Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-05-06
has many, but
they are poor
things when com
pared with the
genuine. Don't
hug an imitation
of the Ohio, when
you can get the
genuine at no
higher price, of

the other truth, also, that these west
ward immigrants, keeping for gener-
atoms in advance of the transforming
industrial and social forces that have
wrought 30 vast q revolution in the
older regions Of the East which they
left, could not but preserve important
aspects Of the older farmer type. In
the ard West these pioneers have
hated and have turned to preCeive
an altered nation and changed social
ideals. They see the sharp contrast
between their traditional idea Of
America, as the land Of opportunity,
tbs land Of the selfLmade man, free
from class distinctions and from The
power Of wealth, and the existing
America, 80 unlike the earlier ideal.
II we follow back the line Of march
Of the Puritan farmer, we shall see
how responsive he has always been to
isms, and how persistently he has re-
sisted encroachments on his ideals
Of individual opportunity and demoC-
racy. He is the prophet OF the high
or law in bleeding Kansas before
the Civil War. He is the prohi-
bitionist Of Iowa and Wisconsin, cry
ing out against German customs 40
an invasion OF his traditional ideals.
He is the granger Of Wisconsin, pass.
ing restrictive railroad legislation. He
is the abolitionlst, the antl-Mason, the
MIllerite, the woman-sufraglst, the
SpirituRllst, the adherent Of Joseph
Smith, of western New York. Fol-
low him to his New England home 10
the days Of Shsys's rebellion, paper
money, stay and tender laws, and
land banks. The radicals among
these New England farmers hated
lawyers and capitalists. 4 would not
trust them, said Abraham White, in
the ratification convention Of Massa-
ChuSetts, in 1888, tho every one Of
them should be q Moses.' These
lawyers, cried Amos Singletsry, and
men Of Learning and moneyed men
that talk 80 finely and gloss over mat
ters 80 smoothly to make us poor IT,
llterate people swallow the pill, OK
pect to get into Congress themselvesI
They mean to get all the money into
their hands, and then they will swal-
low up all us little folk, like the
Ievlathan, Mr.. President; yea, Just 40
the whale swallowed up jonah
IF the voice Of Mary Ellen Lease
sounds rauCOus to the New England
man today, while il is sweet music in
the ears OF the Kansas farmer, let
him ponder the uttersnces Of these
frontier farmers in the days Of the
Revolution; and il he is still doubtful
Of this spiritual kinship, let him read
the words Of the Jewelers. and sectar-
les Of Cromwelps army.
Looking at the Northwest as q
whole, one sees that, in the character
Of it's industries and in the elements
Of it's population, il is identified on
the east with the zone OF States in
Guiding the middle region and New
England. Cotton culture and the
negro make q clear line Of division
between the old Northwest and the
South. And yet in important bis
torical ideals-in the movement OF
expansion, in the persistence Of agri-
cultural interests, in impNlslVeness, 10
imperislistic ways Of looking at the
American destiny, in hero worship.
in the newness Of it's present socisl
structuTe--the old Northwest has
much in common with the South and
the far West.
Behind her ia the old pioneer past
Of simple democratic conditions, and
freedom OF opportunity for all men.
Before her 10 q superb industrial de-
velopmcnt, the brilIiancy Of success as
evlnced in g vast population, aggraA
gate wealth, and sectional power"