Evening journal., 1916-10-02
A DEMOCRATIC MYTH.

ID EDUCTION in the high cost Of living, as promised
~ in the Democratic platform OF 1912, is myth"
declared Representative julius Kahn of California,
ranking minority member Of the House Military Az
fairs Committee. in statement given out last week
In 1912 the Democratic party promised the people
Of the United States 10 reduce the high OF living"
said Mr. Kahn. "They Illuminated against the protec-
tive tariff and blamed the latter for contributing to the
increase of prices for food products of all kinds This
is the plank of that platform
1.-The high cost OF living is a serious problem in
every American home. The Republican party. in its
PLATFORM attempts 10 escape from responsibility for
present conditions by denying that they due to
protective tariff We take issue with them on this sub
ject and charge that excessive prices result in large
measure from the high tariff laws enacted and main
tanned by the Republican party and from trusts and
commercial conspracles fostered and encouraged by
such laws and assert that substantial relief can
be secured for the people without import duties on the
necessares Of life materially reduced and these
criminal conspiraces broken up
Like many another plank it seems to have been in
serted in the platform in the nature Of moasses to
catch flies
Instead OF reducing the price Of living under this
Democratic administration the cost OF food products
has constantly increased Uncle Sam himself feels the
pinch He the greatest purchaser OF commodities in
tho United States He buy cheaper than anybody
else because he buys i'm such large quantities In 1913
at the time the Democrats took possession Of the coun-
try promised to reduce the cost OF living he was
paying twenty-three day per ration for every
enlisted man in the United States That the
cost Of the army ration at that time The ration itself
has not changed for about eight years The same
articles OF food that given the soldiers in 1903
are supplied to them today. Acting Quartermaster-
General IT, G. Sharpe, who testified before the Com
mittee on Military Affairs last March, said that for
the year 1917 the cost OF each ration would be thirty
cents It's cost has increased steadily since 1913 Every
year saw an increase until the ration amounts 20
thirty cents per day. There approximately 100000
men in the regular army and the National Guard at the
present time An increase OF seven cents per ration
means that the taxpayers of Uncle Sam have to pay
si75OO day more than they would have had to pay
in 1913 TO feed Uncle Sans soldiers At that rate the
increased cost feed the army amounts each month
10 Sb25 900 or S63OO0OO per year than when the
Republicans we're in control The taxpayers called
upon to meet this heavy increase But 1t is not only
the food for the army that has increased in cost The
cost Of clothing. shoes and equipment generally has
gone up in proportion
The records Of the government disclose the fact that
under the Underwood tariff bill which is probably the
lowest tariff this country has had prices have adj
vanced steadily and the end Is not yet.
"The Democratic party proclaimed in 1912 that the
protective tariff responsible for the high cost or
living II was a beautiful theory with which they fool
ed many OF the voters of this country The people are
wiser today Under Democratic free trade prices have
risen to the highest point In American history.
"wir the voters again be fooled by Democratic
sophistry In November"
There are thousands OF Delaware househoders. who
have been looking for the promised Democratic re-
duccd cost OF living and found only increased cost
OF living who will realize how wel-foundod is Repre-
sentative Kahns criticism OF the present administration
which promised so much and has accomplished so
little.