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rBGE PHI'S iei if mm Kept. 20, 1004. To the Hon. Chomp C'lHrk nnd Others, Committee, Etc.: Ocntlemeu In my response to your committee at the formnl notification proceedings I refem-d to some mnttcn not mentioned In this letter. 1 desire that thec he considered as Incorporat ed herein, nnd regret that lack of spaco prevents specific reference to them nil. I wish here, however, again to refer to my views there exprccl ns to the gold standard, to declare again my un qualified belief In Hold standard nnd to ciproM my appreciation of the action of the convention In reply to my com munication nKn Miat MibJert. (5niv public questions are pressing for decision. The Democratic party appeals to the people with confidence that lta position on them? questions will lc accepted and Indorsed at the polls. While the lftmie Involved an? numer ous, some it and forth pre-eminent in the public mlml. Among the nro tariff reform. Imperialism, economk'fll administration nml honesty In the pub lic servlca 1 shall briefly consider these and some other within the nec essarily prescribed limits of this letter Imperialism. While I presented my views nt the notification proceedings concerning this Tltnl Issue, the overshadowing Impor tance of this question Impels :nc to re fer to It again. The lsytie Is often times referred to as constitutionalism .versus Imperialism. If wc would retain our liberties and constitutional rights unimpaired wo canuot permit or tolerate nt any time or for any purpose the nrrogaUon of unconstitutional powers by the execu tive branch of our government. We should be ever mindful of the words of Webster, "Liberty is only to be pre served by maintaining constitutional restraints and n Just division of polit ical powers." Already the national government has become centrallred beyond any point contemplated or Imagined by 'the founders of the constitution. How tre mendously all this lias added to the power of the president! It has devel oped from year to year until It almost equals that of mnny monarchs. While the growth of our country and the mag nitude of Interstate Interests may seem to furnish a plausible reason for this centralization of power, yet these same Xacts afford the most potent reason Why the executive should not be per mitted to encroach upon the other de partments of the government and as ramo legislative or other powers not expressly conferred by the constitu tion. The magnitude of the country nnd 1U diversity of interests nnd popula tion would enable n determined, ambi tious and nble executive, unmindful of constitutional limitations nnd 11 nil with the lust of power, to go far in the usurpation of authority nnd the aggrandizement of personal power be fore the sltuntlon could be fully npprc elated or the people be aroused. The Issue of Imperialism which has been thrust upon the country involves a decision whether the law of the land or the rule of Individual caprice shall govern. The principle of imperialism inny give rtso to brilliant, startling, darning results, but the principle of democracy holds In check the brilliant executive nnd subjects htm to the so ber, conservative control of the people. The people of the I'nlted States ftnnd at the parting of the ways. Shall we follow the footsteps of our fathers along the paths uf peace, pros perity and contentment, guided by the ever living spirit of the constitution which they framed for us. or shall we go along other nnd untried paths hith erto shunned by all, following blindly new Ideals which, though appealing with brilliancy to the Imagination uud ambition, may prove a will-o'-the-wisp, leading us Into dltllcultles from which It moy bo Impossible to extricate our selves without lasting Injury to our national character and Institutions? The Tariff and Truiti. Tariff reform is one of the cardinal principles of the Democratic faith, and the necessity for It wns never greater than nt the present time. It should be undertaken nt once In the Interest of nil our people. Tho Dlngloy tariff Is executive In ninny of Us rates uud, as to them at least, unjustly and oppressively bur dens the people. It secures to domes tic manufacturers, singly or iu combi nation, the privilege of exacting ex cessive prices nt home nnd prices fur above the level of sales made regular ly by them abroad with profit, thus giving a bounty to foreigners nt the expenso of our own people. It levies oppressive and unjust ta.xos upon many articles forming In whole or purt the so called raw material of many of our manufactured products, not on ly burdening the consumer, but also closing to the manufacturer the mur licts he needs and seeks abroad. Its unjust taxation burdens the people generally, forcing them to pay excess ive prices for food, fuel, 'clothing ami Other necessaries of life. It levies du ties on many articles not normally Im ported In any considerable amount .which nre made extensively at home, for which the most extreme protec tionist would hardly Justify protective taxes, and which In large amounts are exported. Such duties have been and ,wlll continue to be n direct iuceutlve to the formation of huge Industrial combinations, which, secure from for hru competition, are enabled to stille domestic competition and practically ri monopolize the home market. It contains mnuy duties Imposed for (tie r-.rproas purtMxe only, as was open ly avowed, nf furnishing a bants for reduction by mentis of reciprocal trade treaties, which the Republican admin Istntlxn. Impliedly at least, promised to negotiate Having on this promise secured the increased duties, tho Re publican party lenders, spurred on by protected Interests, defeated the treaties negotiated by the executive, nnd now these same Interests cling to the benefit of these duties which the people never Intended they should hnve nnd to which they have no morol right Rven now the nrgumcut most fre quently urged In behalf of the Dlngloy Vnrlff nnd ugulnst tnrllT reform general ly Is the necessity of caring for our In fant Industries. Mnny of these indus tries after n hundred years of lusty growth nre looming up ns lndustrlnl giants. In their case at least the Dins ley tnrlfT Invites combination nnd mo nopoly nnd gives Justification to the expression that the tariff Is the moth er of trusts. For the above mentioned reasons. among mnny others, the people de mand reform of those abuses, and such reform demand ami should recolro im mediate attention. The two lending parties) have always differed as to the principle of customs taxation. Our party has always ad vanced the theory that the object Is the raising of revenue for support of the government whatever other results may Incidentally How therefrom. The Republican party, on the other hand, contends that customs duties should be levied primarily for protection, so called, with revenue ns the subordinate purpose, thus using the power of tax ation to build up the business and prop erty of tho few nt the expense of the many. This difference of principle still sub sists, but our party appreciates that the long continued policy of the country, ns manifested In Its statutes, makes it necessary that tariff reform should bu prudently nnd sagaciously undertaken on scientific principles, to the cud that there should not be an Immediate rev olution In existing conditions. In the words of our platform we de mand "a revision ami n gradual re duction of the tariff by the friends of the mnsses, nnd for the common weal, and not by the friends of Its abuses, its extortions and discriminations." It is true that the Republicans, who do not admit In their platform that the Dlngley tnrlff needs the slightest al teration, nre likely to retain a major ity of the federal senate throughout the next presidential term nnd could, there fore, if they choe, block every at tempt at legislative relief. Iiut It should be remembered that the Re publican party Includes many revision ists, nnd I believe It will shrink from defying the popular will expressed un mistakably and ' peremptorily nt the ballot box. The people demnnd reform of exist ing conditions. Since the Inst Demo cratic administration the cost of living has grievously Increased. Those hav ing fixed Incomes have suffered keenly; those living on wages, If there has been any Increase, know that such In crease has not kept pace with the ml vunce In the cost of living. Including rent and the necessaries of life. Mnny today are out of work, unable to se cure any wages at all. To allevlnte these conditions In so far ns Is In our power should be our earnest endeavor. Trust Remedies. I pointed out In my earlier rospouse the remedy which, In my Judgment, cnu effectually be applied against monopolies, and the assurance was then given that If existing laws, In cluding both statute and common law, proved inadequnto, contrary to my ex pectations, I favor such further legis lation within constitutional limitations as will best promote and safeguard the Interests of nil the people. Whether there Is nny common law which can be applied nnd enforced by the federal courts cannot be determin ed by the president or by a cnudldato for the presidency. The determination of this question was left by the people In framing the constitution to the Judiciary nnd not to the executive. The supreme court of the I'nlted States has recently con sidered this question, and, In the case of the Western I'nlun Telegraph com puny versus the Call Publishing com pany, to be found In the one hundred nnd eighty-first volume of the I'nlted States supreme court reports, at page (i'J. It decided that common law prin ciples could be applied by I'nlted States courts In cases Involving Inter state commerce in the absence of Unit ed States statutes speclllcully cover ing the enso. Such Is tho law of the land. Rtciprocity. In my address to the notification committee 1 said that tariff reform "Is demanded bj the best interests of both manufacturer and consumer. With equal truth It can be said that the benefits of reciprocal trade tre-.i ties would enure to both. That the consumer would be helped Is unquos tlonnble. That the manufacturer would receive great benefit by extending his markets abroad hardly needs