The Washington herald., 1916-10-03
Prosperity and the Cost Of Living.

The Republicans are raising quite Dit OF po-
litical dust over the high cost of living and the
ever-increasing cost of living, They charge the
Democrats generally and President Wilson spe-
eihealy with being responsible for both. But
apparently the spellbinders Of the G. o. P. are
finding hard task in seeking to prove that the
Democrats and President Wilson are responsible.
The task seems equally as difficult as that OF
proving that prosperity will be dssipated by a
declaration of peace between Europe's warning
nations.
1t is true that there were hard times"
before the great nations the other side OF the
Atlantic unsheathed the sword. 1t is true that
there thousands of out OF work be-
fore munitions factories began to buzz with war
orders But today the nation is prosperous and
to prove to the voter that prosperity is wholly
warmade will require all OF the ability that the
Republican managers can summon.
When the Republicans accuse the Democrats
with responsibility for increasing the cost Of lv-
ing it must be remembered that the cost OF
living did not stand stii or decrease during Mr..
Tafts administration. In Mr.. Wilson's admins
traton, the Republicans declare, there has been
an increase of one-seventh in the cost of fifteen
kinds of food. The food that cost $500 year
under Mr.. Taft cost $342 year under Mr.. Will
son. This increase in food costs is estimated to
mean the extra expenditure of about $S.4o year
for every man, woman and child in the country,
or total extra expenditure of about $500 ooo, 900
year by all the people of the nation.
To the Republican charges about high living
costs must be added the convincing testimony Of
our nonpartisan business Here in Wash
ington within a fortnight have been given two
concrete examples of the higher living costs.
These two examples have been furnished by lead
ing business firms whose testimony will be re-
81 r.. mir habl
Further, the testimony of these business concerns
is reinforced with facts and figures not to be
disputed.
One of these houses, a large ice cream con-
Germ, in announcing increase in the price Of
its product took the public into its confidence and
explained its action by furnishing the people with
figures showing just how much raw materials
have increased in price. Patrons of the concern
were quick to see that the increase in the price Of
the ice not much as the in
crease in the prices OF the materials used in
making the ice cream.
Another local business house, engaged in the
sale of shoes, also took the public into its con-
fdence and gave the reasons for the higher prices
asked for footwear. The statistics showing the
increases in the prices OF materials, labor ETC.,
were convincing that shoe men had no alterna-
tive but to ask more for shoes.
Adding the testimony of such business men to
the statistics Of the Republicans and throwing his
own knowledge into the argument the voter is
likely to regard as proved the contention that
there has been very dsagreeable increase in the
cost of living. With this much of the Republi-
cans case disposed of, the voter then may be
expected to demand one of two things:
I Proof that the Democratic party was re-
sponsible.
, Proof that the Republican party can do bet
ter.
If the Republicans cannot meet the voters
demand they still may fall back on the assertion
that the Democrats made big mistake in putting
plank in the Baltimore platform charging the
Republicans with responsibility for the high
cost of living. In this plank the Democrats said:
The high cost of living is serious problem
in every American home. The Republican party,
in its platform, attempts to escape from response
bility for present conditions by denying that they
are due to a protective tariff. We take issue with
them on this subject, and charge that excessive
prices result in a large measure from the high
tariff laws enacted and maintained by the Repub-
lcan party and from such trusts and commercial
conspiraces fostered and encouraged by such
laws, and assert that no substantial relief
can be secured for the people without import
reduced and these criminal conspiracies broken
up"
The above calls to mind the fact that the
Democrats themselves have proved, during Mr..
Wilson's administration the fallacy of some Of
their most important indictments OF the Repub-
lican party.