The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1910-01-13
PAGE FOUR
Summary Of Events as They Happen
oLAN

Suddenly there rises the general cry against
the high prices of living. Strange that this
did not make itself heard be-
HE CosT OF fore the downward revision"
LIVING. put the schedules up on all the
necessaries of life; but, as
usual a nation negligently fails to E'resist the
beginnings" of vicious system, the outcome
of which is faithfully predicted by it's patri-
otto statesmen. Neither does it resist the en-
croachments until the time arrives when the
burden of injustice can no longer be borne, and
national life preserved.
Oh, that men and women would only see, in
time But, tinkering with sordid politics, the
voters allow iniquities to persist which throw
more and more families into the pauper class;
while the women busy themselves with church
guilds, pastors aid societies, etc, ETC., all Of
which are feeble palllatives which ought to
be unnecessary under fair economic condi-
tons For true charity, there will always be
place; but for that form of charity which
virtually says to the mine-owner, the cotton
mill magnate the trust baron-destroy as
much prosperity as you can under our abomi-
nable laws; reduce as many to penury as you
please; send youth to ruin, girls to the brothel,
the aged to the pOorhouse, and we, the chart
tably disposed, will start soup kitchens, and
nurseries, where mothers can leave their babies
while they toll in the sweatshop or factory,
and 'rescue" homes where the ruined victims
of the White Slave traffic can in one instance
out of a thousand be restored to doubtful
usefulness,-the kindest thing to say of it is,
that it is misdirected energy; an energy that
does credit to the heart, but not to the head.
Chilly as we repeat the old adage in other
respects that San ounce Of prevention is worth
a pound of cure", somehow it is never applied
to politics With besotted folly the civilized
world transacts 50 per cent of its business
by the aid of paper Just paper,-in an
effort to get along in commercial life
at all; and vet the idea of creating money
out of paper is fought with frantic terror by
the millions whom sane currency would bene-
fit. A crazed horse, rushing back to burn
ing stable, is as reasonable being as the
average man on the money question.
AS for the Tariff-it goes on, breeding
Trusts and monopolies by the score, and then
we feebly talk of laws to Control" the chad
trusts" How ridiculous! How degrading
to intellect! Is it better to destroy the germ
of disease, or wait until it breeds the disease
in the system, and then try to treat the pa
tent?
1t is high time that grown persons of both
sexes quit their selfish aims, and petty futile
fads and restored their country to basis of
sound, equable prosperity. No industrial &C
tivity will avail, until the purchasing power
of the laborers dollar will be dollars worth
of commodities instead of, as at present, about
an average of 25 cents worth of goods, with
prices continually decreasing the amount of
necessaries obtainable for the price.
While it is generally conceded, even by the
most conservative, that food is about SO per
cent. higher than it was a few years ago, that
does not cover all the living expenses. Rent
has increased enormously in the Cities fuel
has increased more than SO per cent, clothing