Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-11
PROPOSED DIVISION OF The STATE.

dissatisfaction at the lack OF alIenulon pau
to that section by central and northern
California. Several southern journals take
the ground that these counties are ignored
or sacrificed that San Francisco's inter
ests control every thing politically and
that besides this Southern California is in
many respects distinct region, requiring
special treatment, and separated as re-
CARDS its material interests from the rest of
the State. When it is asserted that the
territory embraced in this State is too ex-
tensive to be properly administered by one
Government, there is measure of truth
in the position. If California were settled
up, and if it contained as many millions
as 1t can support, it is quite probable that
the disadvantages of a single government
might be such as to justify the division OF
the.State. 1t may be cor coded as strongly
probable that time will come when such
a division will be unavoidable. But it
certainly does not appear that this
stage has yet been reached, and the
arguments of our southern contemporaries
are not of kind to produce conviction.
They seem to think that Los Angeles can
not be built up into considerable city SO
long as San Francisco interests exercise so
strong an influence upon legislation. They
are very jealous of San Francisco, and they
permit themselves to be carried away by
somewhat exaggerated idea of the capabil-
tiles of their own section. We think 1T
extremely probable, however, that South
ern California will discover in short time
the impotence of San Francisco or any
other interests to retard the growth of
cities or regions which possess the neces-
sary elements of prosperous development.
Los Angeles is now in fair way to
success The Southern Pacific Railroad
must build her up, and with her the
southern counties generally, and the
people of those counties will soon perceive
that political power cannot hinder the
expansion of any section. The agitation
for division of the State has grown out of
dissatisfaction with the past stagnation of
Southern California. The people, casting
about to find reasons for this torpor, have
imagined that they were somehow unjustly
Disseminated against by their neighbors,
whereas the exclamation of their condition
smaterialand not political. The northern
counties have precisely the same justifica-
ton for demanding separation that the
southern counties possess, but such step
has never occurred to them, because their
prosperity has been tolerably steady and
continuous When our southern friends
have experienced the stimulus of improved
communications and new markets a short
time, they will realize how little political
influence has to do with material growth
and they will then probably cease to be-
lieve that separation will bring them in
creased prosperity.
Some of the southern country journals
assert that a separate State Government
will not cost them any more than they now
have to pay. In this we are satisfied they
are very seriously mistaken. The erection
of separate government would involve the
creation of a great many new offices, the
construction of whole new and expensive
machinery, the exposure of the young
State to the intrigues of demagogues, and
score of tax-consuming arrangements.
The population of the southern counties is
as yet far too small to justify a change of
this character, and it would certainly not
be for the hest interests of the southern
people. 1t is the aim of wise and public
spirited craftsmanship always to simplify
possible, but our friends wish to compli-
cate it. When such unreasonable propo-
sitions are advanced, moreover, it is open
to suspicion that selfish interests may
be behind them. The hope of obtaining
office, or increased political power, has
often blinded the few to the interests of
the many, and led to the advocacy of
changes which have no support in reason
or necessity. We believe that Southern
California would very soon tire of her new
dignities and responsibilities if she could
have her own way, and that her people
would find that they had exchanged the
government of King Log for that of King
Stork 1t is often better for a section
to be neglected little than to be at
tended to too much. The southern
folks have always had their just share
of representation, and we do not see
that they have any solid ground for
complaint or dissatisfaction. But if they
are determined upon separation there is
only one way by which they can secure
their end, and that is by showing that
they possess the materials for separate
State. Let them settle up their country
until they have at least a million souls in
it. Let them build up their towns until
they have established their prosperity.
And if then they still retain their present
fancy for separation, it is possible that
Congress will listen to them. Thus far,
however, they are premature in their de-
mands. A generation hence will be early
enough to make them seriously, if they
must be made at all.