Carlisle Answered

Senator Carlisle's ingenious but not entirely ingenuous argument, in which he attempted to show that the cost of living had been increased by the McKinley tariff, has been ably answered by Senator Hiscock. That gentleman, in a speech ir the senate on Aug. 1, completely svrept away Senator Carlisle's argumenta. He showed that the only increase in the coat of living in the twenty-seven months covered by thesenate finance committee investigation was in prices of such articles of food as are produoed by the farmers of this country. On the other hand, in articles which pertain to daily life, such as clothing, fuel. tools, lumber and building materials, house f urnishing goods, drugs and everything of this character, there had been a decided reduction in cost. The advance in prices of agricultural products are of course largely due to the increased üemand abroad, and the increased amount that the people of this country must pay for food cannot properly be charged to the tariff. On the other hand, Senator Hiscock shows from Senator Carlisle's own figures that there has been such a marked reduction in prices of other articles of daily use, and affected by the tariff, as to warrant the conclusión that the cost of living was reduced through the action of the McKinley law in the sum of over $47,000,000 in the period between October, 1889, and September, 1891. Senator Hiscock's speech on this subject has been printed m full by the Republican national committee.