The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-11-21
East and West.

President Wilson, in one OF his histori-
cal works, set forth the theory that our
natural political cleavage is between
East and West, not North and South,
as we are accustomed to think. Accord
ing to his theory the division over slav-
cry with its Mason and Dlxon's line,
was really an incident in our history, OBJ
securing for a time the more permanent
demarcation along degrees of longitude
Recall the whiskey rebellion in Wash
| ington's first term. What was it but a
protest OF the Pennsylvania mountain
GERS, the western frontiersmen of that
day, against an eastern plan OF taxation
And Hamilton's proposals for funded
debts and tariffs, popular on the water
fronts of Boston and New York, were
grave objects OF suspicion to the pio-
neers of the Mohawk valley and the Blue
Ridge. 1t was the West that forced
the war OF 1872 on reluctant East;
Kentucky and Tennessee were bubbling
with patriotic ardor while New Eng
land wanted to beat retreat in the
Hartford convention
The trans Allegheny states, in their
first rude vigor, made possible the pic
turesque career of Andrew Jackson,
against which the scandalized seaboard
states fought with futile desperation.
Then, for nearly half century, the slav
cry struggle interviewed with this align
ment, until the old battle fronts faded
from the political map.
The Greenback movement of the Mis-
sissippi valley was prophetic of a re-
action. In 1896 it came, Bryan and his |
free silver issue might "set the prairies |
afre," but it found the East enemies |
OF course. East and West are |
purely relative expressions and by the !
time "the boy orator of the Platte"
became the special spokesman OF the
mining regions, most of the communities |
this side the Mississippi proved virtual
ly eastern in interests and outlook.
And now again the map drawn by .
the voters pencil week ago pictures |
East and West in clear cut antagonism.
A minority OF states in a frightened
looking huddle TO the Northeast are
pressed upon by massed majority from
the South, the West and Northwest.
The victors have even broken through
their centre with Ohio the flying wedge. Il
Whether the states which flocked to-
yether to re-eleet President Wilson prove
coherent or presently dissolve and find
'resh aflinities, their resemblance to the
territorial units which landed Jackson in
he White House and followed Bryan TO
lefeat is the essential point to be noted.
For East and West are symbolic as well
IS variable terms. The words connote
he contrasts between well-populated and
hinly -peopled areas. East" represents
titles, commerce, finance, wall street.
While the farm, the forest-elearing, the
rossroads store contribute to the en-
.ironment of the man we think of as
ypically western"
OF course, characteristic population
roups cannot be feared off by definitions
consistently geographical; Maine and
Jew Hampshire loved "0ld Hickory"
nd the charm that attracted our inland
ok to Mr.. Wilson proved strong also
a northern New England. Old habits of
bought and Royalties left over from re-
emit epochs may stem little the tide
hitch has set East and West again at
dds; New York. Boston and the mill
owns may render the Democratic party
perfunctory or dwindling allegiance.
ut the election seems TO vindicate clear
r Mr.. Wilson's dictum of an instructive
olitical division between the sections,
which. appropriately enough, he stands
le neutrality-suspicious. Herald. Z