The Republican journal., 1910-11-10
A CAMPAIGN OF DECEPTION.

1t needed no gift of prophecy to fore
tell the result of the November elections
this year. The signs of the times were
manifest long before election day. 1t is
one of the years when not all but large
number of people could be fooled, and
fooled they have been. The Democratic
contention that the high cost of living
was due to the Payne tariff bill is not
supported by facts, and those who used
this argument knew it to be false. But
that is generally said to be the issue that
induced lifelong Republicans to cast
their votes for a party whose success
has always brought disaster to the coun-
try. The high cost of living is due to
many causes-to the shortening of the
hours of labor, accompanied in some
cases by higher wages; to the liberal
mode of living induced by a time of
great prosperity; to production made
quate to meet demand; to natural causes
that could not be controlled by any po-
litical party or remedied by legislation.
1t can hardly be claimed that the Payne
tariff bill enhanced the price of the nee
essaries of life the world over; yet there
has been like, or greater, advance in
Canada, in Great Britain and in other
foreign countries. Sir Thomas Upton
in recent statement to the stockholders
of his corporation, which carries on a
great grocery business, shows that the
increase of prices in England since 1898
has been in many cases more than is
shown even in the fake price list going
back to 1896, which the Democrats con-
cocted for campaign purposes. Sugar
alone has increased so per cent in Eng
land.
Then as to wages, matter that Demo.
cratic free trade orators have practical
ly ignored. In speech at Wakefield,
Mass, defending the protective tariff of
this country Senator Lodge said: "In
France railroad employees are fighting to
secure minimum wage of 81 day.
Here the wages range from SIP to $23.-
SO week for the same work. Carpen-
tiers in England average $9.40 week, in
Berlin 1898, in France:S10 36, while here
they receive from 50 to $4 so day. 1t
would be serious matter for all workers
if this country embarked on an era of
free trade And the Worcester, Mass,
Telegram adds: "It would mean half
their present wages, even if the indus
tries should continue to operate and pay
any wages, which they have not done
heretofore when the Democrats got after
the tariff and made it close to free
trade The citizen of Great Britain
has on the average $25 in the savings
bank, while the citizen of Massachusetts,
has $240. The whole of Great Britain
has in her savings banks only three hum
dred more millions than the whole of
Massachusetts,, while the population of
Massachusetts is only 8, 1886, 4l6 and that
of Great Britain more than forty-five
millions. Massachusetts is taken as an
example because in that State Demo-
cratic deception and demagogy have been
most conspicuous. Their candidate for
governor, Eugene N. Foss, while posing
as the friend of labor and of the poor
man, and who has denounced the trusts
and advocated the abandonment of the
Republican policy of protection, is him
self connected with the beef trust, a
railroad trust magnate and an employer
of non union labor. 1t seems incredible,
and should be impossible, for such a man
"a demagogue of the most radical type
to succeed in sowing the seeds of dis
content III a commonwealth that has
greatly prospered under the policy nc
seeks to destroy.