Omaha daily bee., 1890-05-04
A SOUTH AND WEST ALLIANCE.

A SOUTH AND WEST ALLIANCE.
| The suggestion made some time since
| by Senator Ingalls,, of an alliance be-
tween the south and west with view to
the advancement of their mutual inter-
ests, appears to have found very
| hearty response in the south. The idea
| of the Kansas senator was that the two
| sections are united by an identity of
| interests and would ultimately come to-
gether and rule the country instead
of standing apart as at
present and being pulled first
one way and then another by
the east. Perhaps like expression
coming from no other man in the coun-
try would so impress southern men, for
the reason that Senator Ingalls, has been
regarded by the people of that section as
peculiarly and exceptionally hostile to
them, and hence his suggestion has been
received as significantly striking and en-
couraging.
This is the CONNIE mt made upon it by
the New Orleans Times Democrat, which
observes that although political
alliance between the south and
west is impossible, or at any
rate very remote, there is nothing
to prevent commercial and Industrial
alliance, a combination looking to the
advancement of the two sections which
can assure their prosperity and that of
the country ''and free themselves from
any control or dictation on the
part of the east Our southern
contemporary goes somewhat far
ther in its expression of hostility
to the east than we are prepared to
endorse, though its citations of griev-
ances are unquestionably in the main
true. There are examples enough of
eastern selfishness which has OPP
Grated to the disadvantage of both
the west and the south, particularly with
respect to financial and industrial affairs.
This spirit is now being exhibited in re-
gard to the proposed irrigation of west
eran arid lands and in relation to the sill
yer question. But the east has also been
helpful to the west and south, though it
must be owned her people have found it
very profitable to be so. At any rate it
is not necessary to adopt policy of hos
tility to the east in order to effect such u
proper alliance between the south and
west as may be necessary to advance
their common interests, and from which
the entire country would reap the benefit
of an enlarged commerce and ncreasd
wealth, adding to the prosperity and
comforts OF the whole people. What is
wanted, in the view of the Tines Demo-
crat, is the enunciation of western and
southern commercial and industrial
policy, and it suggests convention of
delegates from all portions of the south
and west to frame platform upon
which the representatives OF these
sections in congress could unite. Such
a platform, it thinks, should
embrace silver coinage, more just
tariff, river Improvement, government
construction of levees, and the irrigation
of the arid lands of the west. We are
by no means sure that convention is
necessary or that it could accomplish
anything more than is possible of attain
ment through an expression of the con-
stituencies of the representatives of the
two sections. So far as the general
popular sentiment of the west is con-
cerned it is in favor of all the above
propositions, and if there are any western
members of congress who are not dis
posed to respect that sentiment they
would hardly be moved to do so by the
voice of a convention. We believe, how
ever, that the large majority of such
members are willing to regard the pub
lie sentiment of their section, but we
very much doubt whether it would be
possible for southern members to so far
lay aside political considerations as to
unite with western members for the pro-
motion of any such general policy of
practical legislation as our contemporary
suggests. The time may come when the
representatives of the south will do
this, but it is not to be expected of them
at present, or so long as they are dis
posed to view all questions of public
policy from strictly party standpoint,
whether they involve anything of u po-
litical nature or not.
However, the subject is certainly wor-
thy of consideration, and it is gratifying
to find that the suggestion of Senator
Ingalls, has been SO we'll received in any
ortion of the south. Whatever prac-
ioable proposition may come from that