Evening journal., 1916-10-17
LIVING ANp Dos pEMOCRATIC COsT.

S there Delawarean who does not remember with
Il what postiveness President Wilson and other
Democratic candidates and speakers promised to re-
duce the cost of living II the American people would
enrust the control Of national government to the
Democratic party?
Is there a Delawarean who does not realize that
since the Democratic party into power. by the
grace of gold brcked electorate the cost of living
has increased rapidly until today it is wcll-nigh un-
bearable to and women in moderate circumstances
and exasperating to those who are we'll to-do?
Under the Wilson administration and the Democratic
tariff the cost TO the people of the United States
for fifteen articles of food alone has increased in the
last four years approximately one-seventh
An American family under the Taft administration
that spent $500 per year these foods, now pay
ing for the same articles under the Wilson administra-
ton, $S42 annually
Figuring five persons a family this is an increase
Of $S4O for every man. and child in the United
States or the supendous total OF more than $8OOOOO
O0O
Under the Underwood tariff law and the Wilson ad-
ministration the high of living has increased by
leaps and bounds.
Since June 1912. up to June 1916 according to the
latest available government statistics there has been
Of IA per cent in most Of the staple foods
The Democrats have not kept their PROMISE made in
the Baltimore platform TO reduce the high cost OF liv-
ing On the contrary every family in the United States
is paying higher prices for the principal articles of
food IA per cent higher than it cost them under the
Taft administration and Republican tariff law.
In the Baltimore platform, which Wilson was
elected President. is the following plank
"The high cost of living is serious problem in
every American home The Republican party in its
platform attempts to escape from responsibility for
present conditions by denying that they are due to
protective tariff We take issue with them on this
subject and charge that excessive prices result in
large measure from the high tariff laws enacted and
maintained by the Republican party and from such
trusts and commercial conspiraces fostered and en-
couraged by such laws and assert that substan
tial relief can be secured for the people without inn
port duties on necessities OF life materially re-
duced and these criminal conspiraces broken up"
A IA per cent. increase in the cost Of the principal
food stufs is the way the Democrats and the Wilson
administration have kept this pledge to the people
The following table prepared by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the Department Of Labor shows relative
prices Of fifteen Of the principal articles OF food in
June OF each year 1912 to 1916 inclusive To form
basis for the table the price for June 1912 placed
100 and the price for each succeeding year is figured
accordingly by the bureau statsticians
A careful calculation Of this table shows that with
100 basis for 1912 tho 1916 percentage is ia. or
increase of IA per cent. in the cost Of the
bined food stuns since the declaration OF the Demo
cratic platform. Following is the government table
showing the increased cost OF living under
rule: