Evening star., 1919-08-03
22 ", O. MESSENGER

gress are seeking TO ga He
political capital out OF Tie
high cost OF Iiviag and .ook-
ing forward to reapinS harvest in
the national elections next year
Meantime, the high cost Of living will
probably continue to get higher, from
aii indications. The consumer can oe
certain o. ais fave. While the poll
ticians are trying to place the re-
sponsibility. It is questionable
whether the consumer. examining his
ravaged pocket, will be much inter-
ested in the political phase of the
tragedy.
The democrats started in some time
ago to demand from the party in
power. in Congress relief by legisla-
tive measure from the burden which
every householder is carrying. Now,
the republicans come back with the
charge that the War Department is
Withholding from the public large
supplies of foods and actually per-
nnitting them to perish, with the in
tent Of upholding prices for the
dealers.
xTx X X
What adequate words Of con-
ssrnnation," asked Mr.. MacGregor, in
the House the
coNNivINe CHARGE other day. "can
MADE IN HOUSE. be used when
1t is found that
the executive branch of our govern
ment is conniving and conspiring
with the prof1teers to prevent the
placing upon the market of vast
stores of foodstuffs; that the execu-
tive branch of the government pre-
ferred that good substantial food
should decay and become of no value
rather than permit 1t to. come into
competition with the goods of those
whose aim and purpose was to keep
up the price; a government that
would rather send it to foreign peo-
pies to consume than have it con-
sumed by it's own people; would rath-
er throw it into the sea or force the
soldier to eat 1t, 80 that it would be
consumed or allow It to rot rather
than have it get into the mouths OF
those who had by self-sacrifice and
deprivation furnished the means to
purchase these very foodstuffs.'
Then Mr.. Doremus took up the cud-
gels for. the democrats. He charged
that the men who were playing up
the criticism Of the governments at
titude in the distribution Of food sup
plies owned by the Army were play
ing into the hands Of the discomfort
ed. whenever" he said. 1--WE indulge
in serious charges against the con-
duct Of the government that are un-
founded in fact we furnish grist for
the mill of every bolshevik, every 1.
W. w. and every other discordant eie-
ment in society"
Mr.. Mckenzie was impressed by the
political tinge of the discussion. and
his remarks
QUEER ANGLES are quoted:
TO PARTisANsHiP. II am ad-
monished by
what I have heard this afternoon %
he said, "that when it comes to party
politics we are rather strange indi-
viduals II as an American, would
say that am proud OF the magnifi-
cent record of our War Department
in assembling an army as 1t did,
transporting 1t across the sea and il
] spoke Of the magnificent record of
those boys as they went over the
enemy tranches and brought victory
to the old Stars and Stripes; or il
should speak Of tAe many good .pa-
triotic citizens who came to Wash
ington with flags on the lapels of
their coats and attached themselves
10 the War Department. under the
guise of patriotism. and out Of their
services made great profits. and
whose unconscionable profits in some
instances have been shown by the
excess profits tax they paid. then I
would be referred to as a partisan"
4 * +
But here came the unkindest cut of
all. Can one imagine the democratic
party, the party
AND NOW COMES pie. being pillo-
UNkiNDEsT CUT. pie, being pillor-
ried as allied with
'sbig busfness'-that monstrous bogey:
Absolutely yes: here are the very
words of the charge; "It is strange.
indeed. to see our friends across the
aisle (meaning the democrats) who
have stood. ever since can remem-
Der, as the particular champions OF
the consumers of this country, forced
into a position where they are under
taking to defend the activities of big
business When big business will
undertake to set the prices that our
government shall pay for the things
to feed our soldier boys, and after
they have filled their pockets with
gold, as shown by the diamonds worn
by their families and the excess prof
its that they pay, and then when the
war is over and our government un-
dertakes to dispose of the surplus, we
find these men gather in the room OF
the Secretary of War undertaking to
dictate to him the policy that he
shall pursue In getting rid OF this
surplus stock In order that it may
not disturb their business, 1t behooves
the people to waken from their slum-
ber."
Well, st would appear from these