Ripley County democrat. (Doniphan, Mo.) 1905-1920, 1913-02-21
STUDY HIGH PRICES
PARTY THAT CAN DEVISE PLAN
TO REDUCE THEM WILL WIN
IN NEXT ELECTION.
so BELIEVE THE LEADERS
Democrats Say Reduced TarIH VIII
Solve Problem, Republicans Assert
This VIII Lower Wages Also-Pre-
aresslves Have Other ldsas.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.--Washington leaders OF
the three parties. Republican, Demo
cratic and Progressive, say that the
party which can present the best plan
to bring down the high cost OF living
will be the party TO be assured OF VIC
tory the next time there is q chance
for the people to vote on national 10
sues The leaders add that while the
parties and the people are talking
about the tariff. the trust, currency,
battleships and other things OF i'm
portance, they are thinking mainly on
the price Of beef, butter, eggs, clothes
and machinery.
In measure the Democrats seem
to believe that the high cost Of living
can be reduced by reducing the tartn.
Now just as naturally IS rain falls out
Of an overburdened cloud. the Repub-
licans answer that II the customs are
cut prices will go down, but wages
will go down with them and that men
with less money will be no better on
with low prices that they were with
more money and high prices. The
Progressives say that there is a way
to solve the high cost Of living and
that It 10 not to be found through the
tariff. The duties. they say, should be
cut to q considerable degree, but not
as much az the Democrats desire. and
that this cut with other things yet to
be definitely determined will reduce
the cost OF living without reducing the
ate Of wages.
All Studying the Problem.
The high cost of living IL to be In
vestigated by a non-partisan body, but
whether It will reach any conclusions
Of value Of course remains to be seen.
The Democrats are going to study high
prices In connection with legislation
affecting the trusts, the tariff and the
currency. They say that the trusts
keep up the high cost Of living and
that the tariff Is the mother of the
trusts. and so they hope through trust
legislation and tariff legislation 10 ae-
complish the thing which seemingly
all people want to be accomplished.
The Progressive party, as has been
noted before in these dispatches, has
established q working bureau for the
purpose Of studying the problem OF
the high prices for food, raiment and
rent. There are q good many men
and women connected with the Pro-
Sressive party who are at once econ
omists and social service workers
These men and women have studied
the economic problems in the hope
that they might find some means OF
relieving the condition Of the poor In
the congested districts Of the big
cities where wages are comparatively
small, families are large and prices
are big.
Some Of the Republicans say that
the Progressives can 90 ahead along
these lines Of investigation II they
choose to. but they will find that the
lines will lead into the realm of sup
ply and demand and natural causes
generally. 1t is only few Of the
Republicans who say this as final an
swer. There are leaders in the
party In Washington who maintain
that the high cost of living 10 the real
big problem of the day and that the
Republican party can get back into
power II 1t shall present plan which
seems adequate TO its solving. For
this reason Republican economists are
to study economic conditions and to
present them 10 the congressional
leaders some time In the future, but
in plenty of time to make them avail
able In the congressional campaign
one year from next fall.
Who VIII Head This commlttssf
Washington dispatches have dis
cussed thoroughly the subject Of
which school Of Democratic thought
is to control the next senate. II
seems, 90 has been said In this cor
respondsnee before. that the Demo
Gratis who say they are of the more
progressive school will be In the ma
jority OF their party In the senate and
will control the committee assign
nents and other matters Of party mo-
msnt. The subject Of seniority Of
service and the claim which II has to
recognition In the matter OF commit
tee chairmsnships also has been dis
cussed and reasons have been given
Why Senator Tillman. who is the rank
ing Democrat on the committee on
interstate commerce, may not be
chosen by his Democratic colleagues
to preside over that important body.
II Mr.. Tillman prefers the chair
nanship Of the naval committee. on
which he IL at present the ranking
member Of the minority side. and fore
goes all claim 10 the chairmanship OF
the committee on interstate COM
msrcs, who win be named az chair
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