Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-09
THE FAULT AND THE REMEDY.

In the discussion of harbor appropria-
'tione, we ought not to lose sight of the
glaring fact that whilst congress has
made contract appropriation OF 81, ,75O,-
600 for the improvement of the harbor OF
Humboldt, the entire appropriation for
twenty years for the creation Of the
harbor of San Pedro has been less than
100000. If this difference were justi-
fed by the superior importance OF
Humboldt harbor in it's actual and pos
sible commercial possibilities, there
might be some reason for the discrimin-
alton against San Pedro; but when the
test is put, the Importance OF San Pedro
contrasted with that of Humboldt is as
Osea to wart.
The port of Humboldt is the outlet
for only small portion of the county,
the total area OF which is 1904 square
miles. On the other hand the port of
San Pedro is the most accessible har-
Dor available for 25,9s4 square miles of
territory. The population behind Hum
boldt is $4,000 all told whilst the popu-
lation behind San Pedro is 154, $3.50.
But when we come to compare the total
valuation OF the San Pedro country with
that of Humboldt, we find that the
former reaches $94, ,96o. .730. whilst the
latter amounts to only $l5, ,674,7 ,725.
We are thus confronted with the
amazing fact that San Pedro, with five
times the population and wealth behind
it that Humboldt has, has received in
driblets in twenty years one-half the
amount appropriated in one lump sum
to Humboldt for harbor purposes.
This glaring act of injustice must be
accounted for on some other principle
than OF desire of congress to deal fairly
with all parts of the country. If it is
true that Senator Stanford said that he
would only turn his efforts towards COM
pleting the work at San Pedro when the
Oakland improvements had been fin
ished, our people may make shrewd
guess at the occult influences that have
been at work to prevent decent appro-
priations for San Pedro. Humboldt
harbor in no way initiates against the
interests of Senator Stanford. San
Pedro harbor, on the contrary, does,
and the longer it can be bottled up
and crippled as port the more the
senators railroad interests will be sub
served.
But, after all, no such game as that
we have limited at above could have
been successful if the people who are di.
rectIy interested in the creation OF
great seaport at San Pedro had been
true to themselves, and had exercised
their political power in sending men to
congress who would take care OF their
interests. 1t is fact that Los Angeles
has never had but one representative in
the lower house and never any In the
senare. Indeed the whole of Southern
California has never had but one repre-
sentative, whilst the two senators and
the other four or five representatives
from this state have always come from
the north. We have been neglected and
insulted by congress simply because we
have had no one there whose actions we
could control or who was directly re-
sponsible to us for his public acts.
Perhaps we shall learn the lesson
some time that if we want fair play and
justice from congress we must place
ourselves in the position to demand it.
Does anyone suppose that if Southern
California were a sovereign state, and
had three senators and as many or more
representatives in congress, Los Angeles
would be insulted with $4,000 fed
efal building, whilst such place a:
Portland gets 81 100000 for the same
purpose? Does anyone for a moment
imagine that harbor to accommodate
the commerce of $4,000 people would
have been pat off with $4,000 for its
Improvement, whilst one that accommo
dates less than 25,000 people receives g
lump appropriation of $1,750,OOO. if We
had the potent voice in congress thai
we would have ii we were sovereign
state?
Let us look this matter squarely in tb'
face. As long as we depend upon hell
from the northern part OF the state tt
receive justice from congress, we shall
lean upon a broken reed. San Fran
cisco and the rest of the state don't like
US, anyhow, and even if they did the,
are too selfish and greedy to lessen thei
own chances for appropriations by help
ing us to get any share whatever OF tn
public wealth.
II we are wise, there are two thing
we shall do. One is that we shall Sc
to it that Los Angeles shall hereafte
always have direct representative i
the house; the other, that we shall erec
Southern California into separate an
sovereign state at the earliest momen
possible. The first will help us to som
extent, but the last would give us pC
litical power in the union which woul
overcome all unfriendliness and oppos
ton, and enable us to reach the mas
nifcent goal of progress and prosperit
: which our situation, our resources an
our territorial aptitude entitle us to a
tain.
3 Hon. FRANK j. MoFFITr, of the Oal
: land Times, has received many proc
p of the high regard in which he is hel