The herald., 1893-08-28
INDEPENDENCE. NOT SECESSION.

fact itself cutting any figure in the
United States for years to come-for de
cades at least, and perhaps for genera
tions. The attempt to get up conven'
tion OF western and southern governors
at st. Louis to illuminate against New
York and the east has fallen still-born.
There was no real leaning to what could
be properly called secession intended by
the promoters OF this project. Their
idea was really to organize movement
looking to the diversion of trade from
that overgrown center of selfishness.
This object will be effected in time with
out any formal pronunciamientoes or
conventions. 1t is safe to say that there
has been more thinking going on in the
states west of the Allegheny mountains
and in the south through the whole
Appalachian range, and on both sides oi
it, and on the Pacific coast, than has been
known for the past fifty years. A con-
viction has grown up that there is no rea-
son why o great country like the United
States should be dependent on the capri
| COc 0Ao CuhAtAk COAbiiNohCOc Va oO Au
terly selfish and INSCRIPTIONS class as
that which controls Wall street. The
result of such deep ponderings of a
great evil may not be Immediately ap-
parent, but they will have a potent in
fuence in the end. In the present
money stringency the west and south,
which create seven-sighths OF the pro-
ductive wealth that enables the United
States to enjoy the balance of trade with
the world in prosperous years, and
which prevents our being utterly wiped
out in years which cannot be called
prosperous. have not only been wronged
but insulted. Men of excitable tempe
rament can forgive wrong much more
quickly than they can an insult. The
bankers and moneyed men of Gotham
have sneered at the wealth creating
west. Bank failures, which were precipi-
tated by the cunning and calculating
policy of Wall street, are laid to the &C.
count of initiation and over speculation.
Whenever Wall street and its affiliated
Lombard street wants to knock the bot
tom out OF things they Immediately
destroy public confidence. Having ar.
ranged everything for this sensational
and spectacular tableau, the wink is
given and the wrecking begins. Cur
rency is made scarce and in the lsst
farce Of the kind gold was exported in
immense quantities to England and the
continent of Europe. The gold-bug
press. Tray, Blanche and Sweetheart,
were instructed to set up an unesrthly
yawp that the purchasing clause of the
Sherman act had done all the mischief.
Comptroller Eckels comes to the front
and tells the country that the policy
which has built up such superb
cities as Chicago, Milwaukee, Mime
apolis. st. Paul. Omaha, Denver and
others, is a most reprehensible one
founded on imitation, and he has the
impudence to arraign the west and the
western banks, and to tell them that
the water is being squeezed out of
them. He ought to have said that the
livers and lights are being squeezed out
OF the people by cruel, treacheroue
and Machiavellian policy. This is the
truth, and as the first intelligent effort
in any plan OF remedy the people ought
to be made thoroughly acquainted with
tie facts. They are being abundantly
supplied with object lesaons just now.
AS the facts in the banking situation
in New York become better known the
supreme impuderce of the reproaches
directed towards the west by supercili-
ous Gothsmites and their supporters,
official and other, is realized with more
exactnesa. Ii it had not been
for the issuance of nearly forty
million dollars in clearing house
certificates by the New York bankers
there would not be dozen banks open
in the Empire state today. The anus.
ing feature of the situation is that the
checks of western banks or their own
funds held in New York banks are not
honored. They can get clearing house
certificates, if they want them. but coin
or currency is not obtsinable in the
west and south to move crops or for any
other purpose.
The indignation growing out OF such a
condition OF affairs will not lead to any
attempt at secession, but it will result
in a carefully considered and determined
effort to relieve the United States from
the absolute domination of Wall rect.
The region which New York has under
taken to impoverish can elect the presi-
dent and q majority OF both
houses of congress, and can
make the lave. These will
be 80 designed as to favor the creation
of a number OF commercial centers
which will make the people OF the
south and west independent of Wall
street. The ST. Lawrence and the Mis-
sissippi will figure much more largely
than the Erie canal in the shipment of
grain to Europe. by the enlarging of one
ship canal and the building of another.
There is nothing chimerical in such a
scheme. 1t can be carried o1t far more
readily than the building OF the Erie
canal was in the days when De Witt G.
Clinton conceived that statesmanlike
project.
This is the age OF great achievements,
and the moment the people of the
United States make up their minds that
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