The Tucson citizen., 1902-07-16
AMERICAN TRAVELLERS.

Is II the duty of an American to see
his own country before he goes abroad?
Does he owe ii to himself, as loyal
son of this land of the free and home
of the brave to travel across the
Alleghanies and the Rockies and the
plains before taking ship for foreign
lands? This question is not per-
ennial, but an annual. 1t blooms III
the early summer Of each succeeding
year. when the tide of travel is setting
toward Europe. Some time. perhaps,
it may be settled. Possibly the Los
Angeles League OF Women's Clubs may
take it in hand and dispose Of it as
neatly and effectively as they have
disposed of other great problems, in
Guiding expansion, the trusts, the cur
rency question and the Shakespeare
Bacon controversy, The Citizen has
hesitated for some time about wrest-
ling with the question, but its vener-
able age. to say nothing of its import
ance. entities it to at least one editorial
a year in every well regulated news
paper.
To begin then, no general rule could
be laid down for the guidance OF those
American citizens who can afford 20
travel For some it would be best to
see a great deal of their own country
before going out Of it. The average
New Yorker and New Englander knows
little or nothing of the west. and seems
to be undertaking something more
hazardous when he takes train for Ari-
zcna or Idaho than when he boards
ship for London or Rome. The aver
age western man, when ne undertakes
a journey east. makes New York his
Mecca. and frequently ignores entirely
New England and the States of the
South. If a pilgrimage is made TO
Washington. there is no thought OF
lettering on the way in the Allegheny
country, or in the historic fields of
Virginia. People having special OBJ
iects in viefy find it profitable to go
abroad even If they had seen but little
of their native land. This country Of
ours is so vast and its natural objects
of interest so many and varied, that
little life time and a fortune would
be required for a faithful inspection of
half the numbers on the program. A
European trip, taking in Great
Britain and the leading continental
cities. is much less expensive for per-
son sojourning on the Atlantic sea
board than a journey of intelligent
observation through all the States
and Territories Of this land.
If ones object in travelling is to &C
Quire information. the direction in
which he should go depends on the kind
of information he desires. If ones
object be pleasure. he should go where
he will find those things that viii please
him most. That will depend on what
sort of person he is. The range If /
tastes is boundIess. But an uneducated
mind is not likely to get the best re-
suits from travel. either domestic or
foreign. Good reading, copous read
ing. Is an indispensable prerequisite to
profitable travel.
Love of country is as effectively
stimulated by going abroad as by Jour
neying in ones native land. At home
one sees the magnificent products of
our grandly successful experiment in
government Abroad one recalls .
the blessings left behind, and looks IN
vain for anything compensating for
tfeir absence. One can accidentally
discover more beggars in Europe in an
hour than he could find by diligept
search in this country in a year. He Il
will find striking contrasts with Amer /,
lean conditions in the dignity of labor
the home life Of the lower classes the
oppression Of cruel taxation that we
are teadily coming to, but have not
yet entirely reached.
1t Is very small-calibered American
mind that does not return from a for
eign tour enlarged enlightened and
braced up in patriotism.