St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1895-06-08
THE RATIONALE OF PRICES.
Democrats Opposed 10 Artiacisily Created
increases.

TIE nAIiONALE OF FhISESs
Democrats Opposed 20 Aftifacisaly Created
/ IncrSasss.
Some OF our republican contempo-
raries have taken occasion 10 criticise
democratic newspapers that have ex-
pressed qualification atrecent advances
In the prices of many commodities.
They say that democrats are great
sticklers for cheapness, and that they
have no right to be gratifed at. an in
crease OF prices
| This shows only how easy it is to
misrepresent an opponents position,
and how naturally this becomes the re-
sort of those who cannot meet ques-
tion squarely without suffering discom-
future. The sort OF high prices which
democrats chiefly oppose are thoss
artiacially produced. Democrats be-
lieve in the free play OF economic forces,
SO that each man may get what he
earns without tinterferen from the law
! except SO far as may be necessary to
| provide revenue for the government.
They contend that when the govern
ment intervenes to advance the price of
one set of commodities and TO lower
the price or the exchangeable value OF
another set 1t perpetrates an injustice.
| Without such interference by the gov
ernment or others, prices will rise or
fallin proportion TO supply and demand
It Is altogether different in the case
Of artifcially high prices. This Is very
| well illustrated by the outcry about
the recent advance in beef. If this
were due to decrease ID the supply of
| cattle, and the advance in beef cor
responded with the better prices re-
ceived by the raisers of cattle for ami
mails ON the hoof, there would be no
just grounds for complaint. It Is be-
cause the people believe that great
combination, which plumbers producers
and consumers alike, is putting up
prices, that they complain. IL this is
actually the case, there is good ground
for the excitement that exists on the
subject. II, on the other hand, It is
/ due to the unrestricted operation of
supply and demand, prices will remain
1 high until the supply Is increased, or
the demand falls off. The same may
be said Of the price Of petroleum. If
Il ehAG w OA1es ia " SksAA 4EALAAlkE3s e5 WAC
trust magnates insist, then we have
seen the last Of cheap oil until new
sources Of supply are discovered or an
acceptable substitute provided.
The advocacy of prices that are as
low as supply md demand dictate In
wolves no approval Of panic prices.
There is no controversy about the fact
that we have had a disastrous panic,
however we may differ ais to the cause
OF It, Panics involve large falling
of Of demand, because they diminish
the purchasing power OF the people.
Large quantities Of goods are forced
upon the market and sold low TO at
tract buyers Il Ii not d healthy, but
morbid condition. In b normal state
of trade prices do not go below the
cost Of production. When they do
i there must be either an excessive sup
i ply or an inadequate demand. When
we have rally Of commodities from
panic prices, due to an increase Of de.
4 mand, which, in turn, Is due to better
business and the increased purchasing
4 power of the masses, 1t Is, of course, q
! subject Of congratu1ation. Thus the
advance in cotton aud wheat, which
had been abnormany low, was wei
coined both as affording better remun-
Grafton to producers and as q symptom
i of better times.
That cheapness is desirable in itself
cannot be disputed by anyone who OBJ
i serves the whole trend OF our civiliza-
tion. The ultimate measure of value
l,,1
4 to obtain them. The more Of the nee
i essaries OF life man can obtain for a
days labor the cheaper they are to
him. Now, the whole tendency of this
| prominently Industrial and CONNER
| cial age Is to increase the product Of
o days labor. Where the old hand
looms OF less than a century ago pro-
duced only a few yards Of cloth to the
operative hundreds are now produced.
| The effect Of this, of course, Is to make
things cheaper. Hence the improve
ment Of machinery and the various In
ventions and discoveries have cheap
/ ened enormously many articles of
/ prime necessity. The reduction OF
price has In turn led to an immense In
crease In consumption, SO that more lar
borers are employed than before. The
laborere, earning more, have received
higher money wages at the same time
that the purchasing power of money
has increased enormously. Thus the
standard Of comfort for all classes has
been raised, and the masses have been
greatly benefited.
Tho protectionists try to make the
supply Of certain goods artifcia1ly
small by shutting out foreign compe.
titlon By the tariff, and domestic com
petition by combinations Their OBJ
! ject is to put mp prices above the level
OF those that will afford q reasonable
and just profit upon the capital en-
barked As improved machinery, how
ever, diminishes the cost of production
Of some goods faster than the tariff
can increase the prices, they impudent-
" pretend that it Is the tariff that has
cheapened commodities, though all
Intelligent people know that they have
simply become cheaper in spite of the
i tariff. louisville Courier-J Journal.
,------------------------
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.
KinIey is undecided as yet
whether he will visit Ohio this year or
not. Rochester Union and Advertiser.
Gov. Mckinley Is stil hippo
f7,-<,,., II, y d Io,56 xfe ssffsufy.v In saren