The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-04-20
new STATE WANTED,
Proposal to Use Parts of Wash
hgton, Oregon and Idaho.
NAME SUGGESTED IS LINCOLN.

Natural Contour 81 Country Was 10
aorsd In Original Shape Of Thes,
otatss- Some Citizens Must Trave
12oo Miles 70 Reach Their Capital.
n the World Today w. +. Meier, 1
spokane attorney, makes an interest
Ing contribution to the literature OF
the subject Of forming . new. state ou,
q portions Of Washington. Idaho and
Oregon. He says:
An agitation for the formation of O
new state from territory already EN-
beaced BY one or moro Of the United
States II not Of frequent occurrence
In the case Of most OF the states the
territory included II 20 unified In re.
sources, interests and conditions that
the mere suggestion Of the creation Of
nsw state would be looked upon as
coming from ono ordinarily termed a
seEank.S Since the admission OF states
into tho Union there - but one prece-
dsnt for the creation Of new state In
the manner suggested namely, West
Virginia. This one example camc as a
result Of what h now Virginia casting
IT. lot with the Confederacy, while
what u now West Virginia preferred
% remain loyal to the Union. Had 1t
not been Tor that fact the probabilities
are that there would never have been
Z division Of . state, although there Is
somewhat Of diversity OF conditions
and interests between two sections of
the country now represented by these
two states.
There +, however, at the present
t1me out n the northwest movement
that promises to assume respectable
proportions looking toward the remod-
cling Of the three states Of Washing
TN. Idaho and Oregon In such a man.
ner as to create q new and fourth
etate out Of what II now ordinarily
termed IN that section OF the country
'sthe inland empire" There are ut the
bottom Of this agitation facts and con-
ditions that seem to warrant such
movement.
Considering the three states, It Is
easy 10 see that In fixing their bound
aries the contour Of the country was
not considered, neither the climatic nor
the Industrial conditions. In the case
of tho last two elements no doubt their
bearing was not 20 apparent ~ It now
q but u seems strange that the phys
ical and moro natural lines Of division
wete - totally ignored
/ xoektng at the case Of Washington
~ it = today, what do we flnd7 In the
llrst place, the state is divided into two
noe quits squal parts BY the Cascade
mountain range, which range inter
cepts the moisture from the Pacific
ecoan, causing I much greater rainfall
over tie western portion than is found
. IL eastern part Of the state. The
wostesn sscticn u interested In two
groat industries, numbering and ship
plng. The development and pursuit of
'1Aeses lineo have resulted In the build
ing q. two promising cities, Seattle
ana TAcOma, having . population Of
approximately 100000 and $4,000 re-
speetively. On the other hand, eastern
washington, while interested to GER
tain extent In numbering, has no ship
ping industry, but Ii decidedly inter
ested IN agriculture. The development
of In Industrial lines, together with
certain interests Of northern Idaho, has
built up q central distributing point,
Spokane, having population OF some
5000. The one section Is interested In
the Improvement OF harbors and ship
pine facilities, while the other Is inter-
asted In tho building and Improvement
of roads and securing for itself the
means of transporting its products ell
thar toward the coast to be handled by
ocean commerce or toward the east to
b distributed BY the various railroad
aygtems.
Another fact impresses itself upon
the investigator. and that is the loca-
t1on Of the state capital at Olympia, In
the extreme western part OF the state.
III order to transact any business at |
the capital . citizen Of eastern Wash
lnrton must take at least three days,
and he II indeed fortunate II he Is able
% reach home within that time.
] The state Of Idaho presents a. hard
y less striking example than does
washington. The southern portion Ii
larGDly sAg0brush country, hereto
foro extensively used In grazing. but
being now rapidly transformed into
IN agricultural district BY reason of |
irrigation projects. Tho northern sec
tio0. on the other hand, Is engaged In
some numbering. but moro particularly |
ln mining. The legislation needed for |
fhe development and exploitation OF
90 section cannot be suited for the |
0thsr. ana consequently great deal
a. the legislation secured comes as a
result of trades" and compromises.
The capital Of the state Ia by far more
dl0lcult Of access for northern Idaho |
than q Washingt0n's capital for east
oga washington. TO reach Boise q cit
isen Of tho extreme northern part must
travel over LOO miles and through
two states, Washington and Oregon.
IN regard to Oregon. conditions In
lha western part Of the state resemble,
% very large extent, the conditions
of western Washington, while the east |
en- ana especially the northeastern
uArt y similar ID soil and products to
uoutheaGtern Washington and southern
Hlnhn. Th0 feoling OF the people Of |