New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-13
IN NATIVE CALIFORNIA
One View of a Late Unpleasantne1 and
Its Cause
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

/
Sir: Ever been in California? Fine coun-
try. Beautiful ocean on one side and a
good copy of Mr.. Belasco's 20 My Sierras
on the other, and between them lot Of ma
tive sons picking flowers and telling you
about 40 and the booming OF real estate at
Laguna Beach. Hosptable, courteous, with
here and there hint of the old Spanish
aristocracy of the haciendas. Great people,
when you get used TO their ways.
Now, one of their ways is that they Ike
to be fused over little. rs just their
nature to need attention. The Creator may
have idly dropped few beauty spots around
the Mediterranean and the coast of Wales
and the interior Of Switzerland, but If you
happen to be in California it will help you
much to realize that He put all the best He
had right there. So with the climate. You
like il, it's immense; you've got to feel that
way about it, even If the rheumatism Is
shouting LIAR" in every bone and muscle
of your body And it's much the same with
politics.
Now, in the carly days Of the campaign
when there not much for candidate TO
do cxcept 10 study the country and make
friends and be careful Mr.. Hughes went TO
California. They were having some sort OF
prayer meetings, | believe; and Mr. Hughes,
having nothing else to do except to keep oft
Of trouble, got his hymn book upside down
and sang backward or sang the wrong song,
or something like that, and hurt the feelings
Of some of those devout Progressives. lie
didn't stay long enough TO sing the song
right; he beat it. What did 1T natter quoth
he. Just n little local fuss. Plenty OF time
10 sec about that later. Lot OF travelling
to do miles on miles of sagebrush and cactus
and red water tanks between the Needles ana
the Aston SO those California ProgressiyeS
watched him go, very pleasantly, flling ms
private car with flowers and things, and then
went quietly about their business.
Came November 7. Hughes elected All
very fine at the Aston. Early TO bed and
early to rise to find Wilson elected. An
other day Hughes elected. And so on
Things began to look interesting. This Big
fat. sclf-satisfed nation that has forgotten
its traditions and grown too proud and 700
weak to fight began to feel a strange, far
off thrill as of battles long ago. What
This? A fight? Geel My grandfather, etc.
Meanwhile the election was settling down
TO very great deal Of inquiry about several
rivotal states that made you think somehow
of one little, two little, three little lnJuns'
Some six or seven of them this time. Ihey
went ont one by one. until there were only
two little Iniuns left One kept right on
saving nice things about Mr. Hughes, though
nobody quite believed him. The other niue
Iniun wasn't saying n word. lie was JUST
souattng on his golden sands, with ms BACK
ia his sunset. and a-smiing and a-smiling
IN at his blessed Serras. And pretty soon
tho mill workers Of New England, and the
money bows of Wall Street, and the cotton
rickers of Georgia and the coal miners OF
old Three-hundred-th thousand Penn, and the
Iumbermcn of Michigan. and the sheep herd
crs of Wyoming, and surely every living soul
In this country that has not been really
awake for twenty years all OF them were
dancing around and shouting across the
mountains and deserts begging that last 1T
tie Iniun to say something But he was nav
ing lovely time oil by his lonesome slttng
and erinning on his golden sand until the
last the finest dramatic moment. Then ne
Loaned 10 his feet with war whoop and
WALTON; and away off In New York highly
respected citizen sank noselessy to the moor
and took the count And it's said that when
be awokc. dazed-like, he merely murmured:
"Colifornia? Who's California;"
VOLTA. C'cst tout. Only when you go
West don't bother about gun. Just take
all that you may happen to have OF tact ana
common sense and culture and senslbillty'
the further you travel Westward from JOY
sev CITY the more use you will find for all OF
these. EDr hID ~ DIN
New York. Nov. 10, 1915.