Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-25
WHY NOT A STATE OF SOUTH CALI
FORNIA?

One of the exigencies of the Markham
campaign was a misrepresentation OF
the real sentiments of the people of
Southern California respecting a new
state to be formed out of the southern
counties. The feeling for division has
always existed here, and all the cir
cumstances have tended to intensity
rather than abate it.
The past week has shown, in very
conspicuous way, the fact that Los An
geles is the natural metropolis OF the
southern portion OF the state. We have
had here at one time Farmers Alliance
convention, a Bee-keepers' convention,
an Irrigators' convention and fair and
races which rival anything that was
ever seen in Sacramento.
The arguments in favor of dividing
the cumbrous state of California are
stronger than they have ever been. Our
greatly increased population has en-
phaslzed the fact that our business ought
not TO be transacted at such an i'm
mense remove as Sacramento. The grue-
some circumstance that the southern
counties are obliged to send such i'm
mense sums of money to Sacramento,
most of which amount never returns to
this section, is as CALLING now as it ever
was, and reinforces the other fact that a
state with coast line 700 miles long is
an anomaly, unwieldy and indefensible.
Year after year we send up to Sacra-
mento large sums of money, only por-
tion of which ever gets back here in any
shape. We recoup ourselves to frac-
tional extent in the school tax appor-
tionment, and we have had in Los An
geles couple of fnicky public build
ings. The excess of money sent by An
gelefos, including Orange county, which
was until recently a portion OF this
county, to Sacramento, during the past
ten years, has been easily So, 500, 900.
This takes no account of the other
southern counties, which have also Law
SHY contributed to the state treasury.
What becomes of these vast sums
They certainly never get further south
than the bay and city OF San Francisco.
II some Of them should, by any chance,
meander down here, it is in the shape
of loans that carry tribute in the form
of high interest back to the charmed
northern citrus belt.
As to San Francisco, the cordiality of
its people and merchants to Southern
California was shown by their protest
when the Southern Pacific magnates,
some years ago, recognized the fact that
Los Angeles was a competitive point.
They moved heaven and earth to shut
us out of this just recognition. The su-
preme gall OF such marplot attempt
can only be fully realized when the cir
cumstance is borne in mind that Los
Angeles is five hundred miles nearer the
east than San Francisco, and that we
are thus nearer over routes whose
grades are strikipgly more practicable
than those of the Central Pacific rail-
way.
1t was shown, the other day, in the
constitution of the traffic committee
formed in the Golden Gate. The pro-
jectors of this movement had ostenta-
tiously invited the interior and southern
counties to join in movement that was
aimed to resist the exactions of the
Transcontinental association and yet,
when the committee was announced,
not Los Angeles name was seen upon
it. The same feeling of discrimination
was observed in the immigration con-
vention which was called to meet in
San Francisco, and in the call of which
five delegates were allotted to the great
and opulent county of Los Angeles,
while eight were granted to the county
of Butte. Nothing could show more
conclusively than these two occur
rences the persevering hostility OF the
merchants and business men OF San
Francisco to Los Angeles.
OF course, the formation of a new
state is difficult thing, bat it is by no
means impossible. The circumstances
of different climates and products rein
force the arguments of the cumbrousness
of the present overgrown state The
constitution OF the United States by inn
pIication admits the right of the division
of states by providing that no state shall
be dismembered and new common
wealth formed out of an existing state,
without the consent of the original state.
Before we can have a state Of South
California we must have the consent of
the legislature of California. 1t will
require finesse and favorable coniunc-
lures to get this, but it is not unattain-
able. Patience, and diligent watching
of the issues as they arise, will in this
case do their perfect work. The con-
gress of the United States, in the act
admitting the state of Texas, provided
that. if the Texas people should
so elect, that commonwealth might De