Los Angeles herald., 1893-01-01

mittee was insufficiently informed in
regard to the capabilities Of the southern
part to form state, and, therefore,
were compelledsto adopt the boundary
designated in the constitution OF Cali
fornia. So near did Southern California
thus early come to gaining her inde-
pendence.
The first decade of the states history
witnessed many futile efforts on the
part OF the south to separate. In 1859 q
bill dividing the state and setting off
the then counties of San Luis Obispo,
Santa Barbara. Los Angeles, San Diego,
San Bernardipo, and a part of Buena
Vista (now Kern), passed the legisla-
ture, was approved by Governor Weller,
submitted to vote of the people of the
counties named, and carried by more
than two-thirds majority. The certi-
fed retnrns were duly forwarded to con-
gress, and pigeon holed by some occult
force.
In the great questions OF the civil war
the matter was almost forgotten, but
after things had settled down the ques-
tion was revived, and met with the ap-
proval of the entire south.
The differences in climate between
Northern and Southern California are as
great as they are between Northern Cal
ifornia and the eastern states. Taking
the habitable valleys of Northern Call
fornia, the extremes of heat and cold are
many degrees greater and have longer
periods of continuance than they have
in the valleys OF Southern California.
This great difference in the climate of
the two sections causes corresponding
differences in the products Of the soil,
81 Il 4l,f.
contests over irrigation and other i'm
portant questions.
The high range OF dividing mountains
cons ;itutes q barrier to the social and
commercial intercourse of the two sec
tions, which is difficult to overcome. It
was Cowpsr who said that
Mountains iuterposed make enemies of ma
Who had else like kin 1red drops
Been mingled into one
Year by year, as population increases,
the sectional feeling intensifiss. The
finer climate of the eouth naturally at
tracts the major part OF immigration to
that section. Hence, in the south
greater enterprise and prosperity exists
than in the north in comparison to the
amount OF population. Each year wit
nesses greater political concessions on
the part of the north towards the south,
and, finally, the last concession will
come in the form of a separate govern
ment for the south.
A single instance will suffice to show
the necessity of state division. Northern
California has almost twice as much
rainfall as Southern California. The
latter section is compelled to almost
wholly resort to irrigation. Such COM
munities as Los Angeles, Pasadena,
Azu6a, Pomona, San Rernardino, Red
lands, Riverside, Anaheim, and score
of other important places, would cease
to exist were they to lose this art. The
rainfall is 30 scant in the valleys that
they are compelled to appropriate, in
many instances, all the waters of the
streams, III order to nourish their grow
ing crops.
Northern California, with a greater
rainfall, needs but little, if any, irriga-
ton. Hence the conflict between the
two sections. The legislature has per-
sistently refused, until lately, to even
consider the question. As late as 1880
an effort was made to pass a bill divid-
ing the state into two irrigating dis
tricts, the northern district to be gov
riparian rights, the southern district to
priation. This just measure was go bit.
| terly opposed by the north that 1t did
not even get hearing. Yet nothing
was nearer right than that each section
should be governed by laws best suited
to it's physical conditions.
Again, in 1884, came the crushing
hn in ho
shape of decision affirming in upquali-
fed terms the doctrine OF riparian
rights. To apply such doctrine to
England, where it originated, with its
exceedingly moist climate, is all right
but in the totally different conditions OF
Southern California it is simply in
famous. Even such q doctrine is not
held in the British colonies of India and
Australia, which countries have arid
climates similar to that of Southern
California, and in which countrir the
doctrine of appropriation prevails.
So incensed were the people OF South
ern California that some hot-heads
talked of armed resistance; indeed, it
would be unfortunate to enforce such en-
unjust law. If done it would blot out
the south; and submission or resistance
would mean death on either horn OF the
dilemma. Fortunately, however, the
succeeding Legislature, yielding to south.
ern pressure, repealed the objectiona-
BILE section Of the civil code upon which
the riparian decision was based. Sub
sequent enactments enable the forma-
tion of irrigation districts, with power
of eminent domain to appropriate and
even absorb the rights of riparian own
ers. But this is merely attempting to
heal the surface sore without purifyin g
the blood. The only effectual remedy
is to incorporate in the yorganic law Of
the state of South California an irriga-
tion clause similar to that of the consti-
tuition of the state of Arizona. Till
then Southern California will have no
permanent and satisfactory relief on the
question of irrigation.
The increase of population has al
firmed the Judgment of Henry Clay,
that the area of California is too large
for one state. Legislators from Del
Norte and San Diego are compelled to
travel several hundred miles to perform
their duties far away from the eyes OF
| their constituents.
Two-thirds o. the wealth and popula-
tion of the state are north of the Sierra
Nevada. The two-thirds naturally takes
the lions share in the expenditure OF
public moneys. With two exceptions,
the normal school at Los Angeles and
| the reform school at Whittier, all the
state institutions are within tidewater
of San Francisco. Nearly every dollar
| of state nOnav COes tn huv sunnliaa or