The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-05-02
CALIFORNIA, ONE AND IND1vIs1BLE

a rather curious incident occurred a few
days ago at the meeting of the Southern
Press Association, held at San Bernardino.
A motion to commit the entire southern
press of the State to the policy of dividing
the State was put and referred to a COM
mittee; that body reported, by a vote of 4
to 1, in favor of the motion, and the report
Was commended to the attention of the
meeting by the presiding officer. The at
tention of the meeting was, however, drawn
to the fact that such a matter was not ger
name to the object of the meeting. and no
action was taken. But it was we'll under
stood that had a motion been put to ap-
prove the committee report it would have
been carried by large majority, almost
unanimously in fact. In other words, the
association was almost to a man in favor
of the separation of lower California from
the rest of the State. This will be duly re-
ported to the Press Association of Northern
and Middle California which will meet at
Sacramento next September; the twelve
delegates whom the association sent to San
BernardinO will tell the story.
OF course, the State of California is not
run by editors, and its policy is not deter
mined by newspapers. But when we find
editors of all political faiths concurring in
ally entertained by the public at large We
are bound to infer from the report of the
San Bernardino meeting that the feeling
in favor of a division of the State is stronger
at the south than Northern California I'M
agines; and that the arguments which have
been used to convince the southern coun-
ties that nothing is to be gained by such a
step have been wasted on the desert air
Southern California seems to be infatuated
with the notion that its prosperity would be
promoted by eparation-thOugh it has no
interests which are not Identical with those
of the northern and central counties, and IL
is impossible to conceive any measure on
which the State might logically divide on
sectional lines.
If that is the case. it is proper to repeat
once more that Northern and Central Cali
fornla could not consent to division of the
State; that State pride, as well as material
considerations, would compel them to resist
any measures looking to that end; and
that overt acts tending to clear the way for
the secession of the southern counties
would be resented as sharply as the at
tempted secession of the Southern States
was resented nearly thirty years ago. This
is matter on which there is no difference
of opinion in Northern or Central Cali
lOrDla WI are all as one man opposed to
any diminution of the area of the State.
We propose that it shall remain one and
indivisible, to become, in the fullness of
time, with the natural growth which it may
fairly expect, one Of the great common
wealths of the civilized world. Northern
Californians are as proud of the southern
counties as they are Of those in which they
live; they might repeat the words in which
France voiced her despairing cry that she
would not surrender an inch of her terri
tory nor single stone from the surface of
her soil. 1t should not be regarded by our
southern friends as unkind if we add that
Northern and Central California have the
power TO maintain the integrity of the
State, and are not likely to lose it. OF the
100000 voters in the State, not over 80, O0U
hail from south of Tehachipi.
The discovery Of the longing for secession
in certain southern minds will probably not
escape the attention of politicians at the CON-
ing State conventions. 1t is quite possible
that each party may deem it wise to insert
in Its platform plank denouncing schemes
to divide the State. If the precaution is
neglected and southern man is chosen as