The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1901-08-29
Dolliyer on the West.

Senator Jonathan p. Dolliver in
the September Success The west is
today the theater of power in the
business and politics OF the Ameri-
can people. The center OF popula-
ton has moved steadily toward the
Pacific, and the vote in congress,
which, ten years ago, surprised the
people OF New York by locating the
worlds fair at Chicago, was only an
illustration that the seat OF govern
ment is no longer on the seaboard.
But the people OF the east have no
reason to be alarmed about that,
for the west is made up SO largely
OF their sons and daughters that it
has in it no sentiment except OF al
lection and good will for the old
homestead.
There can be no quarrel between
the thirteen original states and the
river valleys which are now feeding
the world, or with the mountains in
which are hidden the treasures OF
gold and silver, or with the far OF
coast, with it's new born visions of
ships and canals and the wealth of
Ormus and OF Ind. The public is a
unit and the genius of the west is in
reality, only the genius OF America.
The same forces that conquered the
beech woods of Ohio have subdued
the prairies oflllinois and Iowa, and
are now ready for the conquest OF
the arid plains that skirt the Rocky
mountains from the Cheyenne TO
the Rio Grande.
Ii there ever was a tendency in the
west to rely on the politicians to
overcome the hardships incident to
the development CT the new country,
it has passed away, and even the
people OF Kansas and Nebraska
realize that the per capita OF water
has more TO do with their future
than the per capita OF money in CIR
culation in other parts of the coun-
try. When we reflect that Galusha
A. Grow, the author of the home
stead law, still represents Pennsyl.
vania in congress, it will be seen
readily that the miracle OF the de-
velopment of the west has been
wroughtin an incredible short time !;
so short, indeed, that, looking back
ward, it is not hard to.see the blum
ders of haste and waste which at
tended the administration of the
public domain.
The most impressive fact connect
ed with the building OF the western
states has been the congregation in
them Of all sorts and conditions oi
men. In the first place, only the
brave and the strong from Older
commun tiles ventured upon the ex-
pertinent OF making new homes. The
rich and the comfortable do not
move; only the poor, with hope and
courage in their hearts, undertook
the long journeys from New York
and New England to find the larger
opportuni ties OF the west, while mil
lions OF people in other lands, hear
ing the story OF the new world, did
not hesitate to renounce their al
legiance to home and country, to re
new the battle Of life, for themselves
and their children. amid the strange
surroundings OF the wilderness.
They hardly needed to be naturalized
for they loved our flag even afar off,
and have been faithful to our insti-
buttons. in war and in peace. The
ylgor of the transplanted New Eng
land civilization, with it's school
houses, its newspapers, it's court
houses and its town meetings, was
never more perfectly exemplitied
than by the ease and rapidity with
which this mass OF alien languages
has been absorbed and nodded into
robust and aggressive American
ism.
Advertised Letters.