Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-09-02
CONFIDENCE AND REASON.

Here in America we are blessed
with peace, but We are beginning to
With the struggle to live already at
point Of high pressure, the recent
advance in prices has added hard
ships that must be felt by ALL and
more sharply by the poorer people, to
whom the saving Of every penny
means something.
Yet the question arises, are we to
suffer for the European war or will
it be suffering inflicted at the hands
of our own people? The latter is
more than apt to be the case. Con-
ditiOnS in Europe maY-thCy natu-
rally will if the war continues for an
indefinite periOd---tcnd to send prices
Of food~iu(rs higher. but there is no
just cause for the present rise in
prices that have already begun to be
tolt on all sides. The prices that
prevail to-day on those articles that
have gone up so suddenly are the
work Of our own people, some of
whom are willing, at any cost to the
pOpulacc, TO add to their stores Of
wealth. We are to-day paying fiCti-
ttous prices for several articles, and
we will be paying fictitious prices for
every article that comes under the
head OF Il necessity to life if we do
not as a nation have confidence in
ourselves and consideration for those
or our fellow men who must buy
from day to day those things neces-
Sary to sustain life. High prices are
often the result OF a war scare" and
there is no reason for such a condi-
ton If we have confidence in our
government ana the men at the head
OF it. We have every reason to have
this confidence to an unusual degree
The government is doing all it can to
prevent the abnormal rise of prices
aud if we will but co-operatN with the
government in its efforts, many if not
all of the hardships that will follow
general imitation of prices can be
avoided. We must stand together in
an effort to combat this tendency to
high prices. We can lend great aid
in this direction by a little self-sacri-
flee and denial. Where the prices
become inflated above Il reasonable
point, Self-dcnial and refusal to buy
such articles as are unreasonable
priced will do much to bring reac-
ton by putting these articles out OF
demand. The law OF supply and de-
mand always controls legitimate
prices, and where fictitious prices en-
ter to the hurt OF the masses, Il cur
Iailment OF demand will inevitably
restore conditions to normal.
Let us at least consider these
things for our own good. We must
Hl necessity bear our part OF the mis-
fortunes of the war in Europe. Every
nation under the sun will feel the eff
tectS Of it, and, human nature being
pretty much the same the world
over, every nation will feel the eff
tects OF the ''grasping" and "grind-
ing" that always follow in the wake
of any unusual condition that enters
TO interfere in the commerce be-
tween nations. The effects OF spccu-
lation in such Investigations causes
Sor advances in pricc-are always
greater than the really justifabie ad-
Vanccs tnat necessarily follow inter
rupted commerce.
Figure II Sc things out for your
selves, refuse to buy those things
which you cannot afford, and deny
yourselves the Injuries that spccula-
tors are making OF common articles
br food. a systematic and general
refusal on the part of the consumer
60 buy abnormally high-priced things
will go a long way toward restoring
normal, COmmOn-scnse conditions in
the markets.
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