demon titration. Ills productive capacity has outgrown the home market. The very term "home market" has changed In Its significance. Once, from the maim facturers' point of view. It meant ex panslon; today the marvelous growth of our manufacturing Industries has far exceeded the consumptive capacity of our domestic markets, and the term "home market" Implies contraction rather than expansion. If we would run our mills tn their full capacity, thus giving steady employment to our workmen and securing to them nnd tc the manufacturer the profits nccrulnc from Increased production, other mar kets must be found. Furthermore, when our manufacturers are depend ent on raw materials In whole or par imported. It Is vital to the extension of their markets abroad that they r- euro their materials on tho most fa vorable term. Our martyred president. William Mc Klnley, nppteclntcd this situation. He pointed out in his Inst addles to the. people that we must make scntlblo trade arrangements if "we shall cs tend the outlets for our Increasing sur plus." He said: "A system which pro vides a mutual exchange of commodi ties is manifestly essentlnl to the con tinued nnd henlthful growth of our ex port trnde. The period of oxclti- slveness Is past. The expansion of our trade and commerce Is the pressing problem. Commercial wars ure unprof itable. A policy of good will abJ friendly relations will prevent repris als. Reciprocity treaties ore in har mony with the spirit of the times; measures of retaliation are not." This argument was made In the In terest of our munnfocturers, whose products, he urged, "have so multi plied that the problem of more markets requires our urgent and Immediate at tention." He had come to realize that the so called stand pat policy must give way: that there must be n reduc tion of duties to enable our manufac turers to cultivate foreign markets. The last words of this president, who had won the affection of his country mon, ought to be1 studied by every man who has any doubt of the necessity of a reduction In tariff rates In tho Inter est of the manufacturer. They present with clearness a situation nnd n pro posal remedy that prompted the provi sion In our platform which declares that "we fnvor liberal trade arrange ments with Canada and with peoples of other countries where they can be entered Into with benefit to American agriculture, manufactures, mining or commerce." The persistent refusal of the Repub lican mnjorlty In the federal senate to rntlfy Uie reciprocity trentles nego tiated In pursuance of the policy nd vocated alike by Mr. lilalne nnd Mr. McKlnley, and expressly sanctioned lu the Dlngley net Itself, Is n discourag ing exhibition of bad faith. As already mentioned by me, tho exorbitant duty Imposed on many an Imported nrtlclc by the Dlngley tariff was avowedly In. tended by Its author not to be perma nent, but to serve temporarily ns n maximum, from which the federal gov eminent was empowered to offer n re duction In return for an equivalent concession on the part of a forelgu country. President McKlnley under took honestly to carry out the purpose of the act. A number of reciprocity ngreements were negotlnted, which. If ratified, would have had Uie twofold result of cheapening many Imported products for American consumers nnd of opening and enlnrglng foreign mar kets to American producers. Not one of those agreements has met with the approval of the Republican masters of the senate. Indeed they did not even permit their consideration. In view of tho attitude of tho present execu tive, no new agreement need be ex pected from him. Nor docs the Re publican platform contain a favorabto reference to one of Uie suspended treaties. The reciprocity clauses of the Dlngley net seem destined to re main a monument of legislative cozen nge nnd political bnd faith unless the people take the matter In their own hands nt the ballot box mid commnnd a reduction of duties lu return for reciprocal concessions. Independence For the Filipinos. In some quarters It has been assum ed thnt In the discussion of the Philip pine question lu my response the phrase "self government" was Intend ed to mean something less than Inde pendence. It was not Intended thnt It should be understood to mean nor do I think as used It docs mean less than Independence. However, to eliminate nil possibility for conjecture I now state tlmt I am lu hearty accord with that plan!; in our platform that fuvur.s doing for the Filipinos what we have already done for the Cubans, and I favor making the promise to them now that we shall take such action as soon as they are reasonably prepared for It. If independence such ns the Cubans enjoy cannot be prudently granted to the Filipinos nt tills time, the promise thnt It shall come the moment they are capable of receiving It will tend to stimulate rather than hinder their de velopment. And thlH should be dono not only III Justice to the Filipinos, but to preserve our own rights, for a free people cannot withhold freedom from another people and themselves remain free. The toleration of tyranny over others will soon breed