encourage the negro in his hard struggle for industrial independence and assured political status. The Republican platform, adopted at Chicago, explicitly demands justice for all men without regard to race or color, and just as explicitly declares for the enforcement, and without reservation, in letter and spirit, of the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments to the Constitution. It is needless to state that I stand with my party squarely on that plank in the platform, and believe that equal justice to all men and the fair and impartial enforcement of these amendments are in keeping with the real American spirit of fair play.

Army and Navy.

Mr. McKinley and Mr. Roosevelt and the Republican party have constantly advocated a policy with respect to the army and navy that will keep this republic ready at all times to defend her territory and her doctrines, and to assure her appropriate part in promoting permanent tranquillity among the nations. I welcome from whatever motive the change in the Democratic attitude toward the maintenance and support of an adequate navy, and hope, that in the next platform the silence of the present platform in respect to the army will be changed to an acquiescence in its maintenance to the point of efficiency in connection with the efficiently reorganized militia and the national volunteers, for the proper defense of the country in times of war, and the discharge of those duties in times of peace for which the army, as at present constituted, has shown itself so admirably adapted in the Philippines, in San Francisco, in Cuba and elsewhere. We are a world power and cannot help it, and although at peace with all the world and secure in the consciousness that the American people do not desire and will not provoke a war with any other country, we must be prudent and not be lulled into a sense of security which would possibly expose us to national humiliation. Our best course, therefore, is to insist on the constant improvement in our navy and its maintenance at the highest point of efficiency.

Protection of Citizens Abroad.

The position which our country has won under Republican administrations before the world should inure to the benefit of every one, even the humblest, of those entitled to look to the American flag for protection, without regard to race, creed or color, and whether he is a citizen of the United States or of any of our dependencies. In some countries with which we are on friendly terms distinctions are made in respect to the treatment of our citizens traveling abroad and having passports of our executive, based on considerations that are repugnant to the principles of our government and civilization. The Republican party

and administration will continue to make every proper endeavor to secure the abolition of such distinctions, which in our eyes are both needless and opprobrious.

4

Asiatic Immigration.

In the matter of the limitation upon Asiatic immigration, referred to in the Democratic platform, it is sufficient to say that the present Republican administration has shown itself able, by diplomatic negotiations and without unnecessary friction with self-respecting governments, to minimize the evils suggested, and a subsequent Republican administration may be counted on to continue the same policy.

Conservation of National Resources.

The conservation of national resources is a subject to which the present administration has given especial attention. The necessity for a comprehensive and systematic improvement of our waterways, the preservation of our soil and of our forests, the securing from private appropriation the power in navigable streams, the retention of the undisposed of coal lands of the Government from alienation, all will properly claim from the next administration earnest attention and appropriate legislation,

National Health Bureau.

I have long been of opinion that the various agencies of the national government established for the preservation of the national health scattered through several departments should be rendered more efficient by uniting them in a bureau of the Government under a competent head, and that I understand to be in effect the recommendation of both parties.

Publicity of Campaign Contributions and Expenditures. Another plank of the Democratic platform refers to the failure of the Republican convention to express an opinion in favor of the publicity of contributions received and expenditures made in elections. Here again we contrast our opponents' promises with our own acts. Great improvement has taken place under Republican auspices in respect to the collection and expenditure of money for this purpose. The old and pernicious system of levying tax on the salaries of government employees in order to pay the expenses of the party in control of the administration has been abolished by statute. By a law passed by the Republican Congress in 1907, contributions from corporations to influence or pay the expenses connected with the election of Presidential electors or of members of Congress are forbidden under penalty.

A resident of New York has been selected as treasurer of the Republican National Committee, who was treasurer of the Republican State Committee when Governor Hughes was elected

in New York, and who made a complete statement within twenty days after the election, as required by the New York law, of the contributions received by him and the expenditures made by him or under his authority in connection with that election. His residence and the discharge of his duties in the State of New York subject him to the law of that State as to all receipts of the treasury of the national committee from whatever source and as to all its disbursements. His returns will be under the obligations and penalties of the law, and a misstatement by him or the filing of a false account will subject him to prosecution for perjury and violation of the statute. Of course, under the Federal law, he is not permitted to receive any contributions from corporations.

If I am elected President I shall urge upon Congress, with every hope of success, that a law be passed requiring a filing in a Federal office of a statement of the contributions received by committees and candidates in elections for members of Congress, and in such other elections as are constitutionally within the control of Congress. Meantime the Republican party by the selection of a New York treasurer has subjected all its receipts and expenditures to the compulsory obligation of such a law.

Income Tax.

The Democratic platform demands two constitutional amendments, one providing for an income tax and the other for the election of Senators by the people. In my judgment an amendment to the Constitution for an income tax is not necessary. 1 believe that an income tax, when the protective system of customs and the internal revenue tax shall not furnish income enough for governmental needs, can and should be devised which under the decisions of the Supreme Court will conform to the Constitution.

