The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1878-08-15
On the Division of Texas.
m. o. Democrat

who watched the proceedings OF
that convention. When Texas
came into the Union the country
was but thinly inhabited, its settled
portion scarcely exceeding the av-
erage of American States. 1t is
only within the past few years that
Texas has filled up With people,
ana that the clumsiness of having
a State OF the Union equal to
France in area has been perceived
and acknowledged. The conse-
queDce has been the growth and
development of sectionalism in
Texas. All Texans have an un-
d. ubted love for their State, bat
despite this a decided feeling has
grown up between different Sec
lions of the State, North, East and
West Texas, which shows itself
more and more every year. The
extent of this feeling was shown in
the late Democratic convention,
where the delegates divided not
on ideas and principles SO much
AS by sections.
There has been for a number of
years past an earnest movement
in favor of the division of the State.
This movement has hitherto been
codfned principally to Western or
trans- Colorado Texas, which COM
paained that it was ill-treated and
neglected by the State government
The San Antonio papers earnestly
and emphatically demanded separ-
alton for Western Texas, but were
cried down by the other sections
of the State. 1T is different now.
The Dallas Herald, as the repre-
sentative OF Northern Texas, joins
the San Antonio papers 10 this
movement, with the watchwcrd
"Ilet the State be divided" and
pledges itself to enter upon this
work at once. "The time has
come," it says, "and public opin-
ion recognizes it, when the vast
territory OF Texas should be separ-
ated into at least two States"
When the republic ofTexas united
its fortunes with the United States,
thestatesmen OF that day, recogniz-
ing the immense extent of Texas,
provided in the articles of annexa-
tion that out of the territory en-
braced within her boundaries four
other States might be created when
the proper popalation was reached.
The Herald thinks there is no
need for four Texases as yet, but
calls for division of the State into
North and South Texas, one OF
these embracing the grain pro-
ducing counties OF the north, the
other the cotton and cane produ-
cling counties of the south. These
two sections differ in crops, in peo-
pie and in ideas, it says, and ought
to be two entirely different States.
"There is no denying the fact
the Herald continues, shat there
is growing antagonism and an
increasing bitterness between the
two above named sections Of the
State. The interests of Eastern
and Southern Texas are radically
different and diametricaily opposed
to those of Northern and Western
Texas. There is no community Of
feeling or identity Of interest be-
tween these two sections"
There is little doubt that this
proposition of the Herald will find
many supporters, and that the
great Texan question of the future
will be the division OF that State.
The Herald thinks that Western
Texas wiiljoin with Northern Texas
in this scheme, and that their COM
bined strength will be sufficient to |
accomplish this division, to which
it has pledged its aid and support.
If this movement is as earnest
and strong as the Herald considers
it, Il must prove successful 10 the
end, just as Kentucky and West
Virginia succeeded in tearing
themselves away from Virginia, |
and as Vermont freed herself from
New York. Whenever these prin-
ciples Of disaffection begin 10 any
section Of State, and q movement
for separation is inaugurated, one