Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-21
IF NEW STATE Is ADMITTED
IT WILL BE ONE OF THE
LARGEST AND RICHEST

This long agitation was kept alive
by the fact that the two parts of the
state are separated by a well-nigh Inn
passable barrier OF mountains. There
are no railroad connections whatever.
and only the crudest of trails and
wagon roads. In Washington there is
said to be a deep-seated friction be-
tween the eastern and western por-
lions of the state, and that there has
not been legislature In fifty years
where this conflict of interests was
not In evidence. In Oregon the same
conflict of interests Is to be found. In
that state there is only one state In
stitution east of the Cascades. This
is small normal school which leads a
somewhat precarious existence by rea-
son Of the threats OF Its adjustment
by the legislators of western Oregon.
In both of these states the western
half holds the control OF the legisla-
lures. and southern Idaho controls it's
legislature. Thus the inland empire
has rather rough sailing under the
present condition OF affairs, and Is
longing for the perfection of plans
which will give II freedom from outside
control. It is said that the people OF
the inland empire think more of their
proposed state than they do of the
ones to which they now owe allegiance.
me reason for this must perforce be
the identity OF interests on the part OF
the people. The basic resources of the
inland empire are agriculture, mining.
numbering and grazing. and these have
tended TO bring about condition of
montgomery among the people.
The proponents of the plan say that
statehood for the inland empire is
bound to come some day and that the
sooner the better, since there will not
be as many details to adjust now as In
the years TO come. They ask their re-
spective states not to view 1t as q mat
ter OF secession, but as move that
must In the end rebound to the good
of all parties concerned.
There has been little II any cession
of territory by states during the past
century. Virginia was liberal in her
earlier career and gave many states to
the Union. But in recent times states
have preferred to keep what they have.
The last instance of the kind was the
formation of the state of West Vir-
ginia. When Virginia seeded the
counties west Of the Alleghanies were
out OF sympathy with the movement.
They therefore held convention at
Wheeling, organized themselves into a
fictitious legislature OF Virginia and
then gave Virginia's assent to the
erection of the state of West Virginia.
Strange to say, the constitutionality of
this procedure Is now before the SUI
preme court of the United States. in
directly growing out of the Virginia
debt case. When the West Virginia
demurrer to the Virginia suit was ar
gued counsel for Virginia styled the
proceedings of the Wheeling conven-
ton and legislature a piece of legal
fiction. At least one Republican MEM
Der of the court agreed that 1t was I'M
constitutional and could only be up
held. IL at all, on the grounds of the
extraordinary conditions growing out
of civil war.
If the inland empire is permitted to
come into the Union as the state of
Lincoln it will not only be among the
larger states in size, but in riches as
well. Even as 1t is, this region is said
to be increasing In population and
Wealth faster than any other portion of
the Union. Its agricultural possibili-
ties are almost unlimited. it's mines are
rich with every sort of mineral and it's
people are alive with the unconquerable
spirit Of the west. All hail the new
state!
Copyright. 1908. by Frederic J. Haskin.)
Tomorrow--Poor Lo Divides Again.