contempt for free dom nnd self government and weaken our power of resistance to Insidious usurpation of our constitutional rights. American Citlzenchlp. The pledge of the platform to secure to our citizens, without distinction of race or creed, whether native born or naturalized, at home and abroad, the equal protection of the laws and tho enjoyment of all the rights and privi leges open to them under the coveuants of our treaties ns their Just due, should be made good to them. In the accom plishment of that result It Is essential that n passport Issued by the govern ment of the I'nlted States to nu Amer ican citizen shnll be accepted the world over as proof of citizenship. Civil Service, The statute relating to civil service Is the outconitof the efforts of thought ful, unselfish and public spirited citi zens. Operation under It has frequent ly been of such n character as to of fend against the spirit of the statute, but the results achieved, even under a purtlal enforcement of the .law, have been such as to both deserve and com mand the utterance 6f the Democratic party tljat it stands committed to the r.vineiple of civil service reform nnd demands Its Just nnd impartial en forcement. Reclamation of Arid Lands. A vast expanse of country In the west, portions of which are to be found In each of the sixteen states nnd terri tories, mentioned in the law, Is direct iy affected by the tintlonnl statute the outcomti of intelligent and persistent efforts of leading -citizens, providing for the reclamation of the arid lands for the benefit of home seekers. Dur ing the years of the development of the measure which finally received the vote of every member of the upper house of congress It encountered opposition, based to a large extent upon the view that the aim of Its promoters was to secure the benefits ef Irrlgntlon to prlvnte owners at government expense. The aim of the statute Is, however, to enable this vnst territory to reclaim its nrld lnnds without calling upon the tnxpnyers of the country nt Inrgc to pay for It Whether the purposes of the bill will be fully accomplished must depend In large measure upon the nbll- I ity. sobriety of Judgment, Independ ence ami uonesty or me omcers or tne Interior department having this great work lu charge. In IIktJ the main cnnnls nnd ditches in the region nffected nggregnted more than M.000 miles, ami the work of rec lamation is but lu Its Infancy., The to tal cost of construction of the neces sary head gates, dams, main cafinls, ditches, reservoirs nml pumping sta tions wns nt thnt time n little over SIKI.OOO.OOO. which of itself suggests the hundreds of millions thnt may eventually be Invested In the territory covered by the statute. The magni tude of the conception nnd the enor mous expense Its carrying out Involves make us realize Uie overwhelming im portance of a broad, capable nnd honest administration of the work authorized by the statute If effect Is to be given to that purt of the plan that relieves tho country at largo from ultimate lia bility. Panama Canal. An Isthmian canal has long been the hope of our statesmen nud the avow ed nlm of the two grent parties, us their platforms in the past show. The Panama route having been selected, the building of the canal should be pressed to completion with nit reason able expedition. The methods by which the executive acquired the Panama canal route and rights are u source of regret to many. To them the statement that thereby a Krent public work was assured to the profit of our people is not n suliiclent nnswer to the charge of violation of national good faith. They appreciate that the principles aud healthy convic tions which In their working out have made us free and great stand llrmly against the argument or suggestion that we shall be blind to the nature of the means employed to promote our welfare. They hold that udherence to principle, whether It works for our good or 111, will have n more benefi cent Influence on our future destiny than till our material upbuilding, nud that we should ever remember that the Idea uf doing a wrong to n small er, weaker nation that we, or even nil mankind, may hnve n resultant good Is repugnnt to the principles upon which our government was founded. Under the laws of the United States the duty Is Imposed on the executive to proceed with duo dlllgeuce lu the work of constructing the canal. Thnt duty should be promptly performed. American Shipping. Our commerce lu American bottom.s amounts to but 8 per cent of our total exports and Imports. For seventy years prior to 1SC0, when the Repub lican party came into power, our mer chant innrlne carried an average of 7." per cent of our foreign commerce. Hy 1ST" it had dwindled to 1!" per cent. Now we carry but a coutemptlbly small fraction of our exports and Im ports. American shipping In the foreign trade was greater by over 100.000 tons In 1S10, nearly 100 years ago. than It wns last year. In the face of the con tinuous decline In the record of Amer ican shipping during the last forty three years the promise of the Repub lican party to restore It Is without en