Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-08-16
An Appeal to ignorance.

An Appeal to Ignorance.
The republican congressional COM
mittee is sending out portions Of the
report on the cost of living during the
decade 1S90-99, made by Carroll D.
Wright, commissioners of labor, and
published in the November, 1898,
bulletin of his bureau. 1t is supple
mented by like figures, showing the
average wage advance during that
period. The general conclusion is
that the rise In wages has compensated i,
for the increased cost Of suStenance.
Prominence is given by the orthodox
republican papers to this document
both in their news matter and in edi- !
torial comment. 1t is intended to
support the theory that prosperity, !
including high wages can be created !
by legislation, were created by the
Dingley act, and that if cost of living
has advanced, wages have kept ahead I,
of it. The check given to general
industry by the collapse of speculation
two years ago, accentuated by the
present industrial conditions, makes
it essential that the prosperity theory
be fortified by statistics.
Mr.. Cowherd's democratic con-
gressional committee also is impressed
with the Importance of the relations
of cost OF living with party politics,
and meets the republican pronounce
ment with counterblaSt in which it
endeavorS to show that wages have
been reduced, while the cost of living
has either remained stationery or has
advanced, and that the wage earners
are oppressed by the very legislation
which the other side asserts has bene-
fitted them. Tacitly he admits that
legislation can create prosperity, but
only the democratic kind can do it.
He does not take issue with the prin-
ciple; only with details. AS with the
policy of protection, there is agree
ment on doctrine, but disagreement
In particulars.
Both lines of argument are mere
appeals to the ignorant. Both assume
that there is class of voters sutfic-
iently large to have to be addressed
specially, who believe that prosperity
can be made by be-it-enacted. The
republican argument is put out tc
meet present industrial conditions
suffering from the reaction from the
feveriSh activity that followed the
recovery from the depression of '93
Having laid that to the fiscal policy
OF the democrats; having asserted
that the recovery was due to their
own fiscal legislation, it becomes in
cumbent on them to assuage the dis
content Of the class OF voters won BY
that argument, caused by present
conditions. 1t is the unavoidable con
sequence OF the theory that prosperity
is lawmade and justities the protests
made by the Dispatch repeatedly
against that kind Of argument and
the warnings it gave Of its results.
Both blast and counterblast are
wasted energy. II there exist in this
country class of voters who are sc
ignorant that they do not know thai
legislation can only interfere witt
the natural distribution of wealth
that what some gain by it others lose
then that class are ,insensible to dry
statistics. They reason, as the late
Mr.. Donnelly said the voters did who
rejected him for governor Of this
state, Through their bellies" Eacf
one gauges party policy by his owl
experience. Whether wages have
kept ahead Of cost Of living is yer.
acute fact within the daily experinc
OF each. II wage advance in his owl
case has not kept ahead OF foot
advance, he logically charges it t.
the party that taught him to believ
1t could give him prosperity. HI
cares nothing for statistics O
averages. OF what value is 1t to hin
IL the average wage is ahead OF TIN
average cost II bis actual wage is les
than the actual cost? And mel
ignorant enough to believe that Law
can raise their wages are just ignoran
enough to vote against the party tina
asserts that theory. This is one G
the risks attending maintenance G
that theory Paul Dispatch.