Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-12

New York IL great and prosperous city,
the largest and by far the richest In the coun.
try, and these distinguishing characteristics
she will probably always be able TO retain She
Is acknowledged to be the financial and COM
mercial center of the continent, ana the pivotal
point of nearly IL not quite all the industrial
activities of the American people, The BUSH
ness metropolis of tine country she is, but,
strange as 1t may seem, her people are entirely
without that cosmopolitan which would nat
uraily be expected from her commanding posi-
Ton, the magnitude of her operations and her
Iar-reach1ng and varied interests On the other
hano, their minds as q rule run in narrow
grooves and shallow channels, shaped wholly
by Individual interests. They utterly lack
that breadth of view and tolerant spirit which
usually come from large intercourse with peo-
pie OF other states and countries. Residents
and strangers alike must follow one style in
dress and department., and fashions must be
changed al fixed times, under the penalty Of
social ostracism. Her people are, in short, given
10 the habit of regarding nothing as good which
does not originate in New York or has not been
plainly marked with the stamp of New York
approval. Even more than Bostonians, they
believe that to be in and of their city Is the sum
of all earthly attainment and reasonable hope.
They furthermore VIGOROUSLY less public
spirited than the people of any other city in
the United States. The rich New Yorker is lib
iture OF money to ward his personal comfort or
in OstentatiOus display, but when 10 comes to
quietly opening his own purse for the benedt Of
the community In which he lives he suffers
immensely by comparison with the people of
any other large city that can be named.
1t is, for example, one OF the commonest
things for New Workers to sheer at Philadelphia
as provincial place, and as an overgrown
country village yet in the way of raising money
by voluntary contributions for public purposes
there has been far more unanimity Of action
and much greater liberality, in proportion to
wealth aud numbers, in the latter than in the
former city. Most conclusive evidence is fur.
nished on this point by the splendid success of
the centennial exhibition in Philadelphia, in
1876, contrasted with the wretched failure Of
the proposed worlds exposition in New York
few years later. The disgraceful experience of
the Bartholdi statue is another illustration
where New York appears at great disad-
vantage, and still another glaring instance is
furnished by the projected monument to
General Grant in Riverside Park.
However the apologsts for New York's back
wardness in these respects may console them
selves, they should know that 1t has earned
the contempt and derisiOn of the entire country
outside of her city limits These are plain
words; but they are the truth, however unpala-
table 1t may be. The indisposition OF other
places TO contribute to the memorial to Grant
Which New York proposes to erect, does not
come, as her journals alege, from jealousy of
that city. nor yet from dissatisfaction with the
place chosen for the great soldiers tomb. 1t
rests on a far broader and deeper foundation
than that. 1t is based solely on the clear con-
viction that New York has not herself done ner
duty nor anything approaching her duty in the
premises, and does not show signs of any dis
position To do it. More than two weeks, in
which Grant has been the center of all mems
thoughts, have gone by since contributions for
the structure Were invited and yet the beggarly
sum that has been given for the purpose by the
people of that rich and popnlous city would
have been doubled, under the same circum-
stances. by the quick and willing gifts of any
city in the country containing q hundred thou.
sand inhabitants. Other places decline to con.
tribute to the New York monument, not be-
cause they are jealous envious OF that city,
but because they are ashamed of her. She
ought to be ashamed of herself.
the pending campaign in New York state
will be watched with much interest all over
the country. In a certain sense the admins
tration is on trial, though it would be unfair to
take the vote as too specific q verdict. It is
claimed by the Presidents friends that he will
take no share whatever in the contest, but even
If he really does keep aloof he cannot wholly
separate the party in the state from the party
at large as represented by his administration.
1t will be judicious for the President to avoid
as far Us possible all responsibility, for the strug-
gle can scarcely fail to show democratic losses
over the phenomenal victory by which Mr..
Cleveland became governor. New York is one
OF the closest and most doubtful states in the
Union, and just now the uncertainties are
greater than usual, owing to the disafYection OF
Tamniany and the large Independent VOTE 1t
will be very difficult to nominate a man who
can poll the full democratic vote and also win
the sufrages OF the mugwumps. The New
York Tunes warns the democrats very plainly
that Gov. Hill cannot get the independent
vote, and yet he seems to have captured the
majority OF the delegates to the nominating
convention.