The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-24
The East Misunderstands the West and Is Misunders

tho majority Of the men are farmers. miners
stock raisers and lumber men, The personal
element enters politics TO greater degree
than it does this side of the Mississippi.
Therefore the principle at stake in any
election equally affects the women and the
men. Besides the males predominant in
numbers. For that reason the men folks
still wear the domestic crown--a little tar
nished there as here, to be sure. but such is
the fact, nevertheless.
Under Sheriff whalen ~ Silver Bow
county. Mont. has a thoroughly effective
method of subduing wife heaters stock
thieves and like gentry. The writer was in
his office when advice came by telephone
that well known bad man was wearing off
the edge OF his crouch by beating his wife
jed drawled Whalen to one of his
deputies, you and Jake and Tom go down
10 the flats. Humpy Allen is beating his
wife again. And Jed, after you leave Humpy
in the hospital go over to the West Side and
tell them Bohunk whiskey runners that I'm
hep to 'em and to lay off,"
We who bemoan high rentals, high prices
and lack of -arnest workers here in the
East may take what comfort there may be !
in the knowledge that conditions are no bet
ter, relatively. in the West. It is costing 80
per cent. more to travel now on the Western
railroads, but station agents and Pullman
conductors will tell you that all records for
travelling are being broken this year. Food
costs 100 per cent more this year than It
did three years ago. but the menu card in
the Thornton Hotel, Butte, might be trans
ferred TO any first class hotel in New York :
without change in items or prices In the
cities In the Dakotas, Minnesota Montana I
Colorado and Utah the rents for decent
apartments and houses relatively are higher
than they are in the East
Bill Dunn of Butte is the boss of the
labor vote in Montana There's no question
about his rule. Bill affects no camoufage
He admits that he's a Communist and that
the I. w. w. is a great institution. There's
city ordinance in Butte prohibiting the
presence on telephone, electric wire or street
lampposts of political dodgers A number
OF Bills own posters were found pasted in
forbidden places and a policeman was sent
down to the Offices of the Butte Bulletin to
arrest Bill.
Dunn objected to being arrested. and when
the policeman insisted Bill knocked him
down. Several of Bills friends wrested the
gun from the hands of the cop. The cop
went back to headquarters
And did Bill get away with that?" de-
manded the reporter for THE New YORK
HERALD, who had lively visions of a New
IOrK cop Hgnter bouncing one OH a Man.
haitian policeman,s Jaw and getting by with
it.
"Oh, yes. he got away with it, sighed
the citizen relating the incident But Bills
times coming. You see Bills got a lot of
political friends on the force now. But some
Bills friends are going to bury a
few small shreds of what to-day is Bill.
1t happens like that out here"
There's a real labor fight in Sioux Falls,
S. ID. In the Labor Temple placard reads:
THE Lumber Trust refuses to sell build
ing materials to any contractor who will not
agree to maintain an open shop. The Lun-
Der Trust is our enemy and the enemy of
all union labor"
And the lumber dealers reply:
1.-THE Building Trades Council refuses to
use building materials purchased by any
who will not refuse to hire any
man who can't produce a union card. What
could be more unfair than that?"
These are but few typical impressions
and stories of the West. There is so little
difference between the men and women of
The West and the men and women Of the
East that you must call upon your magma
ton to make 1t clearly defined. However.
they imagine that we are something that
we are not and we insist upon picturing
hem something that they are not.