Another factor we are apt to lose sight of, and it is a large one, that of withdrawing so many from the field of food production and moving them over to the side of consumers. Take the army of automobile builders as one instance; these men, with their dependent families become consumers, while engaged in an occupation that aids measurably in the opportunity for fast living, which, as we have seen, adds to the high cost as compared with the ordinary methods in life. Many such instances might be named, but this one must suffice.
Another far-reaching cause—in fact worldwide—is the vast increase in the volume of gold within recent years and consequent decline in purchasing power, which of course carries with it the high cost of commodities exchanged for it measured in dollars and cents. Space will not permit following this feature of the question further, but it is one of the things that must be reckoned with in reviewing the whole question. This, however, is more apparent than real and is entirely without our control.
And so, in summing up, we can see that high cost of living is with us to stay; that, as compared with the simple life, it is a thing of the past; that so long as we practice fast living we must expect a higher cost; so long as any part of a community insists on high living, the inevitable corollary follows that the average cost is advanced.
Are we then helpless to combat this upward tendency in the cost of living? By no means; but if we miss the mark in our effort we lessen the chance of success. We must discriminate and not be led astray by false prophets teaching false premises. When demagogues, for political effect, allege that the "Robber Tariff" is the cause, one can easily see the fallacy of the assertion; when honest people inveigh against the middlemen as the cause, instead of joining in the denunciation of a class, they should look inwardly to the system and try to correct the abuse within. If we are wasteful as alleged, then strive to stop the waste; if we are extravagant, then let us stop it; if we are heedless in the method of making our purchases, then let us turn over a new leaf and begin anew and each do his or her part and the combined efforts will have effect. While we will not get back to all the old-time ways of the simple life (and it is not desirable that we should) yet the effort will correct some glaring defects in our present system. While we may not get the cost of living down to the old standard (and again it is not desirable we should), yet all will agree that a combined popular effort would work a wonderful change for the better in the direction of reducing the cost of living.
CHAPTER LXI.
PREPAREDNESS.
In the eighty-five years of a busy life I have witnessed five wars in which this nation has been a party, not counting the numerous Indian wars.
One of these, the Mexican war of 1846, was clearly a war of conquest, brought on by the discordant element of the slave power, then so dominant and I may say domineering in our councils. Then followed the dreadful War of the Rebellion to settle the question whether the United States was a nation or a loose confederation of States.
I am one of the very few left that witnessed the war of aggression that despoiled Mexico of half her territory, which gave us California, extended our Pacific coast line to the 32° 30' parallel and made this nation a great world power, in fact as well as in name.