Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1904 — HON. H. G. DAYIS’ LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HON. H. G. DAYIS’ LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE

Elkins. W. Va., Oct. 3, 1904. Hob. John Sharp Williams, Chairman, and other Members of the Committee Dear Sirs—ln accordance with custom, and my promise when notified toy your Committee at White Sulphor Springs, on August 17, of my nomination for the office of Vice-President, 1 aubmit the following observations upon some of the questions now before the country. Times Propitious for Change. The times are propitious for the reinstatement of the Democratic party in control of the Government. The public mind Is being disillusioned of the pretension of the Republican party, so long and so arrogantly made, that the material prosperity of the country deponds upon its own ascendancy. Thoughtful and patriotic people are becoming more and more distrustful of the heady and personal element of the present administration,

and are more than willing to see it replaced by one that better recognizes constitutional and other lawful rev straints They demand that the present wasteful extravagance \in the expenditure of the 1 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. 7 > 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 a large surplus, hut notwithstanding the enormous taxation, the revenues therefrom are not now adequate to meet the demands made by reekless appropria'io'ns. The revenues fall short during *Te last fiscal year, of over J4'» hot 1 i'iP.'i In the first sixty days of this fiscal year rh»> expenditure# -exceeded ? he receipts by $24,000,000, • and if this rate of excess should continue, the deficit for the present fiscal year would be in the neighborhood of $140,000,000. This seedless deficit Is due to the extravagance of the Administration, and can only be met by imposing additional tares or selling bonds, thereby increasing the Intereet-bearing debt of the Government. Which course will the Republicans adopt? The cost of government during the fiscal year was $7.14 per capita, which means that the average- tag paid in some form or

another by every family of five persons toward the support of the National Administration of public affairs was over $25, which, in the case of wage earners, is a considerable percentage of their entire earnings for year. No more money should be taken from the people by taxation, direct or indirect, than is necessary for tha needs of a government economically administered. To 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 administrations: Per Capita. Buchanan, ISflO. $63,000,000. .$2.01 Cleveland. 1892, 346,000,000.. 6.29 Roosevelt, 1904, 682,000,000.. 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 Array, however, has greatly increased in cost, much faster relatively than It has In numbers The expenses were: Under Buchanan in 1860.. .$16,500,000 Under Hayes in 1880 98,000,000 Under Roosevelt in 1904.. .116,000,000 Pension Order. Millions of dollars have been paid out of the Treasury to Pensioners apon an Executive order, the force of which is to supplement the law and supplant the wisdom of Congress. A body of eminent lawyers and citizens of New York, of both political parties, after careful consideration. pronounced this order "unconstitutional, lawless and most reprehensible.” The conclusion set forth in the report made by them on this subject was, in effect, that the pension order of the President was legislation by executive usurpation. Panama.,-. We all hall 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 national honor by its disregard of the rights of a weakor nation, in order to gain a doubtful credit for energy in forwarding that great enterprise. Territory of a neighboring Republic, with which we are at peace, was seized by a band of revolutionists, protected by the guns of the United States Navy and erected into a 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 a republic, have occurred under the present Administration. and brought deep concern and alarm to thoughtful and patriotic minds. They must be regarded as first fruits of Imperialism, and show how fast we are drifting toward absolutism and centralized power The effect of the imperialistic tendency of the Republican party upon our foreign affairs Is in opposition to, the teachings 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 farewell address he warned his countrymen esnectally against foreign entangling alliances. Imperialism Is hurtful and abhorrent in a free government and subverse of free institutions. The policy of imperialism-—if tt 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, hut once adopted for acquired and distant possessions, it becomes, sooner or later, the rule of the home government. Liberty and free government have always been secured at the cost of great sacrifices, but history ’teaches us that both can he easily lost without the knowledge of the people. Tariff. Our Federal Constitution has appropriated to the exclusive use of the general government the power of indirect taxation, covered by the popular designation of ‘‘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 Federal Government. Except in the exigencies of war the taxing power has been exercised by Congress largely in the direction of the imposition of duties upon imports. No one expects to change this arrangement, which has proven so convenient to the general government and so conducive to the Interests of the States, whose resort to other sources of revenue is left untremmeled Indirect taxation, however convenient, needs, by reason of its Indirectness, to be watchfully

