounces of silver bullion were monthly placed in the national treasury to go into circulation, either in the shape of silver dollars or silver certificates. Before it's passage men of financial judgment had realized that even the silver dollars provided by the Bland Allison act were jeopardizing the gold standard. The imitation of our cur reney with depleted silver dollars came from a republican administration. This disorganized the finances of the country and precipitated the panic Of 1893.
 ''The Cleveland administration repealed the Sherman purchasing act, and put an end to the coinage of depreciated silver dollars
 No Fear for Democrats.
 "A thorough study of our country's his- tory need bring no fear to democrats.
 The speech of MT. Roosevelt accepting the nomination for President was servative. It might almost have come from Judge Parker The letter of accep- tance was more like the rough rider" In the first instance he followed his policy of speak easy In the second be was carving the big stick
 s'In his letter of acceptance MT. Roose- welt sets the pace for republican impu- dence in the shape of self praise, and self assertion claiming everything for himself and party; charging anything against his opponents which his fancy suggests.
 Fo,getful of His Declaration.
 He attacks the democratic attitude with reference to the gold standard. He charges that the course of our party as to the gold standard has been one of ex- pedieney, and he refers to the silence of our platform on this subject. He was forgetful in this of his own declaration In 1896, when, speaking of the republican platform about to be adopted, he de- clared: Refusal to be Tor free silver means that the party is resoutely against it, and the party must rest content with this state of affairs and spare the mi nority humiliation by refraning from de- nouncing in so many words the free coin age of silver. He ignores the fact that only few years ago the leaders of both parties. with d few exceptions, favored the free coinage of silver.
 Speaker Cannon was of the most extreme free silver men. MT. Mckinley as late as 1890 was ardent advocate of the free and unlimited coinage of sl- yer. The republican platform of 1892 de- manded the use of both gold and silver as standard moneys.
 'erhe Ohio platform of 1896 framed at the instance of MT. Mckinley, did the same thing.
 "The maintenance of the gold standard should not be given as a credit to the re- publicans. It belongs to the administra- ton of Grover Cleveland.
 T utterly repudiate the charge that the democrats and the republicans stand upon the same platform.
 Proud of Achievements.
 ePresident Roosevelt in his letter of ac- eeptance puts the country notice that he is proud of rything he and the re- nublicans have done. He claims that they have made no mistakes, and If reelected lhey will make no change in policies.
 I Instead of apologizing for his extrav agance he boasts of it. In time of neace he has increased the expenses of our national administration s21, 4ol 900 over those of President Mckinley. This reelxless extravagance the democratic party proposes to stop
 70 He defends the Dingley bill, and has done nothing to broaden our trade by re- cprocity agreements me uelhocrauc s,art,- is here again at issue with the re- nublicans. It proposes genuine effort to accomplish reciprocity with Canada, and with other countries where practic- able President Mckinley the day ne was murdered, declared:
 The problem of more markets re- o1lires our urgent and immediate atten- tion. We cannot repose in fancied secur- itv that we can sell everything and buy little or nothing. The period of exclusive ..1.e hoe na ssed