The morning call., 1893-08-24
EAST AND WEST.

The appeal of Governor Lewellyn of
Kansas to the Governors of the Western
States for a convention to effect CONNER
cial secession from the East appears to
command favor with no one but Governo or
Stone of Missouri. Governor Waite OF Col
orado and Governor Pennoyer of Oregon.
The two first appear to have lost their
wits. the one from a wild idea that he
ought to represent Missouri in the Senate,
the other because of the proposed un-
friendly iegs ation in relation to silver.
If political convention could promote the
navigation of the western affluents of the
Missouri and Mississippi, and of those
rivers themselves, so that they could be-
come the main channels by which the food
products of the plains reached a market
by way of New Orleans, it would be a
cOmmendable enterprise. Such changes
in commercial channels are not usually
brought about by politicians. They come
through the silent working of natural
causes, dlscerned and turned to account
by traders. But good thing is not to be
contemned because it comes from an un-
expected source. II Governor Lewellyn's
convention should lead to the establish
ment of lines of grain barges TO ply from
Salinas in Kansas, through the Kaw and
Missouri TO the Mississippi. or from
Wichita by way of the Arkansas to the
same river. and thence in both cases to
the Gulf of Mexico. it would do good, and
would offer a substantial excuse for its ex-
istence. But if ii sh 0uld merely serve as
vent for sectional jealousy. it would be
both mischievous and ridiculous
The trouble with bodies not conlempla-
ted by our political organization is that
they generally voice the opinion of mmori-
ties and fall under the leadership OF dema-
gOgues. Under our system elaborate ma
chinery is provided for the expression of
public opinion, and 1t rarely happens that
the legislation of Congress is at variance
with the views of the majority of the peo-
pie. There is. of course, in many cases a
disappointed minority; this not unfre-
quenty appeals to the public through
Irregular organizations, and if it is vocifer-
Gus enough il seems to all but careful OBJ
servers that it speaks for the people. TIE
views which are voiced by Governors
LewellyD, Stone and Waite are not enter
tanned by majority of Western voters.
But If they are presented with clamor and
appeals TO sectional jealousy, they are
likely to be referred to in the East as West
ern opinion. and thus this section of the
| country may be urjustly credited with
ignorance of sound financial doctrine.
In many essential questions the interests
of the East differ from those of the West.
| and as the States west Of the rivers in
crease in wealth the divergence is kelly Ia
widen. But where those interests clash
State sovereignty sufficiently protects the
weaker communities from being overriden
by the stronger. On 4 majority of the
! questions upon which the prosperity OF
communities depends, Congress is forbid
den by the constitution to legisIate. and
| the communities themselves regulate their
affairs in their own way. 1t is not likely
that any new grouping of States could be
made which would gather into one fold a
| parcel of Western States whose interests
are identical, for they differ among them.
selves quite as widely as any of them diff
| fer from the East.