The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-18
Is New York Really
Hn american Cify7
From the sun.


n Terry much has been written about
MI the feeling of dislike ana distIust
WI oi; of this city of New York which
west more especially, and it has
been aSCribcd to various causes. one OF
these is envy of New York's superior
wealth, and another is resentment of its
supposed assumption of superiority in
social tone and mental pose: and perhaps
both have had their influence in produce
ing the undeniable result. Whatever
takes place here becomes of a national
interest and Importance which no events
of similar relative consequence in any
other town of the Union obtain and this
instructive tribute to New York as the
great American capital may chagrin even
the minds which offer it. These, how
ever, are only superficial manifestations
Envy and jealousy are foreign to the
American character as deep and COntroll-
ing motives. At the bottom there would
he naturally throughout this country a
feeling of pride i'm the glory of the great
est of American cities The resentment
against New York of which the exhibition
is so frequent and so general at the west
| is due primarily to very different catSe.
| 1t il impatience with the political scnti-
mcnt which separates IL from the best
and uucst national American feeling.
Nor can it he denied that there is jusi-
NCatlOll lOI tne aversion.
New York depends for its own prosrer-
| ity on the prosperity of the whole Union.
1t draws is strength from every part
more than any other community Of Amer
| iCa, yet, politically, New York stands alOof
| from the sentiment which cOnscrNes
| American interests most faithfully and
| expresses most hunorably the spirit of
| American enterprise. Worse still it re-
| ssts and opposes this sentiment steadily
| and with q stoliditN of stubbornness which
provokcs anazcment and resentment else
| where. Patriotism apart, all the interests
| OF New York were concerned vitally in
| the successful prosecution of the civil
| war; vet in 1864 II voted by an oVorwhclm-
| ing majority to throw up the sponge ard
yield to the south, declaring that the wan
| was Il failure, though in seven months
| thereafter 1t was brought tn a triumphant
conclusion, from which New York benc-
| fitted more directly than any other COM
| munity. 1t was as stupid as it was dis
| loyal. II resisted the resumption of specie
| payments vital 10 its prosperity. The
| ClcvelandiSm which was so long an OBJ
| staCle to American progress was gener-
| ated i'm New York ana received it's heart
| lest support here, though the damage II did
| to the City's prosperity was obvious 80
| every intelligence not blinded by political
prejudice. In 1896, thoroughly terrified at
last by Organism, the logical consequence
| OF ClCvclandism. il did better, but only
by a small majority, In 1895, when, as the
| financial market since the election has
proved so emphatically, the defeat Of the
| Democratic party was essential TO lis
| welfare, II gave a Democratic majority
so vast that only The patriotism and com
mon sense Of the outside state saved the
city from falling into that dismal pit The
north generally supported the admins
tration and its sound money and war
policy with great enthusiasm; only the
city of New York was stubborn in It's
stupid resistance to a political movement
upon the success Of which it's welfare de-
pended so obviously. BY eleCting TO con-
gress delegation which refused absolute
ly to express any opinion on national
| questions IT. Stultiied itself as an en-
| lightcned community, and did what it
could to give TO congress a political ma
iority which would have paralyzed it's
financial and commercial markets.
d
How can such community expect ia
command respect anywhere? 1t invit ~
for itself only contempt and distrust. IN
| stead Of exhibiting political enlightenment,
| Il adVcrtiSes obstinate political perverSltN
ana blindness. Instead Of leading the
most civilized American sentiment, fl
COmpcls that sentiment to DRAG it from
, the destruction 10 which il tends with
stubborn PERSISTENCE When both honor
ana interest commanded inc support Ol
the party OF sound money in the late
campaign, New York went to the other
side with even more than it's usual vio-
lence OF perversity. Intelligence pre-
vailed elsewhere; stupidity ruled i'm New
York, ana among the most notable exam,
ples Of II were men prominent in the pro
fassions and in affairs who are now re-
joicmg over the prosperity which only
= the intelligence OF the rest of the state
md the Union prevented item from de
stroying. such community II not com
prehensihle bN the country generally. Il
Is counted ont from the really mtcliig M
| and p-ogr ssiv, American commodities, f.
looked upon as an alien. as I'm obstacle. 2
humiliatmg exception, dcspicablC and ir
rccoyerahly abandoned 10 political per
versity, a community whose inteligenc,
Y Is kept under steadily and h0pclessly 10y
the crushing mass of its ignorance an,
dulucss Of perception,
o
Afto" all, however, there Is nowhere II
9 the American Union so great and compac