The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-10-04

Let us have plain talk about
'Ihigh cost of living" and the high
prices" of food stuffs This suh5sct is
one of the great issues of the cam
paign. From every platform opposi-
ton political orators are hurting at
the Republican party the present
enormous cost of things as one of the
most effective lightning bolts. You
can hear it discussed everywhaR To
deny its political effect would 30 alb
surd. Only the other day q ma of
more than ordinary intelligenoe, a
working man, said, II don't think I'll
vote for the republican ticket this
year. l am thinking of voting for
Wilson. know the democrats want
Free Trade. l know free trade may
mean a panic. l went thTuugh that
panic, when the democrats were in
power. We couldn't buy food be-
cause We didn't have work, but now
We need. II this keeps on, wen be
earning 500 a week and starving to
DEATH" You meet with the same kind
of talk.
OF course, our friends remarks are
not quite logical. There is no doubt,
that If man works, he aDednt
starve, no matter how high the prices
are. He can always buy a little
something. But, when you have no
work, when you haven't got the money
to buy the food, then indeed you are
in dire distress and facing starvation.
Thus, IL our friend votes for the dem
ocratic ticket because the prices are
high, he'll jump from the frying pan
into the fire. Free trade will kill our
industries, There won't be any work
In the great factories and Industrial
plants, and there won't be any money
to buy food with. But while we're
talking on this subject, let us not
overlook the fact that high prices of
food stuffs" is one thing and high
cost of living" another
There is a great difference. The
high cost of living means that Arman
has to spend more money noWadays
to live decently than formerly-say
ten years ago. An income today of
$1,000 per year only goes as far as
one thousand dollars ten years ago.
This is caused, partly, because prices
generally are higher, and partly be-
cause our wants and needs have in
creased. We live better, ea4 better,
and have better homes than IN years
gone by. What formerly was Q lux
ury is necessity now. We must
have pianos, bicycles, automobiles.
We are more amusement mad: We
read more.
Ten or fifteen years ago there
weren't many farmers who felt the
need of a telephone In his hDme.
Now the telephone is in nearly every
farmers home. All this costs money,
adds to your expenses, is drain upon
your earnings and inWsases your cost
of living.
But what explanation there = for
0e rise of food prices, whatever IL is,
it can be readily seen is a different
matter altogether.
There. are many explanations, but
only one view of the matter interests
us in this discussion, namely: is To
republican party ,responslblsl De
President Taft cause this condition!
Did congress order it7 10 the re-
publican congressman and senator's to
blame? When was the inlkmous bill
framed and passed. Ask these Ques-
lions of those who wou11 use the
pepsent high prices as sqppaign ar
cement against the repubii6an party.
ne will not be able to give an adDwsr.
On the other hand II can -bs proven
beyond a shadow @ doom, beyond
IL possibilityA OF q socceo6Dnl GDkrar
61nt1on that the republican pal2 ie|