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Show DEFENDING THE WEST. On the day after election, the New York Mail, in accord with the Chicago Tribune, assailed the West as provincialism, pro-vincialism, declaring: "The country has not responded respond-ed unequivocally to the call upon its patriotism and its courage. It has faltered as it faced the supreme su-preme test of the ballot box. In the east it'has voted honor first, obligation first, firm resolve first; In the west it has voted safety, yii uoici iv) , uuiiiiyji i uuiuiu nil tSlbU. In the east the people have looked have looked out upon the world, have vlsioned and been Inspired by the America of the future, 4 accepting Its big responsibilities in the world's affairs; In the wost the people have closed their eyes to the world east of the Mississippi Mississip-pi valley and have remained provincial pro-vincial In their outlook." To this slam, the Montana Tribune replies: . "The most provincial American is the average New Yorker. In the metropolis of the land there are many men who have a wide and thorough knowledge of their country; some of the biggest men mentally from all over the United States naturally gravitate to the great business and financial cen- ter; but such men are not typical of New York. Tho averago New Yorkor, particularly the born Now Yorker, movos in a small groove; hIB vision is limited to Manhattan island and its evirons, and It Is difficult for him to conceivo that there is anything outside that can compare with what can be found within tho city. This election has shown that the wost is thoroughly American; that it refuses to bo led away from American ideals because of alien sympathies. Who are the provincials? Those" who voto for the government of America Ameri-ca by Americans, or those who vote for the government, of America Ameri-ca by thoso whoso sympathies with foreign governments have led them to subordinate their Americanism? I6 it more provincial pro-vincial to desire better conditions of life for the producers of America, Ameri-ca, or to work toward a contlnu-anco contlnu-anco of special privilege? Tho election is over, and it might be well to forget politics for a little while, but the west Is not going to allow Itself to be maligned by the eastern beneficiaries of special privilege and alienism." This talk of tho west being unpatriotic unpa-triotic Is arrant nonsense. There Is no part of this country where courage cour-age Is wantfng, not oven in New York with Its great foreign population. Any Insinuation that any great division of the Amorican people are devoid of red blood must emanato from stupid or extremely biased minds. Much said in the last campaign, casting reflections re-flections on the soundness of the Americanism of a big percentage of the people, was buncombe and hysteria, hy-steria, doliberatoly intended to deceive and to create a false Issue. The west has all the elemonts of greatness and neither desires nor courts the good opinion of concolted partisans of tho type of the editor of the New York Mail. |