Weekly journal-miner., 1908-12-23
Editorial Comment
TACT vs. sENsArIoNALIsM.

This is large country, and that i'
 tae most obvious reason why the see
 tioDs do not always understand one
 another. In the south, they complain
 that the north breaches too much about
 tho negro question. and they beg 10 be
 permitted to solve their own problems
 In Wall street, they declare that the
 people west of the Alleghenies live in
 dense ignorance of the benefits confer
 red upon the country by the great fl
 nancial district of New York City, and
 they plead for better understanding ng
 of economic principles among the rad.
 teal critics of the stock markets. And
 the West. too, has it's troubles with
 the scantily informed critics of other
 sections. Railroads and newspapers
 and the telegraph systems have not yet
 succeeded in making the country of
 one Hesn. blood and sentiment. Pro
 vineialism sill obtrudcs itself upon
 our national genius.
 The west contends that its industrial
 interests are not SO well understood as they should be- more especially since
 the disposition to raise vital questions affecting them is very pronounced in fhe east at this time. In two particu. lars do we discover this feeling in the west. First, in connection with the public lands, the forests and irrigation rights; second, in connection with the Subject of mining investments. Upon both of these questions, the citizens of the west have decided views, and they are prepared 10 utter them. While there IS no general agreement, the average westerner believes that he is entitled to be consulted, and he does not approve of all the notions promul. gated in the more thickly populated sections of the east. Naturally he be comes nettled when persons unfamiliar with conditions of which they presume to speak set about applying reforms or urging restrictions contrary To the best advice of those who do know some. Aing about the subject.
 As to tne public land question in it's broadest aspects, the main comment | which deserves to he made is that there Is often lack of sympathy l among those who are charged with the duty of enforcing government reguln. flnna aS vsyalI I.a .g among those who are affccteL by these regulations. Men wao are in the habit | of dealing with one another according 10 western ideas of etiquette can hard. iy fail to entertain repugnance 10 rough-shod ofiicialism, careless of west. ern traditions and barren of the good will that should accompany all move. ments toward reform. As conse. Qusnee, the west has been very much agitated of late concerning the forest. v regulations, when this agitation could doubtless be avoided if more tact were displayed on botn sides.
 Concerning the question of mining Investments. we may here take note of that disposition upon the part of east. efn sensationalists to brand all mining investment as m instrument of the fevil. Unworthy stock operations seem to have stirred up n lote of nasty criticism that could easily assume Fairer tone, if the critics were not ar. iuatei by n hysterical desire to iniure lt is n surprising fact that [ he magazines which nave published | assaults upon the mining investment q business have invariably employed n writers more ignorant of the subject , han the editors themselves. This is, T 'erhaps, explained by the fact that ( he average eastern editor tninks no q literary merit is to be found on the 'n'side of tine Mississippi River, and I ie accordingly sacrifices intelligence md accuracy to this provincial preju. lice. He thus weakens his case i'm. neasurably and does much harm with. h ut accomplishing any good.