Election of Senators.

With respect to the election of Senators by the people, personally I am inclined to favor it, but it is hardly a party question. A resolution in its favor has passed a Republican House of Representatives several times, and has been rejected in a Republican Senate by the votes of Senators from both parties. It has been approved by the legislatures of many Republican States. In a number of States, both Democratic and Republican, substantially such a system now prevails.

Inaccuracy and Insincerity of Democratic Charges of Extravagance in Increase of Offices and Expenditures,

Our opponents denounce the Republican party for increasing the number of offices 23.000, at a cost of $16,000,000, during the last year. Such denunciation is characteristic of the Democratic platform. It fails to specify in any way what the offices are, and leaves the inference that the increase was resisted by the repre

sentatives of Democracy in Congress. As a matter of fact, the net number of offices increased was just about half the number stated; the increase was due chiefly to the enlargement of the navy, the construction of the Panama canal, the extension of the rural free delivery and to the new offices necessary in the enforcement of the pure food meat inspection, railroad rate regulation, arid land reclamation, forest preservation and other measures which Congress passed with almost unanimous popular approval. The Democratic platform, so far from attacking any of this legislation, specifically approves much and condemns none of it, and it is, of course, disingenuous to claim credit for approving legislation and yet to denounce the expenditures necessary to give it effect.

Charge of Deficit.

Again, it charges that a deficit of sixty millions of dollars between the receipts and expenditures during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1908, occurred. As explained by the Secretary of the Treasury, at least half of this deficit is only an apparent one. The falling off in receipts was, of course, occasioned by the unusual panic, but there is ample free money in the Treasury to meet the difference, and the difference itself is not half of it properly a deficit, because involved in it was the retirement of some thirty-three millions of the bonds of the Government.

During the past seven years the income and expenditures of the Government have been nearly equal, some years showing a surplus and others, fewer in number, a deficit. Taking one year with another, including this year, there has been an average surplus. The surplus last year, for instance, was greater than the deficit this year; so that, in fact, under the present administration there has been no deficit, but a surplus which is actually in the Treasury.

The Democratic platform nowhere points out the expenditures which might be reduced or avoided. It would be found generally that to the increases which have occurred, Democratic Representatives in Congress made no opposition, but rather supported the measures providing them, and now the party has not the courage to indicate what part of government cost it would end. It joins the Republican party specifically in approving the outlay of $150,000,000 as pensions. It expressly favors also the cost of greatly increased river and harbor improvements, the cost of doubling the navy and of many other enterprises to which it urges the Government. Its attack, therefore, has nothing in it of fairness or sincerity.

High Character and Efficiency of Administration. The truth is that it is known of all fair-minded men that there never has been an administration in the Government more efficiently conducted, more free from scandal, and in which the

standard of official duty has been set higher than in the present Republican administration, which the Democratic platform has thus denounced. 'It has had to meet the problems arising from the enormous expansion of government functions under new legislative measures, as well as in the new dependencies, and in the greatest constructive work of modern times, the Panama canal, and its members may well feel a just pride in the exceptional record for efficiency, economy, honesty and fidelity which it has made. We may rely upon our record in this regard in an appeal to the American people for their approval.

The foreign policy of this country under the present administration has greatly contributed to the peace of the world. The important part the administration took in bringing about an end of the Russian-Japanese war by a treaty honorable to both parties and the prevention of wars in Central America and Cuba are striking instances of this. The arbitration treaties signed with all the important nations of the world mark a great step forward in the development of the usefulness of The Hague tribunal. The visit of Secretary Root to South America emphasized our friendship for our sister republics, which are making such strides in the south hemisphere, and met with a most cordial and gratifying response from our Latin-American colleagues. The assistance which we are rendering in Santo Domingo to enable that government to meet its obligations and avoid anarchy is another instance of successful work of this administration in helping our neighbors.

This administration has, by the promptness, skill and energy of its negotiations, secured dominion in the Canal Zone of the Isthmus of Panama, without which the construction of the canal would have been impossible. It has subdued the heretofore insurmountable obstacle of disease and made the place of work healthy. It has created such an organization that in six years certainly, and probably in less, the Atlantic and Pacific will be united, to the everlasting benefit of the world's commerce and the effectiveness of our navy will be doubled.

The mere statement of the things actually done by this administration at home, in our dependencies and in foreign affairs, shows a marvel of successful accomplishment, and if ever a party · has entitled itself to the approval of its works by a renewed mandate of power from the people whom it served it is the Republican party in the present campaign.

The only respect in which nothing has been done is in the development of our foreign marine. As long as we uphold the system of protection for our home industries we must recognize that it is inapplicable to assist those of our citizens engaged in the foreign shipping business, because there is no feasible means of excluding foreign competition, and that the only other method of building up such a business is by direct aid in the