Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 75, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 January 1910 — THE REMEDY FOR RUINOUS CONDITIONS. [ARTICLE]

THE REMEDY FOR RUINOUS CONDITIONS.

Some members of the Republican Columbia club at Indianapolisyielding to the general feeling that the Republican party is so torn by factional troubles that it is on the point of going to pieces—recently tried to turn the club into a nonpartisan organization. The movement, however, did not succeed and the club will continue to be known as Republican, in name, at least.

The schemes to force a central bank on the country has gone so far that a bill to establish It with a capital of $100,000,000 has been offered in congress. This bill Is only the opening wedge. When the Interests back of the scheme have sufficiently “educated” the country it will be pushed along a little further and finally passed—that Is if the people do not elect a Democratic congress before the Job gets through. ,

In no country on earth, except tn the United States, does the govern-

ment allow a few persons to monopolize the food supply of the people. It is this monopoly, open, shameless and brutal, that is driving the masses toward starvation and serfdom. The cost of living is becoming unbearable, but the government, under the control of the Republican party, will do nothing to check the greed of the trusts that control our markets.

There is talk on the part of some prominent Republicans to the effect that J. Frank Hanly should be barred out of the next Republican state convention. But why? Didn’t Hanly give them their chief issue in the last campaign? Didn’t he bring bodily into the Republican camp the whole Anti-Saloon League? And didn’t that league work from sun-up till moon-down for the election of the entire Republican state ticket? To be sure! And now all that Mr. Hanly and Brother Shumaker want the Republican state convention to do is to adopt a little plank in favor of state prohibition—just a step or so in advance of the present county prohibition. What are Republicans afraid of?

One of the Indiana Republican papers asserts that “there is no mistaking the fact that Indiana Republicans are for Senator Beveridge.” Some Indiana Republicans are for Beveridge, but how many? Some other Indiana Republicans are against him, and bow many? Without reference to Senator Beveridge's disagreement with President Taft about the tariff bill, there is a numerous and powerful faction that Is not for him. And the vote taken by the Success magazine shows that 'S

about as many Indiana Republicans approve Mr. Taft’s stand-pat tariff views as approve Mr. Beveridge’s alleged “progressive” views. To the disinterested observer it looks as if Indiana Republicans will have a hard time getting their bearings.

One of the big commercial agencies reports that prices have recently advanced in forty-three commodities that are in daily use by consumers and that other increases are in sight. Speaking of this, the Indianapolis Star says: “The cost of living is mounting skyward on light wings. The great question is, where will it all end? Prices of the necessities, as compared with as recent time as a year ago, are startlingly higher. From indications, the first of the year will see a shade more added to the burden, if the forecasts of the industrial agencies are to be credited. It is an undisputed fact that plain, nourishing food is becoming a luxury." And then the Star, which is a Republican newspaper, adopts the conclusion that the remedy is “legislative or judicial," basing this on the theory that the cause of the present "ruinous conditions” is the existing era of finance and combination. But does any sane person believe that the Republican party will provide either a legislative or Judicial remedy? Certainty not. All the evils of which complaint is made have not only grown up under the Republican party, but have been caused by it. If given a chance the Democratic party will furnish all necessary remedies. The people ought to know these things by this time, for they have not only been warned, but have had painful experience of Republican Incom-

petency and recklessness.