The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-12-05

Members of Congress.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
Washington. Dec. 5.-fSpecial. i
There IL less interest In the message Of
the president this year than In 1914
and 1915. His recommendations this
year are not considered so important
as In those two years. The first time
1t was known that he was going TO sit
down hard on the preparedness agita-
tors, and everybody wanted to know
how he was going TO do 1t. Last year
1t was known that he was going to
urg a large measure Of national de
Tense, and there was a natural curiosi.
ty to hear him expound his views.
Made II Interesting.
There is one thing TO be said for
President Wilson and his method OF
delivering his message in person-he
has made the occasion interesting.
and representatives listen TO the mes
sage, something they rarely did In the
other days. Out OF courtesy the con
gress must listen to the president
when he chooses to address 1t. Con-
gressmen may not altogether like the
new departure, hut they assemble, and
nearly all OF them stay and listen.
In other days the delivery and read
Ing of the presidents message was a
day Of rest, or. rather. n day for sena-
tors and members to work In their
committee rooms. Mighty few would
sit through the reading Of the long
winded dissertations of Roosevelt or
the judicial expositions of Taft. But
they have TO listen to Wilson.
Cost Of Living.
Notwithstanding the talk about the
recent election aud the possibilities of
a strike on the railroads. the most in
teresting and absorbing talk heard
about congress IL In regard to the cost
of living. It would seem that the peo-
pie have really made an impression
upon congress at last. More than six
years ago the cost Of living was a top
ic, but It was made the football of pol
itics, and that nothing has been done
shows that It was a political affair.
Things are different now. The peo-
Pile have shown an earnestness about
the prices they are paying for the nee
essaries of life, and members OF con
gress have awakened to the fact that
something must be done.
Two Antasonistic Elemests.
Th~ ncpnrouunaan bara nIcn havrp IN
realize that there are two ~antagonistic
elements In this country. They have
generally been together and carried ma
tional elections. but In reality they
have been ~antagonistic all the time.
They are the farmers and the working
men. High prices for farm products
are hard on the laborers. High prices
for labor are hard on the farmers.
When farm products are high the la
borers lose; when labor Is high the
farmers lose unless, ms at present, they
are all getting high prices. Working
men are not complaining so much nov
as that other class-the consumers
who are neither the beneiciaries OF
high prices of labor nor of high prices
for farm products.
Developed by Embargo Talk.
Differences between labor and farm
ers were developed In the talk of an
embargo on foodstuffs. The move was
backed by labor. but strongly resisted
by the farmers, who want high prices
for their products. Labor does not
want an embargo IN munitions, be
cause labor is getting good pay for
making these munitions. SO we see
the antagonisms of two great classes.
Waste Of Food Products.
1t il told In Washington that hun
dreds and thousands of bushels OF
fruit, particularly apples, are rotting
on the ground IN several apple pro-
ducing states because there has been
no one to gather them. Thousands OF
bushels of nutritious nuts have gone
to waste for the same reason. All this
In the face Of the high cost Of living
and the high prices of food articles!
This waste, like high prices, Is due
to the fact that human labor Is too
valuable to be used to pick up apples
and gather nuts. Labor commands
higher prices i'm munition factories and
In making goods for the great war.
Our people will pay for the war, not
so dearly as those nations engaged in
the struggle, but as a strictly neutral
nation the people are paying the price.
"lnside' information.
Senator Clapp Of Minnesota expected
that Wilson would be reelected long
before the November election. v at
a time when many Democrats did not
e a ghost Of a show for their ticket.
1T depends upon their stomachs,' said
the Minnesota senator. IF people
have full stomachs they are going to
vote to retain the party in power
which has control Of the government
at the time. Such has always been
the case" BY full stomachs he meant
the procouf nracr,oritv rrho,