Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-12-18
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
TIE POWER or THE WEST.

TIE POWER or THE WEST.
p--
We trust the time is past when the
West shall drain the whole country OF
its enterprise, its muscle and largely OF
its intelligence. II is but few years
since every young man upon arriving al
his majority, felt that the great and
growing West was the only place in
which lie could afford to spend his days,
and make his money. The home OF his
birth and childhood was too dull and
prosy to confne his energies and shrink
his ambition, and the free manners and
tireless energy of the valley of the Ohio
or Mississippi drew away from the east
ern states q large proportion OF their
young men. The. consequence has been
TO build up in the center of the CONT
nent, and away across the plains to
the foot of the Rocky Mountains
vast empire, filled with life, IN
dustry and the fire of Young America,
mingled with the sterling honesty and
tireless industry Of the millions OF the
old world that have crossed the stormy
Atlantic 10 better their circumstances,
by building home in the new world,
and becoming citizens of the greatest
free nation of the earth.
There are no antagonisms between the
States Of the Atlantic coast and those
farther West. We are united to our
Western sisters by the ties of blood and
kindred as well as the political bonds OF
brotherhood that unite the people of =
common country. We are glad in the
east that we can now offer such induce
ments to our young men, that a larger
per centage of them can afford to re-
main with us, but our rejoicing rs not
caused by any satisfaction at being able
to deprive the West of any of her popu-
lation or wealth, but because we think
the country viii stand better by keeping
the people and industries of the different
portions well balanced. The "Western
fever" has reached its crisis and the
health Of the patient is beginning to
mend. We may well hope that all Sec
lions may soon keep pace with each
other in growth and development. The
advantages which the West possesses
over the East are fully balanced by
privileges and comforts that we enjoy
that the West can never have, and we
hope they will be made so apparent that
the fiippant advice, "Go West, young
man, 90 West" will find much less
ready response in the future than for
merly.
The older States must acknowledge
that their new western sisters have far
outstripped them. Speaker Blaine said
in his recent address upon being elected
presiding officer of the National House
of Representatives ''At the time of
the organization of this government
there were not, in the whole United
States, fifty thousand civilized inhabit-
ants to be found one hundred miles dis
tant from the flow of the Atlantic tide. "
To-day, he well added, the majority of
the members represent districts then
peopled by the Indian and the adventur-
Gus frontiersman. The Speaker has
been accused of remembering this fact
in the organization of the House Com
mittees, but he had, indeed, no other
alternative, and we do not find fault
with that. The Atlantic States have
only one hundred and sixteen members,
while from the interior States one hun
bred and forty-eight have already be en-
sworn in, so that justice requires that q
majority of favors should follow the
course of empire westward. In 1880
the population of the Atlantic States
outnumbered all others by nearly five
and half millions, while in 1870 the
ratio had been reversed, and the balance
on the other end of the beam run W
to nearly three and half millions.
This being the first Congress after til,
new apportionment by which the bal
ance of power has thus been shifted
there are, undoubtedly, some fifth-rat
men who delight in sectional boastinI
that will spread themselves upon tn
great influence of increased politica
power given the "West," but when W
consider what that term now applies to
we find that the whole geography of tn
country has changed since 1880 the,
western New York or Ohio was tn
West, now the people of Illinois, low
and even Kansas, have as large pc
cent. of their people who desire to ''g
West" as Connecticut and Massachusett
had forty years ago. Distance has bee
annihilated by speed, and in point o
time and expense we are as near tn
Golden Gate of the Pacific to-day, as on
fathers half century ago were to tn
HOLLAND Purchase" in central Ney
York. We find the manners and cuE
toms OF New England extending to th
Mississippi. The population of tn
Central States assimulate to the pecul
arities Of our own, and it is time that a
sectional chickering's stopped, and states
men and members of Congress ceased t
represent sections and annimosities, an
forgot localities in the grandeur of n'
tional glory. The Atlantic States Il
longer could control the government
she would, they ought not to if the
could. We must be one people foreve
more, and no more strife should be Ell
gendered between North and Soutl
East or West