The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-02-10
HIGH PRICES ARE
CAUSE OF WORRY
Many Congressman Fear Their
Seats viii Be Endangered
BY Dissatisfaction
FAVOR BROAD INVESTIGATION
Democrats Discuss Harmon, Marshall
and Gaynor for Presidential Nom-
nation-Numerou Candidates
for Speaker cannon's Place.

Washington.-Many of the Republi
can members of congress. especially
those of the lower house, who fear
that their seats may be endangered al
the coming election, are In favor OF
having a widespread investigation in
to the cases of the high prices Of the
necessaries of life that shall take in
the entire country. 1t is possible that
under the scope of the resolution in
troduced into the senate by Senator
Elkins the inquiry which many of the
Republicans desire may be underta.
ken.
Uncle Sam is looking into the mat.
ter, as 1t relates specifically to the
District of Columbia, over which he
has full legal control. The committee
that is probing into the reasons for
the high prices of food In the District
is getting much material that relates
to the rest of the country, and 1t is
possible that this one investigation
will do much of the work that the Re-
publicans who fear a loss OF their
seats, think ought to be done.
Representative J. Hampton Moore
of Pennsylvania and six fellow men,
bers Of the house committee Of the
District OF Columbia are still hard at
the task Of trying to find out what 1t
Is that makes everything that man
wants to eat and to wear. cost so
much in these United States. Mr..
Moore is a protectionist Of protection
lists and naturally he hopes 1t will be
proved that the tariff has nothing to
do with the present high prices. He
seems to be full of confidence that
such will be the case, but the Demo
cratic members OF the committee who
are looking into the subject believe
that when they get through they will
have material which can be used to
the advantage Of the Democratic par
ty in its contention that the high tar
III makes high prices without cor
responding increase in salaries and
wages.
President Deeply Interested.
There is a deep interest felt by
President Taft in the investigation
now in progress The opening day Of
the inquiry in the committee room of
the house of representative res was the
same day that saw the beginning of
the investigation into the activities of
the meat packers in Chicago. The lat
for fo II I,,r 90
fair, but 1t is possible that when all
the returns are in that the evidence
adduced in Chicago will be of service
to the members of congress who are
trying to get at the facts. BY the
time the subcommittee is ready to
report, the public will have pretty full
knowledge of the testimony of the
witnesses that have appeared before
it, and the country probably will have
made up its mind as to the facts in
the case and will not be moved from
a decision by the report which the
committee turns in.
Democrats Eye White House.
Gov. Judson Harmon Of Ohio, who
will try to succeed himself in the
chief Office of his state, has said that
he will do nothing to further any pos
sible presidential ambition which he
may have until after he knows wheth-
er the Ohioans like him we'll enough
to re-elect him as their chief execu-
tive.
In this way the governor has tried
to take himself out Of the immediate
field of presidential speculation, but
the Democrats in Washington will not
so have 1t. The members of the pres
ent minority party in congress seem
to feel perfectly sure that they are to
control the next house of representa-
tiveS The Republicans naturally
laugh at this claim and say that the
Democrats are simply In the same old
hopeful mood and that hope is all
that they will get out of It. The Dem
ocrats retaliate with the statement
that the majority of the people of the
country do not like the tariff bill and
that they are blaming 1t for the high
price Of living and that on the
strength of these two issues alone the
Democracy is to come into power in
the lower house in the Sixty-second
congress-
The Democrats are talking about
Gov. Harmon and about Gov Marshall
Of Indiana and Mayor Gaynor of New
York. and last, but perhaps. or prob
ably (as you like). not least, William
Jennings Bryan of Nebraska. 1t is the
seeming certainty of the Democrats
that they are to carry the next house
Of representatives that makes them to-
day so active in their gossip about the
party's nominee for the presidency.
and so Gov HaTmon's desire to be left