Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-11-15
COLORADO IN THE
EASTERN PRESS

EASTERN PRESS
II Is to be hoped that once for all
the Eastern newspapers and masa-
zines that have been wrought up over
political conditions In Colorado will
be able to rightly interpret the vote
last Tuesday. Some OF these period
icals. notably the Arena magazine,
McClure's, Golfers and several daily
papers, have found 1t convenient at
times to draw their own conclusions
and read the state turgid essays on
how it should behave.
All this has been the lingering ef-
feet OF the period OF disturbance
which started with Populism and the
election OF Waite carried through the
years and kept alive by the spread OF
the Patterson explanation OF the
causes OF the Cripple Creek trouble.
1t was TO Patterson's personal, finan-
cial and political interests to have this
view so broadcast and be believed.
Because the East has never been will
ing to accept any view OF the West
tina. did not picture II as wild and
woolly country OF extremes, II
grabbed the Patterson explanation
and would accept none other SO long
as there remained semblance of
basis for IT.
The arrest OF Meyer and Haywood
on murder charges paved the way Tor
a better understanding OF the situa-
ton and the overwhelming vote by
which Colorado has proved Its return
to sanity and Idaho has upheld Good
ing. should be enough to fully con
vince the Eastern press of the error
OF It's former opinions and set it to
righting the wrongs done in the past.
Rightly viewed, there is nothing
that is not admirable in the Western
character. The same political dis
turber who has made 1t his business
to misrepreesnt conditions in way
attractive to the East has tried for
years TO make 1t appear that Colo
RADIO people are boss-ridden, trustee n
trolled and incapable of managing
their own political affairs. This view
many Eastern papers still profess 10
hold. It helps to show their ignorance
OF the true situation and their refusal
TO think for themselves.
In point OF fact there is no more
independent people on the face of the
earth No man owns them. mere con-
trolls them. They are not the kind to
be bossed. Let the East stop to re-
member that these Western states
are peopled by men and woman who
had the hardlhood, the nerve, the in
dependence to cut loose from old as
sociations and environments and
move out into a new country. Let
Il remember that the dwellers of high
attitudes have ever been the freest,
least trammelled and most courageous
= OF earth and it will get widely differ
ent view of the West from that it has
been pleased to hold.
Your Western immigrant is nodded
from the best man-making material
He had in him the capacity to tear all
fetters, else he would not have struck
out from home. He had ambitions OF
he would have been content to rust
He was Independent of the past and
fearless of the future; had he not
been both the West had never gained
him for q citizen. He who thinks
state population by such men is one
to be enslaved by any man or clique
Of men reads not the book of human
nature. They may grow neglectful of
public business because engrossed in
their own, but at the first sign Of
abuse or encroachment on their liber-
ties they will be the first to strike.
Let Fasteners who would write of
Colorado people and Colorado affairs
first grasp this thought and they will
better understand Whoever would
picture these people as slaves or
would belittle their independence in
any way deserves, and some day will
receive, the contempt a strong man
holds for weak one.
Weaklings? Why they can lick
their weight In Wildcats! Slaves of
boss? Just you try to boss them
once! Shy on independence? Let
the Eastern press interview one who
tried to trick them!-Denver Repub-
lican.