The state herald., 1916-10-20
NO Relief GIVEN
Democrats Have Broken Prom
ises Made to Voters.
Main Plank Of Platform on Which VIII
con Was Elected Was Assurance Of
Reduction Of Llvino-lnstead.
Il Has Advanced.

For what purpose did the American
people elect a Democratic administra-
ton In 1912?
Everybody whose memory runs back
four years recalls that the really big
issue In the campaign then was the
high cost Of living and the tariff.
There is no argument on the fact that
the plank In the Democratic platform
Of 1912 having the widest appeal was
that which declared:
ave charge that excessive
prices result In Il large measure from
the high tariff laws enacted and main
tained by the Republican party and
from trusts and commercial conspira-
cies fostered and encouraged by such
laws, md we assert that no substantial
relief can be secured for the people
unless import duties on the neces-
saries Of life are materially reduced
and those criminal consplracies broken
up"
The first thing the Democratic i'd
ministration did was to reduce the
tariff and to adopt an. entirely new tar
In system, abolishing the Republican
protective system. This new tariff law
was approved October 3, 1914. That
was ten months before the war In Eu-
rope began.
You do not have to consult any nd
wiser or table Of statistics to answer
the question: "Has the Democratic
tariff law md other Democratic legls-
latiOn reduced your cost of livlng?"
Did you note any decrease In your
living expense In any month from the
Inauguration Of Woodrow Wilson.
March 4. 1913. down to the PRESENT.
Has the Democratic administration
made good on Its promises? You are
just us competent to answer these
questions rs anyone else.
or course the Democrats seek an ex-
cuse In the fact Of the war In Europe.
They blame that war for the fnil-
ure Of the Underwood tariff law. for
the huge increase In the cost OF govern
ment. for the fact that the cost of liv-
Ing goes ever higher.
Remember back. however. to the
months before the war when the I'm.
derwOod tariff lnw was In effect, and
recall what you noted.
Have you forgotten the closed fac
tories. the stagnation Of Industry, the
laying or Of men. the soup kitchens
In the large cities. the poverty and
the woe that was sweeping over the
landf Have you forgotten the bread
lines and the ever-increasing appeals
for charityf Have you forgotten the
high pricesf
True, there is a measure Of prosper.
ity now. Out OF your own knowl-
edge In your own community you can
trace II back TO Its source. Increased
European buying Incident to the war,
principally war orders. BLOOD. soaked
prosperity" some statesman has called
II. The phrase Is descriptive.
But your own reason tells you that
II Is prosperity that IL not going TO
last.
Have you not noted tbnt this tempo
rary and precnrious prosperity is con-
fined to Industrial centers and to food.
supply regions adjacent to those Indus.
trial centers3
For example. you hnd none OF II on
the Pacific slope. region too new to
maintain great and vnried Industries
that might fatten on wnr orders. and
too remote TO net ns reservoir Of
supply. The great industry OF the Pm.
cihc Northwest. the lumber and shIngIe
Industry. has starved under the free
trade Democratic tnrif. to the sole
advantage Of Canada. with Cnnada's
mills md camps manned by Chinese.
HIndOos md other cheap paid AsIat.
les. The lemon trnde Of California. N
huge trnde when protected. likewise
has starved under the same Democrat.
lc free trnde.
Have you felt any Of the benefits
promised by the Democrats to flow
from this new policy. benefits based
on the III fortune Of your fellow Amer.
lcnns7 Ask this question seriously OF
yourself.