The record-union., 1896-12-20
VIEWS OF A WELL
KNOWN CALIFORNIAN.
CONTINUED from First Page.)


protection or tariff for revenue amount
to the same thing.
Nothing in my visit to the East de-
pressed me SO much as the knowledge
forced upon me at every step Of the
light in which we are regarded by the
cultivated and educated masses Of the
older and more conservative States. The
demoralizing reports which are given
prominence by the press of this
coast are building up for us a reputa-
ton which is daily discouraging immi-
grafton and driving investment capital
into industrial enterprise in other sec
tionS of the country, where the returns
to the investor are recogniZedly smaller
Il have spent the greater part Of my
manhood in California. / share with
many another the pride to which citi-
zens of this State have just right, but
| am free to confess that my experience
in the East where l have heard freely
expressed the opinions entertained of
us, that / have been Inundated and dis
couraged.
Our conception of things depends
upon our point of view and the only
perspective from which we are judged
by the masses in the East is that Gre
ated by the newspapers Of this coast
and their allies The leading stories
which are telegraphed East reek with
the widest sensationalism, and the
moral and intellectual life of our city
is utterly without representa- ton. While
| was in the East the only stories which
were telegraphed from here We're the
prize-fight affair, where the gate money
was represented at $4,000, with even
its accompanying report of corruption,
and the death of Mrs. Sarah B. Cooper
and her daughter, caused by the latter's
hand.
The expression of opinion in the for
mer case, and / speak Of that which I
heard everywhere was that the al
legged jobbery connected with the prize
fight was only to be expected. and when
the news of Mrs. Cooper's death was
announced the prevailing sentiment
was that she was simply a victim of
the sensa tional phases of social life
here.
When it is recalled that the great
aggregation of news which is wired
East concerning this great State is Of
the most grossly sensational type.
such, for instance, as the Durrant case
the contest over the Fair and Sharon
estates. the prize-fights and other SIM
liar happenings too numerous to men,
ton. and all this to the exclusion of
any representation of the moral. relig-
ious and intellectual life Of the place.
the growth and character of the opin-
ion which prevails about us in the East
is not surprising.
Il was much impressed with the rels-
tive positions which New York and Chi
cago now occupy. They represent
metropolitan centers of two distinct
commercial systems.
In my opinion both cities are very
much overbuilt. both as to offices, busi-
ness stores and residences. and while up
to the present time the opinion has pre-
vailed that city investments were the
safest and the surest, the vacant stores
and houses are creating a reactionary
influence and rapidly enhancing the
value of rural investment properties ="
What in your opinion are the pros
poets of the funding bill?" Mr.. Mills
was asked.
II found no sentiment in the East
which would afford the slightest en-
couragement to those who believe that
the Government ought to take possess
sion of the Pacific railroads and op-
crate them In the interest of this coast
had some personal interviews with
leading members of the Government,
Senators and Representatives. and
found no favorable opinion to any other
proposition that one which looks to the