couragement. The record of the Dem ocratic party gives assurance that the task can bo more wisely Intrusted to It. It Is an arduous task to undo the ef fect of forty years of decadence nnd requires the study nnd Investigation of those best fitted by experience to find the remedy, which surely docs not lie In the granting of subsidies wrung from the pockets of nil the tnxpnyers. Investigation of Government Depart ments. Recent disclosures, coupled with tho rapid augmentation of government ex penditures, show n need of nu investi gation of every department of the gov ernment. The Democrats in congress demanded it. The Republican majori ty refused the demand. Tho peoplo can determine by their vote in No vember whether they wish an honest and thorough Investigation. A Demo cratic congress nnd executive will as sure It. Army and Navy. We are Justly proud of the officers nnd men of our army and navy. Both, however, have suffered from the per sistent Injection in personal and polit ical Influence. Promotions and appoint ments have been frequently based on favoritism instead of merit Trials nnd court martinis hnve been set aside under circumstances Indicating polit ical Interference. These and other abuses should be corrected. Pensions For Our Soldiers and Sailors. Tho national Democracy favors lib eral penslous to tho surviving soldiers and sailors and their dependents on tho ground that they deserve liberal treatment. It pledges by Its plntform adequate legislation to that end. Rut It denies the right of the executive' to usurp tho power of congress to legis late on thnt subject. Such usurpation wns attempted by pension order No. 7S. nnd effect has been given to It by ' u congress that dared not resent tho usurpation. It is Bald thnt "tills order wns tunde In the performance of n duty Imposed upon the president by net of congress," but Uie provision making the Imposition Is not pointed out. The act to which the order re fers, which Is the one relating to pen sions to civil war veterans, does not authorize pensions on the ground of age. It does grant pensions tb those "suffering from any mental or physical disability or disabilities of n perma nent character, not the result of their own vicious habits, which so incapaci tates them from the performance of maiui.il labor as to render them una ble to earn n support." This specified requirement of incapacity Is In effect set aside by order No. "8 ns to nil per sons over Blxty-two. The wnr closed nearly forty years ngo. In tho meantime mnny of our soldiers nud sailors long survived the nge of sixty-two nnd pnssed nway without receiving any pension. Skill ful pension attorneys, hunting through the statute, failed to find there n pro vision giving n pension to nil who had reached sixty-two. Many prominent veterans urged the Justice of congres sional action giving n service pension to nil veterans. Rills to Uint effect were Introduced In congress. And not until March bf this year did nny one ever clnlni to hnve innde the discovery Unit the president hnd )owcr to treat the statute as If It read that when a claimant had passed Uie nge of sixty- two yenrs he Is neccssnrlly disabled one-half In ability to perform manual labor and therefore entitled to n pea slon. The present pension commissioner In dlcated his view of the order when in n recent address he thanked the presi dent for whnt he had done and ndvlsed his hearers to use their Influence that n law might be pnssed to the same ef feet. Full confidence, nfter nil, seems not to hnve been placed on the defense of Justification, for it Is pleaded In mitigation that a former Democratic president did something looking in that direction. Even If that were so, which Is not admitted, our present duty would be none the less plain and Im perative. Our people must never tol erate the citation of one net of usurpa tion of power as nn excuse for anoth er. The first may possibly be due to mistake; the second, being based on tho first, cannot be. In explanation, however, It should be said that the or der relied on simply provided that the nge of seventy-five years should be re garded as evidence of inability to per form manual labor. Few men nre nble to perform manual labor at that age, but nearly all men are at sixty-two, The first order is based on n fact that experience tenches; tho other Is based on tho assertion of that which Is uot true ns n general rule. The old Inquiry, "Whnt ure you go ing to do nbout It?" isnow stated In n now form. It Is said by the adminis tration, lu reply to the public criticism of this order, that "It is easy to test our opponents' sincerity lu this mat ter. The order In question Is revocable at the pleasure of the executive. If our opponents come Into power they cnii revoke this order and announce that they will treat the veterans of sixty-two and seventy as presumably In full bodily vigor and not entitled to pension. Will they nuthoritutlvely state thnt they Intend to do this? If bo, we accept the Issue." This suggests the suspicion at least that the order was made to create nn Issue; that It wns supposed to present n strong strategic