Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-22
Bishop Com dler
Brings BackNews
Of the Big w est
BY BISHOP WARREN A. GAMBLER.

Recent official journeys have carried
me into West Texas, New Mexico, Ari-
IONA and several points on the north
west border of Mexico, and l have OBJ
served many Interesting things.
People who live east of the MISSISSIPPI
pi. and who seldom travel in the west,
fail to appreciate adequately the ex-
tent of this vast domain and significance
Of what is going on in il.
The time is near at hand when the
states west of the Mississippi will have
enough votes i'm the electoral college to
determine who shall and who shall not
be the president of the United States.
Already western theories of government
and western economical policies are af-
fecting very much the federal govern
ment.
Western crops and western cattle con-
troll the price of both bread and meat
i'm our country. The nation, to great
degree, is in the hands of the west.
Hence what. concerns these western
commemorative vitality concerns us all.
Observations on men and things in these
states ought to be of interest to all
thoughtful people. Therefore, in my
journeyings in the west, 1 have tried to
keep open eyes and a fair mind for their
consideration. And be il said that all
western matters are open and fully ex-
posed TO view. Even the wide plains
have something about them which might
be called topographic candor, and the
high mountains refuse the disguise of
trees and verdure Everything stands
out before one i'm naked sincerity, and
the openness of the natural world i'm
parts a certain rugged frankness to the
people
Looking out on these widely extended
plains one sees everywhere evidences
that farming is encroaching upon the
cattle ranges, and that the floeks and
herds grazing on them are by no means
so numerous or so large as they were in
former days. Grain crops are now grow
ing where formerly numberless cows
and sheep were fed and fattened. Hence
there has been a great decrease in the
amount of meat in the United States, and
a proportionate Increase i'm price. Sta
tistics confirm what casual observation
discerns.
In 1900 there were 100000 sheep in
the United States (mostly in the west)
ana the population of our country was
f5'OOO,OOO. In 1915 there were 1000, 900
sheep and a population of over 90, OOO,-
OVO. Or, in other words, our sheep have
decreased about 10 per cent, while our
people have increased about 80 1-2 per
cent. Beef cattle also have decreased
we need not charge the beef trust" and
the. packing houses with raising the
price or meat. Doubtless the owners of
packing houses have tried to make all
the money they could, for most men do
the same, But it is perfectly plain that
when the meat supply has decreased
nearly 20 per cent and the people who
want meat have increased over 80 per
cent the rise in price of meat has been
natural and inevitable
II we are TO have ever again cheaper
meat, cows, sheep, and hogs must be-
raised to greater or less degree on ev-
cry farm in the land. Certainly the
country can not hope to obtain from the
west the supply of meat which came
from there some years ago. Brooks
problem by raising hogs.
Another conspicuous fact i'm tha vast
which cannot escape the attention of the
most casual observer is the interest of
the people in education. The cities and
towns Ceven the smaller municipalitles)
nave the finest school buildings. The
schools are housed in structures upon
the erection of (which has been bestowed
both architectural ability and generous
appropriations. For example, in the
part of Nogales, Ariz., which is in the
United States Chalf the town is in the
United States and half in Mexico) there
is a high school which is more impos-
ing and costly than the Boys High
school in Atlanta. The population on
the American side does not exceed $500.
And the case of the high school in
Nogales is not exceptional. But the
church buildings are very, very small,
and they are large enough for the con-
greSations which usually worship in
them.
The west is more concerned for edu-
is a peril to the western people and to
the whole country. Intellectual culture
alone is not sufficient to save any peo-
pie from self-destruction. knowledge
is power, and education increases pow
er; but the power which it imparts may
be good power or bad power, and power
operating under wrong motives is al
ways perilous. Men need conscience
to direct culture; and religion alone
can assure a reliable conscience. Where
knowledge outruns piety social decay
and political disorder are always found.
The republics of Greece fell. when their
people were most enlightened and the
Roman commonwealth persisted when
the Romans were most cultured. Edu-
cation to be socially useful and person.
ally purifying must be profoundly re-
ligious. 1t is no good sign of future
peace and prosperity in the west that
the school houses are big and the
churches small, that education outranks
religion in the esteem of the western
people.
/. 1t is surprising, however, TO note the
progress of temperance and prohibition
in the west. Arizona has adopted state
wide prohibition, and / was told on all
hands that prohibition had come to
stay. In the bordering states of Chi
huahua and Sonora in Mexico, General
Carranza has closed all the saloons, and
II is rumored that he is determined to
extend prohibition throughout the en-
tire republic of Mexico. There is
growing sentiment in both New Mexico
and California in favor of prohibition.
But let no one suppose that the cause
of prohibition is advancing in the west
primarily or chiefly as a religious move
ment. The forces back Of 1t are not so
much moral forces as they are economic
forces. The commercial world has turn
ed against the saloon. The railroads,
trolley lines. insurance companies, and
all industrial corporations are demand
ing temperance and prohibition; and the
political world follows the lead of the
commercial.
Soon IL will come TO pass that the
people will demand for public officers
the same thing that private corpora