Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-17
and in the same year admitted into the
union as an independent state.
Muef paroain Il, Ifaton


Must Remain In Union
"Mr. Short cites the instance Of West
Virginia as being the only case in which
q new state has been admitted within
the jurisdiction of another state. The
Instances to the contrary Just given are
historical facts and Mr.. Shorts failure
to note them evidently comes by rea-
son of lack of time to consult the rec
ords and a pardonable forgetfulness OF
history. lie is, however, in error in
the statement that West Virginia was
admitted ex necessite by reason of the
state of Virginia being recognized Dy
the federal government as out OF It's
jurisdiction by reason of the rebellion.
If there was ever anything that the
federal government did not recognize
1t was the possibility Of any state sepa-
rating itself from the Union. West Vir-
ginia had the consent of legislature
purportng to represent the government
of Virginia, and 1t was upon this con-
sent that congress acted as the debates
there show in admitting the new state
of West Virginia. 1t is not the lack
of constitutional provisions that need
concern us in the creation OF the new
state of Southern California. our dill
gence should be directed to the setting
i'm motion of the ample provisions there
fer. In closing this branch of the sub
ject 1 wish to say 1t would be idle to
presume that the trainers of our federal
constitution, so far-sighted In all things,
should have such a narrow ken of the
future as not to anticipate that west
ern states necessarily large in area
would not in time become so populous
as to demand the creation of many new
states. Indeed, the fact should not be
overlooked that in the acts of congress
g.. ion Nf Wv nC
i'm 1S45 provisions were definitely made
for the creation of five states within
the territory comprising the Lone Star
state and this may be done at any
time that the people of Texas so de-
sire. And while / do not wish to bring
politics into this subject, cannot for
bear saying that as a Democrat l cam
not see why the people of Texas do not
act as they are entitled and thereby
gain eight senators additional.
Says Division Is Necessary
"Now as to the necessity for the di-
vision of the state of California. We
ceratinly have ample ground upon
which to base the calculations. With
coast line of 1919 miles and an average
length of 800 miles; with width of
27O miles, aggregating 15S,36O square
miles, we may proceed to strike the
line at the most convenient place, as
indicated by the diverse interests of
the two sections. The north is inter-
ested in laws regulating hydraulic min
ing, the reclamation of overflown lands
and many otter interests peculiar to
that section, in which the south has
little, If any, interest. The whole COM
merce of the north is tributary to the
Bay of San Francisco and the efforts
Of her people are directed toward the
building up of San Francisco as great
commercial center. In Southern Cali
fornia we are greatly interested in rail-
road legislation and will provide rea-
sonable rates for shippers and an ample
supply of cars for the chief products,
citrus fruits and oil. In this enterprise
the north has little If any interest, and
less concern. In the south we wish to
improve our harbors and stimulate
commerce between the harbors of San
Diego and San Pedro and the Orient
and Mexico. Against this ambition San
Francisco and vicinity has set its de-
termined will
Northern California has contented
herself with population and conditions
as they exist and have existed for
years. In the south we have turned
our faces to the east and invited our
eastern brothers to share with us the
This is essential and we have a COM
munity that is a composite of the
whole United States. Here we have
the perfection that results from the
coming together of intelligent persons
| from the various countries of the
world. Southern California is bound
to become the greatest, the most cul'
tured and the most progressive COM
munity in the United States.
South Growing Fast
"The climate of the north, while
good, is not as seductive to the eastern
people as ours. The Encyclopedia
Americana is authority for the state
ment that much more than one-half
of the state gain in population for
twenty years has been in eight coun-
ties, including only one in the north,
San Francisco, and the remainder OF
the increase being in the seven coun-
ties of the south. This is the figure
at the census of 1900 and during said
twenty years the city of Los Angeles
has outstripped ninety-nine other
American cities in growth. It's sea-
board is as great as that extending
from Charleston, S. c., to Boston and
is nearly one-fifth of the total coast
line of the United States. With the
people of the north and south ambitious
and surviving eacn lot itS OWN lIlIereSts
it is not to be expected that we may
hope for much at the hands of a leg
islature chosen mostly by the vote of
the north. 1t is a matter of history
that the San Francisco delegation in
the Legislature is in control and by
reason of it's numbers draws to 1T the
representatives from other portions of
the state seeking improvements. San
Francisco is dominated by the South
ern Pacific railroad and Is it's favorite
city and receives all the benefits that
railroad by discrimination can give.
Recent events show conclusively
that the prosperity of Southern Cali
fornia is impeded to the fullest extent
of the powers of the Southern Pacific
railroad and San Francisco. The con-
solidation commission of the city and
county of Los Angeles sent commit
tee some months ago to request Gov
ernor Pardee that provision be made
in the call for the special session of
the legislature for legislation permit
ting the consolidation of the city and
county of Los Angeles. The promise
of the governor was given, the matter
was referred to the committee on leg
islation in San Francisco and that
nf ho