The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-28
SHALL NEW YORK BE DIVIDED.

Two bills have been introduced in the
New York Legislature to. divide the State
into two. one to consist of the counties of
New York. Kings, Queens, Richmond,
Westchester, Suffolk and Putnam. which
means Greater New York with some addi-
tional territory. and the other of the re-
mainder of the State. The object of the
scheme is to remove New York city from
Legislative control and secure real home
rule. The proposition is receiving some
support on this ground, and it may be enti-
tied to some, also. on the ground hat it
would relieve the rest of the State from
political control by the city of New York.
The conservative New York Evening Post
admits that there is much to be said in
favor of the proposition. 1t says:
Greater New York has now about half the
population, and a much greater proportion
main a wholly distinct community, its
manners. customs. and some of its Ian
guages being foreign to most of the rest
of the State. This goes so far that its
comic papers make continual fun of the
country ''deestricks,' and call their inhabi-
tants and even their representatives in the
the ''hayseeds" know little about New
York except as a great wicked city," to
which they occasionally come to have a
of Greater New York Is now so great that
with the aid of one or two counties 1t
would be able to control the Legislature,
and in a short time Greater New York
alone will control it, and how could Con-
gress refuse its assent IL the State. through
its Legislature. were 10 demand it? 1t may
be said that when the time comes. it would
be easier for the greater city to assume
control of the whole State. as the State
now assumes control of the city. So 1t
may. and the rural legislator is beginning
TO see the real nature of the dilemma he
will have to face.
Under the proposed division the seven
counties embracing anu surrounding
Greater New York would have a larger
area than Rhode Island or Delaware, and
their population would exceed that of most
of the States. As a preliminary step to
the proposed division it would be neces-
sary to obtain the consent of the Legisla-
ture and of Congress, as the Constitution
of the United States says mo new State
shall be formed or erected within the juris-
diction of any other State without the con-
sent of the Legislature of the State con-
cerned. as well as of Congress- If il
could be shown that the division would be
beneficial to all concerned the necessary
consent could doubtless be obtained. In
the case of West Virginia the Legislature
of old Virginia never did consent to the
separation. Virginia having seeded from
the Union, twenty-five counties in the
western part of the State sent delegates TO
a convention which repudiated the action
OF the chmon convention in seeding,
and called a convention to provide for the
formation OF 4 new State. At the second
convention forty counties were represented.
1t adopted a provisional form of govern
called a third convention 10 frame a Consti-
tuition. This convention framed a Constitu-
ton which was ratified by the people on
May 3. 1862. The provisional Legislature
OF the State gave its consent to the forma-
ton OF a new State. and on Dec. 81, 1862,
Congress passed an act admitting the new
State TO the Union. when it's Constitution,
abolishing slavery. should be ratified. This
was done March %. 1868. and on April ~
President Lincoln issued a proclamation de-
claring that the new Constitution would
take effect and the new State become a
part of the Union sixty days from that
date. Thus it was more than two years
from the time the first step was taken for
the formation OF a new State before IL was
admitted. These facts have no bearing on
the case OF New York. but they illustrate
the constitutional method OF forming a
new State. II the present movement should
succeed. making an independent state OF