position In the bat tle of the ballots. Rut as the making of that order was. In my Judgment, nu attempted though perhnps unwlttlngon croachment upon the legislative power and therefore unwarranted by the con stitution, the challenge Is nccepted. If elected I will revoke that order. Rut I go further und sny that, that being done, I will contribute my effort toward the enactment of n law to bo passed by both houses of congress nnd approved by the executive that will give nu ago pension without reference to disability to the surviving heroes of the civil war and under the provisions of which n pension may be accepted with digni ty because of the consciousness that It comes ns n Just due from the people through their chosen representatives nnd not as largess distributed by the chief executive. Foreign Relations. The foreign relations of the govern ment have in lato years assumed special Importance. Prior to the ac quisition of the Philippines we were practically Invulnerable ngulnst at tucks by foreign states. Those tropical possessions, however. 7,000 miles from our shores, have changed all this aud have lu effect put us under bonds to keep the peace. The new conditions call for a management of forelgu af fairs the more circumspect In that the it-cent American Invasion of foreign markets In all parts of the world has excited the serious apprehension of nil the great Industrial peoples. It Is essential, therefore, more than ever to adhere strictly to the trndltloual policy of the couutry ns formulated by Its first president nnd never, in my Judgment, wisely departed from to In vite friendly relations with all nations while avoiding entangling alliances I with nny Such a. policy means the cul J tlvatlon of peace Instead of the glortflca I tlon of war, nnd the minding of our own j business in lieu of spectnculur Informed ! dllng with the affairs of other nations. It means strict observance of the prln 1 clples of International law and ccnJemns the doctrine that a great et.ite. by rea son of Its strength, may rlghtfilly ap propriate the sovereignty or territory of a small statu on account of Its weakness. It means for other American states that we claim no rights and will assume no functions save those of a friend nnd of an ally and defender as against European aggressions, It means that we repudiate the role of the American continental po liceman, that wt refun to act as debt' collector for foreign states or their citi zens, that we respect tho independent sovereignty of each American state and IU light to preserve order and otherwise regulate Its own Internal affairs In Its own way, and that any Intervention In Ita affairs by u Is limited to the single of flee of enabling its people to work out their own political ar.d national destiny fcrr themselves free from the coercion of any European slate Reform In Governmental Expenditures. Twenty-eight yenrs have passed slnco the Democratic party of the state of New York In convention assembled recom mended to the national Dcmocrncy the nomination of Samuel J. Tlldcn as lt candidate for the presidency and declared it to be "their settled conviction that a return to the constitutional principles, frugal expenses und administrative purity of the founders of the republic is the first and most Imperious duty of tho times the commanding issue now before the people of the Union." This strong ex prtstlon was called forth by the national expenditures for tho year 1515, which amounted to !271,Ooo,009- situation which. In the opinion of a majority of our peo ple. Justified an Imperative demand for reform In the administration of public affairs. As the expenditures of the last fiscal year amounted to the enormous total of M2.0O0.Ci00. It Is evident that a thorough Investigation of the public serv ice and the Immediate abandonment of useless nnd extravagant expenditures nro more necessary now than they were then. This astounding Increase Is out of nil proportion to tho Increase of our topula tlon and finds no excuse from whatever aspect we view the sltuntlon. The na tional Democratic plntform declares that "large reductions can easily be made In the annual expenditures of the govern ment without Impairing the efficiency of nny branch of the public service.'' Can there be any doubt of the accuracy of this statement? Hctween tho expendi tures of the ear amounting to lill. (yo.OW and tlme of the Init fiscal year the seventh after Clrover Cleveland ceas ed to tc president aggregating tS2,000.000, there Is a difference su great as to excite alarm In the breasts of all thoughtful men. Even excluding the sum of tM.OOO, 000 paid for the Panama canal rights und to the state of Panama, the expenditures of the last fiscal year exceeded the Bum of JJ32,(r.ov), being more than double tho expenditures of tho government for all purposes during the first year of Mr. Cleveland's administration. The expenses of the first four years suc ceeding the last Democratic administra tion amounted to the enormous average of toll.MO.OOO per year. This large ex penditure was due to a considerable ex tent to the cost of the Spanish-American