| OCR Text |
Show THE HIGH COST OF LIVING Everybody has n pet o'xeuso to offer of-fer for the high cost of living, but the honest truth appears to be thnt the wisest men nre unnble to state tho case fully and clearly. It has been shown pretty conclusively conclu-sively that tho decreasing percentage of farmers, as compnrcd with the whole population, has much to do with the steady rise In tho cost of commodities. Perhaps when various other documents docu-ments In ovldenco have been examined exam-ined It will be found that the some what prevalent prejudice and nnlmos-Ity nnlmos-Ity toward tho railroads has a good deal to do, In a fundamental way, with the condition by which tho av-erago av-erago mnn has to pay every cent he can earn for tho necessities of life. The country must depend ns It has alwayb depended, upon the railroads for tho opening nnd populating of now lands. The railroads must bring ' tho product of the farm nnd the people peo-ple of the cities together. A harassed harass-ed railroad means a railroad standing stand-ing still. On tho other hnnd, nn encouraged en-couraged industry of any kind means an expanding Industry. Tho railroads have long been tho popular note nolr of the demagogue and tho recipients of rcbtikcs and criticism from nil classes of peoplo who permit their opinions to bo provided pro-vided to them by others. Perhaps the rallroadB will yet bo considered earnestly In relation to tho cost of living. Perhaps w0 shall all yet make the discovery that the railroads aro not hero to Impoverish us, but to mnko for prosperity and expansion, If they mny only be allowed al-lowed reasona dom from thoughtless abuse. St. i Louis Times. |
