The record-union., 1899-03-16
Our silurian Contemporary.

(From the San Francisco Evening Post.)
At the risk Of once more being falsely
charged with opposing a projected ben
eft, we raise the question of appropriat
ing a million or any other sum fol
a public fair at this time. A few yeara
ago it would have made but little diff
ference. California was rich, and het
people so prosperous that waste and
extravaganza did but little harm.-San
Francisco Examiner, March 14th.
That generous tolerance which ac-
cords to every one the charity of being
honestly mistaken enables US to say
that the Examiner is entertaining a
misconception of the purpose, scope and
value of the proposed Pacific Ocean Ex-
position.
The greatest obstruction to the prog
ress of the commercial relation of San
Francisco with the rest of the world
has been the provincialism of TINS
city. This fact has been demonstrated
in a thousand ways. Proyincialism is
the besetting sin of colonies. We are
fond of imagining that the State OF
California became a State and lost its
provincial or colonial relation to the
rest of the country; but the truth,
which always possesses paramount
value in the discussion Of any subject,
must be admitted that California was
a province. 1t had communication
with the people of the United States
by way of the isthmus or by doubling
Cape Horn. It had very irregular
and inefficient mail communication
across the continent, but 1t was liable
to interruption, and, owing to the vast
distance it must be carried, through
countries occupied by hostile indian
tribes. was unsafe as well as uncertain
The aridity of the country lying pc
tween the Western foot of the ROCKY
Mountains and the eastern slope OF the
Sierra Neyadas isolated California from
the rest of the country. This proTln-
cial relation was broken up when the
first overland railroad was completed.
But the accomplishment OF raliroau
communication with the East did not
break UP our isolation nor change the
provincialisn of primitive methods.
The money capital of the world IS
under control of mind. We are too
much accustomed to think of money as
moved and governed by impulse WITHIN
its sordid self. We are too little accuS-
toned to regard the personal equation
which controls the investment OF money
and the growth of communities. Inc
money of the world which is seeking
investment moves in obedience to the
views, opinions and information or It's
owner. 1t is individual human opinion,
after all, which will determine the the-
ater of activity for capital II OPINION
he general that a particular country
will grow, that primitive values VIII
RAPIDLY expand into developed valua-
tions. large sums of capital will be IN
vested at once, and this in obedlence
to accepted opinion.
Every one has observed that invest
ments are as much the subject OF I'M
pulse. fad and fashion as any otner
matter of human interest. We who nve
on the Pacific Ocean and occupy the
right mental attitude toward the SUD
iect believe that a vast proportion u
the active capital of the world mlsnl
find profitable employment in the oe-
velopment Of the commercial ana IN
dustrial interests of this hemisphere.
The opinion that this opportunity ex-
lists. if generally disseminated, Will ac-
complish the result. Nearly one-hali
of the inhabitants of the globe occupy
countries whose borders are Washed
by the Pacific Ocean, and it must IN
the very nature of things be true that
a great commercial and Industrial
awakening will attend the future OF
these countries.
The question for California and the
people of San Francisco to decide is!
What shall our position be? To what
extent will this great commercial awak
ening promote the development Of our
resources and confer upon US the COM