East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-05-26

| the proposed new state.
The line will be extended to the
12Oth degree of longitude and south
of the 45th degree of latitude to the
state of Idaho. This territory amounts
approximately to 100000 acres
Under the proposed boundaries of
the several states they would have the
following acreage: Washington, &c.
100000 acres; Oregon, $4,000, 900
acres; Idaho, 37,O0O,OOO acres. Un-
der the present status Washington
has 100000 acres; Oregon, 61,O00,-
O00 and Idaho 53,000,0OO, Washing
ton would have to contribute 10000
600 acres to the new state, Oregon g.
10000 to it and 100000 to Idaho.
and Idaho 100000 to the new state
A Great State.
With 37,000,000 acres, the new
state would be larger than New York,
Connecticut and Rhode Island put to-
gether. Oregon would be called up
on to give up about as much territory
as there is in the whole of the New
England states, and Washington would
have to transfer enough to make a
state larger than the combined terri
tory Of Maryland Massachusetts and
Connecticut.
In the property values Oregon would
have to give S7O,0O0,OOO, and Wash
ington about a like amount, Idaho
would get back more than she would
give away. In population each one Of
the states would be called upon to
contribute approximately one-fourth,
though Idaho would get more than
she contributed.
1t is proposed to call the new state
Lincoln. Other names have been sug-
gested, but this one seems to meet
with the most general approval. Spo-
kane would probably be made the
capital, although the people here say
that the matter of choice of cap
ital must not be considered now, that
this must be a question left entirely
to the future. Getting the new state
established is the only matter for con-
sideration now. However, Spokane
Is right in the heart of the district
mapped out, as Boise will be in the
heart Of the reformed state of Idaho
There will be a hard time ahead
lish this new state. Three legislatures
must agree to the proposition, because
the constitution of the United States
expressly states that no territory shall
be AIKEN away from a state for the
settling up of new state without the
consent Of its legislature. And after
three legislatures have assented to the
proposition it will still remain for
congress to say whether the territory
thus ceded by the legislatures shall
be erected into state or not. 1t
will thus be seen that Herculean leg,
islative labors are ahead of those
who have the task in hand.
There have been numerous changes
Of boundaries in the states in the
past so years, but all Of these altera-
tlons were made while the present
states were territories. At the time
Oregon was made territory there
were only two territories in the north
western part of the United States
west of the present state of Mime
sofa, namely, Oregon and Nebraska
Oregon then extended from the
present California boundary line to
the Canadian border. The people of
the northern part Of the territory
found Salem, their state capital, cut
off from them by reason Of the great
distance. An agitation was started
which resulted in the creation of the
territory of Washington. This new
territory extended east to the Rocky
mountains, and embraced portions Of
the present states of Idaho and
Montana. AS there were but few in