New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-07
DOES THE EAST HATE THE WEST2

The old cry that the East generally, but more
especially New-YOrk. is hostile. or at least I'M
lust TO the West is revived by "The Chicago
Times Herald as follows:
The West feels and the feeling has mounted for
q score of years. that Its tastes. interests and
purposes have been too little consulted by the
people Of the East. a tone or studied contempt
has prevailed among Eastern publications. We
know no more disconcerting spectacle OF provin-
cial ignorance than a New-York newspaper pre-
SCENTS in its treatment OF the millions of people
who have the good fortune to live west Of the
Allegheny Mountains. They are Americans to
the core their patriotism Is unquestiODed In the
support of educational institutions and other ex-
pressions Of rising civilization they are the mar
vel of Europeans. but to the average New lork
man they are as a strange people. 1t Is safe To
say that a much more genuine knowledge OF the
West will be found in the Office of The London
Chronicle than in the offices Of some New-fork
newspapers Tillman was more than half right
when he called NewYork "the most ignorant
community on the face Of the earth
This charge is not true. The people OF the
East have too many interests In the West
personal. political and pecuniary-to make it
possible for them to assume an attitude Of hos
tility to it, The men and women who are Gre
ating the great empire Of the West today are,
most of them. either Eastern people them
selves, or the children Of Eastern people Their
adopted homc-God's country, as they fondy
and rightly call it-cannot make them for
get their old home in the East, and their
fellow citlzens and kinsfolk in the East
cannot forget them. They are American
equally with ourselves. but with an incom-
parably larger field in which to develop Amer-
can principles and American aims. Their sue
cess will rebound to the welfare and happi-
ness of the East equally with the West; and
oh in tI1 tipn
of the noblcst ideals OF citizenship will be the
heritage not Of the West alone. but of the whole
Nation. Brethren Of the West, your goodly land
Is not yours alone. but yours and ours together
yours by right Of possession and ownership.
but ours also by virtue Of our kinshlp and sym
pathy with YOU 1t is a libel to say that the
East hates the West A pebble thrown at ran
dom on Broadway would almost certainly hit
a man who is either personally Interested In
It's upbuding and welfare, or who Is patriot
ically glad when he hears that It's citizens are
keeping step with the worlds progress There
is no such thing rs an Eastern prejudice against
the West. except as people. whether in the East
or the West. prefer one place Of residence rather
than another
But IL that IL 50. II may be asked how has
the impression got abroad In the West that the
East dislkes it? The answer to that question
il clearly indicated in the passage quoted from
srhe Times Herald Certain journals In the
East and we must add. in the West, have been
responsible for the whole mischief. The West
ern papers have INDUCED I'm references to the
dudes" Of the East. the "effete' character of
It's civilization, and other similar remarks; and
some Eastern papers have retallated by holding
ND certain pec,Iliarlties and weaknesses Of the
West to rdicule. Such horscplay badlnage Is
thought to he very funny by many people. and.
as rule Is only intended by its authors to raise
a laugh.
Unfortunately however, one or two Eastern
papers have seen fit to inject falschoOd and
malice into their gbes Of the West and the
West has been foolish enough TO take them ny
representative Of the East Every one will re-
call how some journals OF the East deprecated
and sneered AT the Worlds Fair because II was
held In Chicago. In taking this tone they
showed themselves to be stupid a. well ny
malicious: for the triumphant success OF the
Worlds Fair, largely due TO the splendid en-
thusasm OF the West. WINS acknowledged by
every civilized nation Of the earth. md most
cordially Of all by the people OF the Eastern
States. The West ought not to have taken