The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-29
THE GREATER EAST.
1t Now Stretches Beyond the Missis-
sippi.

sippi.
(Charles NordhoT in New York Herald
In the recent canvass the combination,
"the South and the West" against the
East was openly proclaimed; and all
the prophecies of the Bryan managers
showed that they firmly believed this
combination would give them sure and
large success. They failed and their
failure ought to induce the Southern
leaders, who were the authors of this
com bination, to ask themselves seriously
the question, "What is the East?"
''The South" has, not merely In this
late canvass, but for many. years in Oon-
grsss, Joined hands with "the West" al
ways to it's OWE discontinue, as well as
to the confusion of our politics. Soutn
err men ought to see now that this IL ne
cause "the West" they have dreamed OF
has been in all these years, SO lar as
opinion, sentiment and political action
goes, constantly narrowing body, while
"the East'' has as constantly and as in
evitabiy marched Westward.
What is the East" as shown by the
recent election9 1t is no longer only the
Atlantic seaboard, down to Mason and
Dixon's line, as the Bryan people be-
lleved, 1t Is not merely this and the
Middle West 1.-The East, III spirit, tenn
per. in opinion on vital questions, has IN
the course of the years since the war,
since 1861, come to include, tor all I'M :
portant public purposes, all OF tho states
east of Kansas and Nebraska, ana tne
Dakotas. and north of Missouri That IS
socially and politically now the East;
and 1.-The Vest" the political West,
consists of Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado,
the Dakotas, Wyoming, Utah and wash
ington.
It was inevitable that this should be
so. 1t is the result of natural couses,
which no mere artificial polltlca! compl-
nation can withstand, or even delay or
obstr, The relationship which this
year showed Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan,
Wisconsin, las much as.Illinols, Indiana
and Ohio, to be component, integral
parts of "the East'' is as close of that OF
father and son; as close as that which
obtains between partners IN successTul
business; or as that of an oid-fashioned
family. where parents and children and
grand children nourished and were pros
Dered by a common interest, common
policy. az well as by the community OF
blood.
OF course, in so great body, there
were ana are men who present or who DO
not feel this close homogenelty of rela-
tionship, pur Jose and interest but they
are what, in my sea days in Cape Cod,
they used TO call .come outers"-men
who found fault with everything, and
were. in general, mere obstructlon1sts,
who refUsed to see the natural and,
therefore, inevitable march of events.
In my early manhood Indiana was the
Far West-very far-so that when
transferred myself from an eastern city
to Indianapolis was pitied as one who
was perversely marching into the wilder
ness and abandoning civilization, but
those days have long gone By.
In an interesting interview on the
political future, published November 9, l
was disappointed that Mr.. Watberson,
usually so far seeing and wise, seemed
not 90 grasp this very solid political and
social fact. He hauled "the East" over
tine Goals and warned back "the East''
with his broom. 1t is ridiculous spectacle,
and thas if "tbe South is wise. if south
ern men of ability want. as they natur-
ally ana properly do to have their share
of influence upon the future OF the
Union. they must find common policies
with this great and growing EAST az
they can easily and rightfully do.
This. in fact, is what their greatest
man since the war, by far the greatest,
L. @. G. Lamar, always urged them to
do. On this silver business, for instance,
he boldly stood with the East, refusing
even to obey the instructions of his Leg
islatufe for silver. He saw that II the
South wanted influence, however. ii
must "marchs withEthe procession" and
seek common ground and common poll
ciss with the East, whose advance west
ward he saw as clearly as Mr.. Watterson
may see it now.
Mr.. Watterson speaks with contempt
of the southern political leaders who set
themselves against the spirit of the age
and made war on Ethe Union. ! think
him right; but was the course sof theil
successors since then much wiserP Tc
make a revolt against the Union was
great folly, but the southern leaders OF
those days foolishly counted upon helr
from the North and were amazed and
disappointed When Fort Sumpter showed
q united North. Their SUCCESSORS have
countedE upon "tbe West" in an attempt
to debase our currency and aishonor the
meme and credit of the country, and
they. too have their disappointment in
finding "the East' stretching across the
whole we'll settled part of the continent
NoRDIcA's DISCOVERY