war, which occurred daring that period, llut the termination of that war brought no relief to the treasury, for the average annual expenses of tho government dur ing tho thicc subsequent years ending June 30, l&Ot, were about 1519,000,090, which is the largest sum hitherto reached dur ing a like period since tho close of tho civil war. This draft upon the revenues of the country has had 'the effect which might have been anticipated, and now we have presented the reverse of the situation, which led to the famous observation, "It Is h condition and not a theory which confronts us." for, although the present incumbent found at the close of the first fiscal year during which he assumed con trol of the administration a surplus of re ceipts over expenditures of more than $31 OW.OfO. there was an excess of ex penditures over receipts at the close of the last fiscal year of 112,000,000, and tho official monthly reports made by tho treasury department show that tho ex penditures are continuously and rapidly Increasing, while tho receipts nre dimin ishing. In this connection it is interesting to note the recent administrative orders for bidding government ofllcers from making public any statement of estimates on which future appropriations are to bo based. If a man of ordinary Intelligence and prudence should find In tho operating ex penses of his business such a tremendous percentage of Increase, would ho not promptly set on foot nn Inquiry for the cause of tho waste nnd tnko Immediate measures to Btop It, especially when trusted employees have been found dis honest nnd convicted and a widespread Impression exists that a thorough investi gation may discover other cases of mal feasance? When the chief executive re ported to congress that '"through frauds, ONWetes and perjuries and by shameless briberies the laws relating to the proper conduct of the public service in general and to the due administration of the post ofllce department hnve been notoriously violated " there was n general popu lar demand for u rigid, sweeping Investi gation by congress In nddltlon to that un dertaken by the executive himself. Such an investigation the Republican majority In congress wodld not permit, although the minority Insisted that the Interests of good government demnnded It And the minority wns right. Tho liberality, pa triotism and national i-rlde of the peoplo should not be mr.de an excuse for waste of the public funds. Official extravagance is official crime. There Is not n sentence In the Repub lican platform recommending a reduction In tho expenditures of the government, not a line suggesting that tho Increase In the cost of the war department from tU, OOO.Oto In ISM to 11D.(XX).X) In 190t should be l.iiulred Into, nnd not a paragraph calling f- r a thorough Investigation of thono departments or the government In which dlthonenty has been recently disclosed. The people, however, can by their votes, if they desire It, order such an Investiga tion and Inaugurate a policy of economy and retrenchment It Is safe to suy that this will not be accomplished by Indors ing at the polls the Republican majority of the house of representatives which re fused the Investigation and made the ap propriations, nor by continuing In power tho administration which made the dis bursements Reform In expenditures must be had In both the civil, military nnd naval estab lishments In order that the national ex penditures may be brought to a basis of peace nnd tho government maintained without iccourse to the taxes of war. Conclusion. I have put aside n congenial work, to which I had expected to devote my life. In order to assume ns best I can the re sponsibilities your convention put upon me. I solicit the cordial co-operntlon and generous assistance of every man who believes that a chango of measures and of men nt this time would be wise, and urge harmony of endeavor as well a vigorous action on the part of all bo minded. The Issues are joined, and the peoplo must render the verdict. Shall economy of administration be de mnndod or shall extravagance be encour aged" Shall the wrongdoer be brought to bay by the people, or must Justice wait upon political oligarchy? Shall our government stand for equal opportunity or for special privilege? Shall It remain a government of law or become ono of Individual caprice? Shall we cling to the rule of the people, or shall wo embrace beneficent despotism? With calmness and confidence we await the people's verdict. If called to the office of president I shall consider myself the chief magistrate of all the people nnd not of nny faction, and shall ever be mindful of the fact thnt on many questions of national policy there are honest differences of opinion, I believe In tho patriotism, good sense and absolute sincerity of all the people I shall strlvo to remember that he may servo his party best who serves his courv try bst.- If It be the wish of the people that I undertake the duties of the presidency I pledge myself, with Ood'a help, to devote all my powers nnd energy to the duties of this exalted office. Very truly yours, ALTON D, PAUKER.