The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1912-12-28
BELL BELONGS
TO AMERICAN PEOPLE

The bell is the most popular tangible
souvenir of that freedom for which
the American fathers strove, and now
that the country has expanded beyond
the boundaries of the original thirteen
colonies, and the patriotism of the
people of the later created states with
it, until it is to be measured only by
the space of the continent as it lies
between the two oceans, is it right for
Philadelphia to deny the boon of the
citizens located at the other extreme
of the American Hemisphere, who are
it's compatriots, as patriotic and as de-
voted to the flag as she herself ever
was or can hope to bef
There is another view of the mat
ter to be taken, and one which con-
Germs not California, not San Francis
co alone, but almost the entire United
States. 1t is not the mere landing Of
the bell in the Pennsylvania building
ON the exposition grounds of the Gold
en- Gate city that is to be considered.
The states through which it would
pass in its going and coming are all
interested in beholding it and in hav-
ing the opportunity of paying to it
the homage which their reverent feel
ing for it would prompt, and their
patriotism should likewise be respect
ed. Travelling in a straight line from
Philadelphia to San Francisco, the bell
would pass through ten states, and If
il were conveyed by the southern
route it would traverse fourteen com
monwealths. and by the northerly
course, eleven. Tens of millions of
people would participate in the holi-
day occasions created in honor of the
noted relic, as it progressed to and
from the shore of the Pacific. If ap-
peals to the patriotism of a people are
worth anything, from the standpoint
of welfare of their common country, 1T
would be a wrong on the part of Ph1la-
delphia to deny the request of San
Francisco. To do so would present
this city, the birthplace both of indie
pendence and the constitution, to the
view of the rest of the country in the
light of a narrow, restricted spirit, a
spirit which is not typical of that
which has heretofore been known as
the most American of American cities.
The whole matter of deciding the
question of the San Francisco request
lies with the councils and the mayor.
The action of the board of governors
of the descendants of the signers of
the Declaration of Independence in
adopting resolutions at their meeting
in Washington the other day oppos-
ing the loan of the bell as reported
in the newspapers, cannot be regarded
by the authorities of Philadelphia IN
any other light than that of a gratui-
tous expression of opinion. in truth
the moment outsiders assume the right
to take up and pass on the question
they are furnishing a strong argument
in favor of sending the bell to The
exposition, since their own action pre-
supposes common ownership in this
relic.
This proposition once admitted, thu
people of San Francisco will be en-
titled to ask for the loan of the bell
not as a courtesy, but as a right. Th'
Californians, however, do not assume
any air of joint patronage over 1T II
their request, such as seems to be II
evidence in the ease of some over
Jealous citizens, but they ask for tn
loan of the bell as a courtesy becaus'
it is Just as much an object of rever
ence to them as it is to any lineal de
scendant of a signer or any othe
Revolutionary patriot.-Philadeiphi'
Telegraph.