guarded, lest abuses should attach themselves unknown by the people. That many of the existing tariff rates are exceesive and enable powerful combinations to extort unjust and oppressive tribute from the people can not be controverted. The tariff Is undoubtedly too high upon such articles as enables the manufacturer to sell his product cheaper abroad than at home. Steel rails are a conspicuous example in this respect. It is admitted that they are being made for sls a ton. A few years ago they were freely sold in this country at sl7 a ton. They are now selling at the mills here for home consumption at S2B a ton, and for the foreign market at from $lB to $22 a ton. This unjust discrimination against our people is made possible only by a tariff that on this article is entirely too high. The average selling price of a hundred articles, taken principally from the Iron and steel list, is found to be about 20 per cent, higher in this country than abroad. Relief from these conditions will only come through the success of the Democratic party, which stands for a wise, conservative and gradual change in the tariff laws, which w|ll equalize the burdens of taxation and make honest competition possible. But in making such changes its purpose will be to legislate with a due regard for the labor and capital involved in Industrial enterprises. It should not be forgotten that In the long regime of the Democratic party, from the days of Jefferson, in 1800, to the days of Lincoln in 1860, during which it administered the Govern* ment to the peace and prosperity of tke country, the expense of its maintenance was paid almost entirely from revenue produced by wise custom laws, while now nearly half of It comes from internal taxes. Under those Democratic tariff enactments the people were prosperous and contented, no unlawful trade combinations existed, and competition was free and unfettered. Trusts. It is estimated that there are In the United States between two apd three hundred combinations of capital and corporate interests, known as trusts, which have grown up in the last few years under Republican rule. They are not all antagonistic tc the public welfare, but some of them are so conducted as to be pernicious and harmful to the general Interest. With the power they are able to exert, they can lessen competition, control prices and regulate to their own advantage tke law of supply and demand. Individual effort is helpless against such strong rivals, and the natural right of all persons to barter and trade is unnaturally restricted. The effort of these trusts is to control or monopolize, and these monopolies, when unrestrained, seem to produce conditions which bring about strikes and disorders, and disturb the business affairs of the country. Local Self-Government. Local self-government, that came to us not as a gift of the National Government. but as the legitimate outcome of the reserve powers of the States and of the people, is the very corner stone of our political structure, and the best assurance of liberty regulated by law. It can only be maintained by strict observance of the limitations of the Federal Constitution. The Democratic party has always resisted, and will continue to resist, the encroachment by Its enemies upon the fundamental right of the people of the several States. All power comes from the people, and should he surrendered only in the interests of the people, and whenever this power is used for selfish interests it is not only an abuse, I but usurpation. Arbitration. The declaration in the St. Louis ! platform in favor of arbitration is one that appeals to my sense of fairness. Nations and States have employed to advantage this method of Settling disputed questions, States have invoked i its aid with good results, and Individ-j uals frequently have resort to it in adjusting questions of difference. The ; Hague Tribunal, representing the sen- . timent of conciliation, is the highest j practical expression of intelligent thought on this subject.. The principles of arbitration are the same, whether governing in the treat Court of Nations or applied in the affairs of industrial life. Its permanent establishment as a part of the industrial system of the country, upon a basis of mutual consent of all parties’to a ; controversy, would insure more friendly relations between employer and employed. for the interest of the workingman and the employer is Identical, it affords a safe and equitable method of determining differences that may arise, and has been called "a reasonable and natural mode” of settling such disputes. The spirit of arbitration is kindred to the love of iaw and order. It is the arbiter of peace instead of war, and makes for happiness j instead of sorrow. „ Race Issue. All lovers of their country must deprecate the rehabilitation by the Re- j publican party of a disappearing race | Issue, at a time when every effort I should he made to promote rather than j retard the progress Which was being j made in the States where slavery had j existed, toward kindlier relations be- ' tween the two races. The revival of j this issue, with all Its attendant evils, i must of necessity retard the development of the Southern States whose people are struggling manfully with j conditions left by the war. and seriously interferes with the industrial progress of both races. , I Fraud In tha Public Service. Peculation and fraud in the public service under the present Administration, especially in the Post Office and j Land Departments, reached such pro- '

portions that knowledge of the evils practiced became public property. Prosecutions naturally tollowad, but a thorough and Impartial investigation by Congress, proposed and urged by the Democratic minority, was refussd by the Republicans at the mandate, it is believed, of the Administration. Congress adjourned earlier than at any long session for many years for the purpose, it is believed, of preventing further agitation of the question, and in an effort to curtail expenses. Civil Service. Offices are created and filled in pursuance of law to carry on the government, and not to further party ambitions and the selfish purpose of any citizen. Many of the hundred thousand Federal officeholders, servants of all the people, while under salary, are now vigorously, some covertly and some openly, working and contributing In the present campaign to secure the success of the Republican party, in defiant violation of the Civil Service laws, rules and regulations. Several members of the Cabinet and other officials of the Government, forsaking their duties and the Departments at Washington, are spending their time in making speeches and using all the Influence and power of their official positions to elect their Chief. Judge Parker. The late Democratic Convention, and its candidate for President, have given signal exhibition of a mutual respect and confidence almost unprecedented in our political history, and our party has received new Inspiration and hope In Its appeal to the people, who always appreciate and admire courage, character and discretion in their leaders. Our candidate has these qualities and can be depended upon at all times to observe that self-control in speech and action which is so necessary to safe reasoning and sound judgment. With unabated trust in the efficiency of the cardinal principles of our great party, when applied to the practical administration of government, to realize the blessings of peace and prosperity for all, and believing that the people will correct the present abuses of administration by a change of party in power, I await with confidence the result of their judgment at tke polls. Very truly yours, H. G. DAVIS.

HENRY G.DAVIS.