Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1896-11-21
and occupying such a vast territoria

| and occupying such vast territorial ex-
| tent, section distinctions, growing out
| conflicting local interests, are inevitable.
| We had a north and south, now we are
beginning to hear of an east and a west.
| He who knows the whole country and is
familiar with the people from the Cana
| dian line to the Mexican border and be-
| tween the two oceans needs not to be told
| that, judged by other nationalites, the
| popular homogeneity in America is little
short Of amazing. United Germany,
united Italy, the Austro-Hungary empire,
neither France nor England, nor even the
Swiss confederation, can boast Of any
thing like the oneness Of origin, charac-
ter ties, aims, hopes, manners and Gus
toms which mark the inhabitants OF the
United States Of North America. But the
demagogue is always around, and there is
ever chance to stir up strife between
rival communities, but he finds work to
his hands and particularly to his mouth,
it being with him usually a hand-to
mouth affair If men would stop and
think, they would offer some check to
this peStiferouS insect. But environment
counts for more than we commonly allow
it, both in human ethics and action. A
few resolute, self-conf1dent leaders, may,
as they often do, compel the reluctant ac-
quiescence of timid, vacillating major
ity; and thus whole communities are
driven like herds Of cattle down the
mountainside by a sort OF conscious i'm
pulsion. I do not believe that in 1S6o-f1
more than two Of the southern states act
ualy voted themselves out or the Union.
Certainly the states of Virginia, North
Carolina and Tennessee did not; and yet
such was the pressure and infection with
the immense union that majority of the
men in these states in March of the at
ter year were found in July fighting the
battles of the confederacy.''
Organized Wealth Must Take Care
DO you apprehend the serious growth Of
the new sectionalism which with the
death Of the old sectionalism, seems to
be struggling into life in American"
If human experience goes for anything
and Is even to count for much, the world
ought to be wiser for the lessons it has
bad. 1 am afraid, however, that organ
lied wealth and power have not yet
grown wise enough to scent the danger
before it is upon them. The eastern sec
ton of our country is already in dan
ger. l have an impression that it does not
see this. Yet l might with profit to lis
all, read chapter out of our own his
tory and take a hint from the experience
of the south. The institution Of African
slavery was thought to confer great bene-
fits upon its possessors. 1t produced in
the south a distinct caste. Recognized
hy the constitution property in man came
to take on a kind of divine right and at
last Its supporters went to war to de
fend 1t. England had got rid Of slavery |
in her colonies Russia had extingui5h2d |
serfdom. Brazil was preparing to emanci- |
pate her slaves. Everywhere except in |
the southern states OF the American |
union the WoI... as set against slavery.
TC cling with tenacity to SO untenable, |
and as has since been revealed, to SO |
lrofitless system Of labor, to say moth |
Ing: about morals, was singularly short |
sighted in the public men Of the south, |
but to take the field in its behalf, and |
against odds, seems nconceivable from
the standpoint of national consequences. |
Let the east take to itself the lesson OF |
the south. In its ostentatious display OF |
tls wealth IN the gradual cultivation |
~ caste in tho ten,fe..cy tc tlLs. as vas,
riches and in the finding Of means to keep
its millions at home, let 1t behold a dan
ger it will do well to consider in the
light Of both ancient and modern history, |
and if it has any real statesmen, lney !
can not put their genius and resources to
better uses than by the construction of
policies which will bring them alliances
and make them friends-policies wide ana
broad, justifying in some measure the un-
limited accumulations they have 1een
able to pile up in such a relatively short
compass Of time Those accretions not |
only serve to breed corruption among !
but they unite against the
simple rights of property all the forces
Of cupidity and rapine, operating on
lgrarian and sectional lines. States have
been saved before now, by timely fore
cast. Only pride, and a very foolish pride
at that, has led Spain to defy the laws CT
God and nature in Cuba. Only pride, the
pride Of wealth and caste, will keep the
east from seeing the truth that 1t must
make a partner Of the rest Of the coun-
try, not only by generous and expanding
policies, but above ALL by just policies, |
harder perhaps, to realize than any other
policies. We can always be generous, |
but 1t is not always easy to be just, wise
y just, even to ourselves"
What would you advise the democratic
party to do Mr.. Watterson?''
What I would advise it to do, and
what 1t is likely to do, are two different
matters. Perhaps 1t could not do any
thing better by way Of starter, than
to appoint the next Sth of January as
! day Of fasting and prayer