Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-05-22
PARTY THAT CAN DEVISE PLAN
70 REDUCE THEM WILL WIN
in NEXT ELECTION.
50 BELIEVE THE LEADERS
Democrats say Reduced Tariff WIN
solve Problem, Republicans Assers
This VIII Lower Wages Also-Pro
oresslyes Have Other Ideas.
~ GEORGE CLINTON.

WILL. 0O NAO @HEt. u
tory the next time there is q chance
for the people to vote on national 10
d The leaders add that while tns
parties and the people are Taking
about the tariff, the trust, currency
~bsttleships and other things OF I'M
portance, they are thinking mainly Oh
he price Of beef, butter, eggs, clothes
and machinery.
In q measure the Democrats
70 believe that the high cost of living
can be reduced by reducing the ark.
Now Just as naturally a. rain falls U
OF an o~verburdened cloud, the RepuO-
licans answer that If the customs are
cut prices viii 80 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 O and high prices. The
P~rogressives say that there Is . way
to solve the high cost of living and
that II Is not to be found through q
tariff. The duties, they say, should be
cut to a considerable degree; but not
as much as the Democrats desire, and
that this cut with other things yet to
be definitely determined will reduce
the cost of living without reducing the
rate Of wages.
All Studying the Problem.
The high cost of living is to be in
v~cstigAted by a n~on-partisan body, but
whether it will reach any conclusions
of value of course remains to be seen.
The Democrats r 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 80 they hope through trust
legislation and tariff legislation to 40
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 a good many men
and women connected with the Pro
gressive party who are at once
cmists 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 go ahead along
these lines Of investigation If they
choose to, but they will find that the
lines will lead into the realm of sup
ply and demand and natural causes
generally. It is only a few of the
Republicans who, say this as a final an
swer. There are leaders in the
party in Washington who maintain
that the high cost Of living is the real
big problem of the day and that the
Republican party can get back into
power if it shall present a plan which
seems adequate to its solving. For
this reason Republican economists r
to study economic conditions and to
present them to the congressional
leaders some time in the future, but
in plenty of time to make them avail
able in the congressional campaign
mi year from next fall.
Reunion of Parties Involved.
Republicans and ~Progressives are
still discussing the matter of the pos
sible coming together again into n
united party. There is no seeming
possibility at present that this can be
accomplished, and the leaders Of both
sides apparently are Of the opinion
that some time must elapse before
oyertures can be made from either
one side or the other with a view to
securing harmony and reunion. There
is ome sort of a suggestion, however,
from both Republicans and Progress
sives that there is a possibility of re-
union which maybe forced by the
rank and file of the members Of the
old party and the new party, In case
the Democratic party shall fail
through the tariff, trust and currency
legislation to do anything to bring
down high prices without bringing
down wages also. There seems to be
a feeling among the Progressive and
the Republican leaders that with a
continuance of high prices a majority
Of the people of the north, south, east
and west would get together ia a par
ty, call it Republican, Progressive or
Radical, and would attempt through
1t to put some anti-high cost Of living
program into legislation form.
The Democratic leaders say that
Meir method of dealing with big COM
binations of business, the tariff and
other things viii readjust economics
and keep wages virtually as they are
and put the cost, of living on a real
sonable basis. There is q wide diff
ference Of opinion between the par.
lies represented here as to the means
of cutting the cost Of things. It seems
mkely that the country must wait IN
til legislation as at present contem
plated is put to the test