Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-04
No East. No West.

western feeling toward the east is a
toIic which occasionally develops concern
as to the nations future in the minds of
these who are inclined to close and. per
haps. pessmiStic analysis of popular senti-
ment. There is strong tendency among
eastern analysts to imagine that the peo-
PIE of the west are only awaiting favor
able opportunity to repeat the secession
experiment which was tried a generation
ago. To this fre1uently-publshed insin-
uation the west takes exception. More
than that. it makes positive denial, and it
does SO through the medium of one who is
regarded as the legislative representative
of the very elements said to be anxious to
brig about geographical and govern
mental division of the United States. either
the Mississippi or Missouri rivers being
according to the prophetic fancy. the line
of separation. Senator Allen of Nebraska
is closely in touch as any man with
those who compose what may for these
purposes be termed the disconnected west
In the North American Review for May
Senator Allen depicts the situation as it
appears to him. He admits the existence
Of discomfort. but be believes that there
Is fully as much dissatisfaction among the
people of the east with the west as there
is among these of the west with the east
and that there is as much cause fer ask
ing for the justifying reasons therefor as
there is in calling for reasons that justify
western dissatisfaction" The Senator does
not give us much solid support for that
assertion: the best he doas is to refer
vaguely to indiscriminate criticism of the
west by eastern newspapers and by Presi-
dent Cleveland at the recent Presbyterian
Home-Mission meeting in New York city.
IN uh he to toll
Us why the west is dissatisfied with the
east he makes several specific and interest
ing statements upon which controversy
may be based and which may bring into
existence reformatory measures calculated
to ameiorate conditions that may now ap-
pear to be oppressive. After paying a
warm tribute to the fearlesSness and in
dustry of the eastern men and eastern
women who were pioneers and who opened
up the west to civilization the Senator adj
mits western indebtedness to eastern and
foreign capital: he then insists, and prop
erly. that the obligation is not entirely
onesided. for cultivation Of the western
field has been extremely profitable to the
majority of eastern capitalists. whose in
vestments could not possibly have been as
satisfactory elsewhere. Eastern greed,
says the Senator. is the stumbling block
proceeds to declare that the east is OPP
posed to an increase of the money volume
and favOrs an increase of the national
debt that it wants high tariff for purely
protective purposes while the western man
preys for the cheapness which comes from
une ncumbered foreign competition. 1T
can easily be SEEM says the Senator, that
the people of the west are compelled to
purchase their manufactured goods from
the east. with low-priced products of farm
and mine. and pay the freight both ways.
and are thereby put to very great disad-
vantage Is that really SO as the tariff
law is now? Is there not need of more
revenue-and, incidentally, of more pro-
tection-so that additional issues of bonds
be not necessary:
But as to the suggestion of secession
The Senator says that the evils complained
of will be corrected by intelligent and
conservative agitation and at the ballot
box The western people are neither
selfish nor disloyal. They are. on the con-
uary. extremely generous and intensely
American. They believe in the union of
the states and the sacredness of the Con-
stitutiOn. and they will not listen to the
advocacy of anything that looks like seces-
sion. Senator Allen advises the 1nen of
the east to travel in the west and to cul-
uvate the acquaintance of the western man
and the western way of doing business
He eulogizes the deeds of the fcrefathers
who fought for liberty and glorfies the
undivided and indivislble republic He
drives the pessimistic nail squarely to the
head when he asserts, in conclusion Let
it be understood now and for all time that
TO people in the United States are more
legal or more devoted to the cause of the
Union. and. therefore. to the cause of
humanity. than are the splendid sons ard
daughters of the vest