Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-12-05
Fair and Square, and Signs 1t.

The presidential election is over. and
every one knows the result, but peo-
pie are still trying to understand. and
explain to others just why it resulted
as il did.
The Republicans place the blame on
the Progressives. while the Progress
sives blame the Republicans; but the
| Democrats say: Il told you So, and
/ say they knew the Democrats would
| win. 1t is, no doubt a case of history
| repeating itself" as in 1892 Demo-
/ cratic administration was elected.
when there was no Progressive party
ard twas simply Republican VS.. DEM
ocrat. If at the national convention in
| June Roosevelt had been the noml-
nee there are, doubtless. many Re
publicans who would not have voted
/ for him: while if there had been no
Progressive party candidate, there are
certainly thousands of Republicans
| who would not have voted for TAFT
This is more especially true of those
states borderins on the Canadian line
/ because of his reciprocity measure.
! with its discrimination against the
great agricultural interests Of this
nation.
/ The Republican party came into ex-
| istence half century ago. and that
| it's principles have been right. and it's
| administrations honest, are clearly
proven by its past record. Only once
| in all these years, has the Democratic
| party been in full control of our gov
! ernment-from 1893 to 1897.
This country is not under mon
! archical form of government. but is a
great republic having government OF
| the people, for the people. by the peo-
! pie: and the people have it in their
lower by the ballot, if dissatisfied
| with a party administration, to put
some other party in power, and the
| fact that in more than half a century
| the Republican party has been in al
| most entire control of our national
! government, with the exception of one
| administration. Is PROOF positive that
| the party is honest. and it's admins
| ire tions have had the approval of a
majority of the people.
There is certainly one very plain rea-
| son why the people have voted for a
! change; that is because of that great
| ssbug-a- boo the high cost of living.
The cost of living is high, but as some
one has well said, .'the. people can
| stand 1t, and are perfectly willing 10
bear what they can" but in most IN
| stances the trouble is the cost OF high
| living" Almost invariably people com
plain of the high price of the actual
| necessities of life, their daily food, and
while prices of meats, dairy products,
eggs and poultry etc, are higher thah
ever before, many other articles are
much cheaper than several years ago.
! But there is another fact that is al
| most invariably verlooked--that neV-
| ar have the working people received
| as high wages as they are receiving
| now, or are working 50 few hours To
| receive that pay. Wages in all INDUS
| tries are 50 To 100 per cent higher than
| % years ago.
| I noticed recently, an ad. for brick
masons and offering 60 cents per hour.
Not many years ago 50 per day of ten
hours was about the average pay.
carpenters union recently voted III fa-
vor OF d minimum wage scale OF $5.zo
per day OF presumably eight hours,
while not many years ago very Few
| carpenters got more than 81 for ten
hours work. Go into any city OF
1 large village and notice how the peo-
pie are dressed. and it would be almost
impossible 10 tell whether they are
working people, depending solely on
| their daily or weekly wages, or are
| worth their thousands or even millions
But YOU very seldom hear any one
complain of the prices they nave &c
pay for their clothes, or of what II
costS them to attend the opera or the
moving picture shows, or for trolley OF
steam boat rides.
4 A great many have gotten the mis-
largely responsible for the high prices
of many of the necessities OF ilte,, aho
no doubt many voted as they did be-
/ cause of their beliefs; but from Eng
land.-a free trade country-comes the
same complaint of the high cost OF
living. The principal reason for many
agricultural products being high is sim
/ ply because supply has not kept pac'
with demand The population in thi
cities has increased much more than II
the country towns and aoubtless thes'
conditions viii continue for some time
to come. ee
No other country in the whole world
has increased in population, in weaitf
and prosperity, as has the United state.
; since the close of the Civil war In M
other country do the people,-and l dt
/,
who work-have so many of the neces
stiles and comforts, and ev-n the lux
uries of life; receive as high wages, OF
work fewer hours. and this too with
protective tariff, and almost wholly un
der Republican administrations! 1t Is
not at all strange that many young men
who have become voters within few
years voted the Democratic ticket; pu
, it is very strange that many older vot
ers who can readily recall conditions
that prevailed during that Democratic
: administration, should have voted az
!, they did.
We can judge people or parties better
by their past records. than by thel
promises for the future, for 1t is rae
; that during those four years. thousands
were out of work, or working at DE
creased wages, and in many OF th'
aarger cities. soup houses We're estao
lished to feed those who were unable t
obtain work. Now everyone VINO Il
willing to work can get all the wori
thew can do, and at higher wages tnal