Omaha daily bee., 1895-11-25

ton called for greater facilities OF travel
The heart and brain Of the American peopl,
had been peiplexed with these problems
from the commencement OF our Pacific set
Elements AS early as isi9 a committee OF
| the house OF representatives, reported on a
project for the construction OF railroad
from Lake Michigan to the Pacific ocean,
The early projects resulting from very
imperfect Information were necessarily
crude and unsatisfactory. The pres
sure OF public interest involved how
ever. was too powerful to be postponed.
and the general government was constrains d
| to take initial action by the modest provision
in the act of March 3, 1858. making appro-
! priations for the support Of the army for the
employment Of the Typographical engineer
corps In making explorations for railway
! from the Mississippi river to the Pacific
ocean. This the initial step toward
the construction of the Pacific railroad, which
| finally eliminated in the act Of 1862, provid-
ing for the con5truction of a main line of rail-
way and telegraph from Omaha to San Fran
cisco with a branch diverging southwark
at the Tooth meridian and terminating at the
mouth of the Kansas river. The Central
| Pacific Railroad company, corporation
urder the laws Of California was authorized
| to construct the western portion OF this line
| The magnitude OF the task of constructing
the initial line of the transcontinental rail
| way was largely overrated and immense
profits consequently accrued to the capitalists
who had faith in the enterprise. On the
| 10th of May, 1869, the golden spike was
| driven at Promontory Point, near the head OF
| Salt lake, and the junction of the Central
and Union Pacific railroads completed the
| bands Of iron that unite forever the people
| Of the Atlantic states with those at the
Golden Gate. Since that memorable event
! the greater west has undergone most mar
| velous development, the like of which we
have no record of in ancient or modern
history.
POPULAR AND POLITICAL GROWTH.
''In 1850 the states and territories west OF
the Mississippi river had an aggregate popu-
lation of 1,720.344, and the country west of
the Missouri, excluding Texas. louisiana. Ar
| kansas and Missouri, had population Of only
132,597; in other words the population of the
vast region west of the Missouri in 1850 was
| not as large as the population Of Omaha is
today. -..
I'm 1860 the population west Of the Missis-
sippi numbered 4,,359,6l5, and that of the
states and territories west of the Missouri
755.O23, or about 900 less than the pOpula-
tion of Nebraska is today. In 1860 the popula-
tion Of Nebraska was q, S,S41, and that Of the
two Dakotas $500. In 1890 the population of
Nebraska was 1,056,793. and OF the two Da-
kotas 511 ,527 In 1870 the population west of
lation of the states and territories west Of the
Missouri had reached 1,492,S96. In 1890 the
greater west contained population of Is, ,170,-
315, while the states and territories west of
tion. Mark the contrast From 755, 900 popu-
lation in 1860 the states and territories west
Of the Missouri mad increased their population
TO fully 6,000,00 by 1892. In 1860 the popula-
tion o. the United States was 81, ,433, 900, and
in 1890 1t ha1 reached fraction over g., ,O00,-
600. In other woru. while the population Of
the United States doubled i'll thirty years. the
population west Of the Missouri river has
multiplied nine fold during the same period.
"The nineteenth century, and more espe-
cially the last half of it, has witnessed not
merely the marvellous development of the
material resources and colossal increase of
wealth in the greater west, but also a great
political revolution. One hundred years ago
the 135 electoral votes cast for president
were divided as follows: New England, 3S
votes; New York, Pennsylvania and New
Jersey. "a votes, and the southern states, SO.
Ohio. Indiana and Illinois did not appear
in the electoral college until after the year
1900. 1t viii be observed that the New
England States, New York, Pennsylvania
and New Jersey had majority of six In the
electoral college. The central states and the
greater west-that is, the country west of
the Mississippi--was entirely unrepresented.
The first political recognition of the region
beyond the Mississippi did not take place
until 1872, when Louisiana cast three votes
in the electoral college out of a total of
21S votes. In 1920 the greater west was
represented by Louisiana and Missouri with
six votes out of total Of 235. The great
west. as it was then understood. was repre-
sented by Kentucky IL votes, Ohio s, In
diana and Illinois 3, making in all 32 votes
west of the Alleghanes. New York alone
had 90 electoral votes at that time.
I'm 1S40 the total popular vote Of the
United States for president was 2,410,77S, |
and the number of electoral votes 294, Ken |
lucky, Ohio. Michigan, Illinois, Indiana. |
Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri, represent |
ing west Of the Alleghanies, had 65 votes. |
Only II Of these votes represented the en-
tire country west of the Mississippi, while |
Nn,r, Vnrlr oy,I cxtlx, ,n,,ta bad
or more votes than all the states west of |
the Alleghanies. The state of New Jersey |
cast as many votes In 1910 as did the whole |
country west of the Mississippi.
I'm 1852, Just forty years ago, the popular
vote for president was 3.144,6O1. represented |
by 206 votes in the electoral college, OF these |
Arkansas had votes, California 4, Illinois |
IL, Indiana 13, Iowa A. Michigan 6, Texas 4.
Kentucky H. Louisiana 6, Ohio 49, total, SO
votes west of the Alleghanies. While New I
York had 35 votes the country west of the
Mississippi had only 81 votes in this election.
Twenty years later. in 1879, the popular vote
was 6,466. .165, of which the country west OF
the Mississippi cast 931 ,O78, the electoral col
lege numbering 366. Arkansas had 6, Cali
fornia 6, Illinois 81, Indiana Is, Iowa II,
Kentucky 12; Louisiana 8, Kansas S, Mch-
gan 49, Minnesota 5, Missouri Is, Nebraska
3, Nevada 8, Oregon 3, Texas s; total west
of the Alleghanies, 1874 votes; west of the
Mississippi, 6S.
1.-The popular vote of 1888 for president was
IL 1884 ,937: that of the country west of the |
2,3SS.602, or only 22,176 less than
were cast in the whole union in 1910.
"In the electoral college in 1892 we shall
have 444 votes. OF these the greater west |
will have: Louisiana g. Arkansas s, Califor-
mia 8, Colorado H. Idaho 3, Iowa 49, Kansas |
10, Missouri II, Montana g. Nebraska 8, Ne
vada g. North Dakota 3, Oregon 4, South
Dakota 4, Texas 15. Washington 4, Wyoming
B. total, 119, and 5S of these will be west of
the Missouri, excluding Texas, Louisiana and
All of the states west of the
Alleghanies did not have One-fourth of the
electoral vote in 1910.
1T is safe to say that in 1892 the states
west of the Missouri alone will cast one
fourth of the popular vote in the United
States.
THE GREATER WEST
"Do you realize the magnitude of the
greater west" Have you any conception of
he vast resources of the empire that lies be- |
,ond the Missouri? The area of the whole |
United States is 3,527 900 square miles. The
lrea of the greater west is 2,129 1856, and |
he states and territories west of the Mis-
ouri alone cover an area Of 1871, ,194 square | ,
niles. The greater west then, covers an
lrea one-third larger than the states east of I
he Mississippi, and the states and territories
vest of the Missouri, including Texas, cover
larger area than the entire country east of :
he Missouri river.
Tn fhAra IL, q