Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-12-03
Eastern proYincialisms.

Californians have sometimes been pllz-
zled to account for the curious mental
contraction that strikes every observer OF
life and thought on the Atlantic coast.
There are cities there, any one of which
has more people, more factories, more
porkpackers and more money than all OF
ours put together, and yet, in many re-
spects, they are simply provincial towns,
of uncomfortable size.
OF course, place like New York must
have many metropolitan features. AS the
center of the American publishing trade,
it collects literature. 1t has daily news
papers-good in our estimation, great
in the opinion of their SUBJ
scribers, and superlatively grand in
that of their editors. Its comic journals,
like Puck and the Nation, are sometimes
exceedingly entertaining; its preachers
are often spicy, and its theatres attract
all the wandering stars. But all this is
not enough to make metropolis. In the
mental atmosphere of place, in the re-
captivity and sympathetic breadth OF the
people, is q truer test of its growth out Of
rural limitations. When q mans ideas
are bounded by the circle of his daily
rides, when he looks down upon the inf
nitely varied world beyond with the
supercilious contempt of ignorance, that
man, whether he live in New York, or
London or Paris, is pro 7cial. The
Roman or Athenian could 'Ii himself in
his city and call outsider Da uarians, but
in these days the earth is too closely built
to he overawed or ignored by any group
OF houses. Once the metropolitan spirit
could be gained by living in great cap
ital now, in the mighty tide of human
life, any single capital is as insignificant
as Pitcairn's Island, lost in the wastes of
the Pacific.
The honest dweller in the valleys of
Cumberland asks the tourist il the war
is over yet in America, and il we have
missionaries here. On his mental map,
ii he has progressed so far as to form one,
Cumberland is the central mass, with
England as narrow border around it
and the rest OF the world fraying out in a
light fringe. That is the provincial spirit,
and it is prevalent in New York, as we'll
as among the English peasantry. The
people OF the East have intimate rela-
tons with Europe, but the rest OF the
world is to most OF them merely name.
Civilization has marched backward
around the earth, keeping its eyes fixed
on the region it has left. England looks
at the European continent and
ignores America, the Eastern States
look at England and ignore the West.
AT last the circle is completed, and Cali
fornia is the clasp that joins it. We can
go no further without coming to the lands
where civilization began. We can look
at the whole world, and see things in
their true perspective. Instead of con-
timing our thoughts to New York, London
and Paris, we realize the existence of
Asia, Africa and Australia. San Fran
cisco is the chosen haunt of the globe
trotter The atmosphere reeks with his
gossip from Yakoutsk and Cape Town.
We have comparatively few men
who were born here, and none
who were brought up in ruts OF pref
udice worn by the plodding of successive
generations. The intermingling OF
people accustomed tu other conditions
preserves us from the folles that beset
those more narrowly trained. As the
minister's son, finding that the devil is
not SO black as he is painted, adopts him
for his most intimate friend, so the bow.
accustomed to the local prejudice of an
Eastern town, falls an easy victim to
Anglomania when the greatness of En-
gland begins to dawn upon him. That
disease has never ravaged this coast; the
Anglomaniac with us is rare and harm.
less curiosity.
This catholicity Of view, enabling us to
see things in their true proportions, makes
San Francisco the most-humored. toler.
ant town in the world. Our streets are
In wretched condition, but although we
grumble, there is no bitterness of feeling.
We hardly take such things seriously.
and besides, we feel sense of propre.
tlorship in the streets of Paris and Berlin.
There IS every variety OF opinion here ON
every subject but the Chinese question
and even on so vital matter as that
there would be no attempt to suppress nm
unpopular sentiment, il il existed. In
proof we may cite the fact that the Oyer-
land Monthly has really discovered n
man who believes in Chinese immipra-
llon, and has printed an articlefrom him
ANA there is the further fact that LAWYERS
VINO take lees to break down the Resiric-
Ilon act still practice with impunity. The
KIND treatment that the Chinese them |
selves have received, and still receive. in
san Francisco under proyocation that
You'd cause frightful massacre in anv
Eastern city, is sufficient proof that there |
$ mere none Of the warping influence of
narrow training, But we are moi selfsh.
We nave no desire to monopolize our
'ood qualities. AS the East first gave
;lyiilzatlon to US, we shall make il orr |
MISSION to give sweetness and liehtn to |
ne East.-S. Il. Post, NOu. so. |