The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-24
CURRENT TOPICS.

The New York Tribune of recent issue
printed some instructive figures, which
prices Of various commodi-
ri0ope'. ties are compared with
- prices in 1850, one Of the
most prosperous years since the war. We
quote: "A few comparisons will help to
make this clear. The consumption OF
woollen goods which cost, according to the
census OF 1850, in that year s7.45 per
capita, now costs SAP Cotton goods.
which then cost s6.ss now cost si.55, and
iron and steel products which then cost
$3.50 now cost $3.50, although prices are
at present considered unusually high. In
hides, leather and leather products, boots
and shoes, articles costing S6Gt in 1850 now
cost s5.37. In coal, petroleum., minor
metals, glass silk and India rubber, goods
costing in 1850 arSut s11.44 now cost only
S1024. These products of few of the chief
Industries cost in 1850 in the aggregate
siOs1 but on March 1st the same quanti-
ties of the same articles cost S39.13 In
Guiding breadstuis, which are about Al
per cent lower than in 1850; meats, which
are per cent lower; dairy and garden
products, which are 10 per cent. lower and
the miscellaneous food class, which is over
20 per cent lower, the cost Of all products
represented by 1886 quotations was 2i.4 per
cent lower on March 1st than on January.
l, 1885,
The tendency of the age is to reduce the
cost of production. By the use of labor
saving machinery and by Intelligent
methods we are gradually reducing this
cost, and with a decrease in the cost iof
production necessarily comes a lowering
of the. price TO the consumer. But 1t is
well to note this very important fact that
there has been no corresponding reduction
in the price of labor If anything we think
that wages to-day are higher than they
were ten or even twenty years ago.
-
The Staunton News agrees with The
Times that DR.. R. A. Wise. of the Second.
Virginia District, is indebted
'"e I' g.. to the Virginia election law
for his seat in Congress.
with partisan and one-sided
election law says our Stanton
contemporary. Republicans outside
the State conclude that it was
jorities, no matter how the votes are
cast, and they have little trouble in re-
conciling themselves to vote against the:
Democrat. If the situation were reversed
and the Republicans had such a law, we
feel quite sure Democratic Congress
would do just as the Republican Con-
gress has done. OF course, it is all wrong
but the first wrong is in the law. When
a man goes into court seeking justice he
must have clean hands himself. If the
Virginia election law was not intended to
turn out one-sided results, why was it
made one-sided lin the first place.
There was no question that Mr. Young,
the Democratic candidate from the Second
District, was elected according to the re-
turns. Nor do we doubt that he received
a majority of the votes cast But it was
argued by the Republicans that the Sec
ond District is normally,a Republican
district. and would always elect a Repub-
Hcan congressman with anything like d;
free ballot and fair count. The plea was,
that this district properly belonged to the
Republicans, but that the Virginia election
law kept the Republicans from getting
their own, therefore, a Republican Con-
gress should override the Virginia lection
law and put in the Republican candidate
whether or not. That is the
view, no doubt, that the Republican mem
bers of Congress took of it, and We be-
lieve that they will do likewise whenever
there is contest from doubtful district
in Virginia, and so long as the present law
remains in force.