Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-04
STATE DIVISION ARGUMENTS.
County Division Movements
Good Educators.
The Way Southern California Has
Been Segregated.
asc ana Future County Dissections.
The Expense of the Present
Government of the
North.
BY b. A. C. STEPHENS.

l"A ps ~ Ss STEPHENS.
The sentiment in favor of creating the
state OF South California grows daily
In favor with the people of this section.
The necessity therefor becomes stronger
as time flies. The county division move
ments are good educators in
this line. Los Angeles county
has already been divided three
times-frst in 1858, when San Ber.
nardino county was set Off Second. in
1866, when the strip south of the Sierra
Nevada was unnaturally given to the
new county OF Kern, which was built
out OF the ruins of old Buena Vista
county. Third, in 1885, when Orange
county was set off.
Now comes the Pomona section, want.
ing new county cut out Of old Los An
geles. Even the ambition ,of Antelope
valley has been aroused, and the citi-
zens of that growing and prosperous
section want "a government of the peo-
pie and by the people,"
Best OF ali, a movement has already
been inaugurated for the consolidation
OF Los Angeles city and Los Angeles
county after the manner of San Francis
CO city and county, as done by the cele.
brated act of Horace Halves in 1856.
The consolidation is highly necessary in
every way, especially in the light of q
proper municipal economical policy.
Ventura county was set off from old
Santa Barbara about 1872.
The people of Riverside are trying to
get new county out of San Bernardino.
The Ontario section may possibly join
Pomona and Chino in new county.
The San Jacinto country is trying to
shake loose ffom San Diego.
In time even the desert portions of
San Diego and San Bernardino may 70
off by themselves.
Four years ago, when Orange county
made its last fight for separation. and
won, there were no end OF croakers who
predicted its financial inability 20 run it.
self. The splendid Orange county edi-
tion OF the HERALD the other day
showed how ill-founded were all those
alarms. A more prosperous county
does not exist in the state. 1t is an
honor to the commonwealth and mon.
ument OF glory to its founders, more
during than bronze or marble.
There is another county division that
will naturally come, and that is the sep
| aration of that part of Santa Barbara
north OF the Santa Ynez mountains,
Already have the people of that section
endeavored to have created the county
of Olive. 1t naturally belongs to North
ern California.
| If counties can be divided for the pub
lie good and profit, why not states?
| They are merely means, and one of the
means, used by the people in pursuit
and enjoyment Of life, liberty and hap
piness, and when, like old tools, they
become dull and worn, they should be
laid aside and brighter, better and
sharper ones taken up.
With the creation of five or six new
counties in Southern California will
come increased state expenses. There
will be more senators and assembly men
"a small army-to travel the long
journey northward to the cold and dis
NAL winter ewamps of Sacramento.
Some so or 40 men will have to make
round trips every two years. amounting
to $4,000 or 10000 miles. Why all this
immense mileage? Why remain under
Northern California rule? Why annu-
ally pay Northern California
million and q half dol
lars tax money, when that
sum OF money can easily run our own
cosy state? Why submit to northern
hoggishness and bulldozing, when we
can be free and independent, and keep
our money at home? Why not separate
ourselves from San Francisco, and let it
run its own little citrus belt and solve
its own railroad questions? Why should
we longer pay tribute to the old '49
shy lock by the Golden Gate?
Within five years Southern California
I will have 13 or IA prosperous cou mites,
and one consolidated city and county.
Our new court house will then be .neces-
sarily vacant, as the city hall can be en-
larged sufficiently for the city and county
government combined. The new court
house can became the state house of
South California, being sufficiently large
for its legislature aud judiciary. Why
not? The plan is popular, feasible,
practical and just.
We would then have a fine state
G vernment of our own, make our own
laws, collect our own taxes, keep our
money at home, have our own repre-
sentatives and senators in the congress
OF the United States, secure our share
of national appropriations, and grow
and prosper.
Let no one say it cannot be done,
What man has done man can do. States
have been divided time and again. The
people of the state of California, in the
year 1859, consented to its division. A
strong and fair presentation of our rights
and claims to the people of Northern
California will again secure their con-
sent to second and this time suc-
ceseful separation of Southern Califor-
mia. As people the Northern Califor-
mans are too just and generous not to
allow us to set up housekeeping by our
selves and stop this continued jangling
while we are dwelling with them under
the same roof. They consented once
before, and will do SO again, but never
until they are asked. Our public men
at present seem to be afraid to even ask,
let alone demand, the recognition Of the
rights OF their constituents.
The next campaign, two years bence,
should be fought on the issue of state
division. And perhaps, it is to be hoped,
it will be.
| American Cholera.