Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-19
Shall the State Be Divided?

northern portion state taking advantage of the
poer to force the people of Southern California
nav GREAT deal more just share of for meeting
the expense of government has brought Southern Cali
for face with what will probably turn out to be the mos
momenous crisis that has ever faced in its history
B this last act officials OF the state whose in
re are entered entirely the northern half of the state they
have the caPstone upon structure OF njusoe TO M
California founded unconscionabe use OF power ha m
politicians and officials OF Northern California have been Dud
No honest man can say that Southern California has had
the hands of the of California fair share
the advantages of that government -,
exnended within its anything like the share of which
wealth have increased Southern California and its proportion o
contributions to the has increased this injustice has
become more marked . -. -.
Now by the recent ruling of the board of equalization this
called upon pay large portion OF the stae
the cv and county Angeles being compelled to pay o
the whole while does not receive return OF onetenh OF e
money expended in the government OF the state ..
This however the only and probably not the most serious
r that the citizens California have received are re-
ceving will continue receive from their northern ng00s
Probably greatest evil OF this association is OF moral
than of financial character The 6zens citizens OF & ar been
~ NV be southern Pacific Railroad company has here
f controlled the politics of their In matters most
prominent of which the victory achieved by the people IN the
abbment of the harbo by San Pedro our
have been successful But their has been either
complete permanent and the reason for that lies most largely
the fac that this machine is strongly ntrenched in the northern
mart of the state and citadel there exercises SO powerful
algn influence the state at large as TO MAKE
victory impossible long the Southern Pacific Poca
machine the California depend solid legislative
DELEGATIONS from the city Francisco and other northern com
unes carry its behests Just SO long will probably nam
it's hold upon politics of the state in spite OF the honest and
patriotic efforts of Southern California to break its power
The of the state government by the southern racine
political machine enabled the patronage OF that gov
rnment perpetuae its in all parts OF the state We IN
Angeles, have had frequent instances ana OF @
Where patronage either national the form OF offices was
distributed by the put in office by this machine TINS pat
ronage Southern California has almost 1Varlaoy gone "
who were in character standing reputation representa-
citizens but selected purely on account OF ta @
political machine from which they received theh Poslaos
Every man. whether citizen visitor who has studied the
population of the two sections the state has Dee
moral and mental superiority OF the average o e
southern counties evidence OF this were needed is TO De
hstandng that San Francisco the metropolis OF the
northern had in its favor the accumulation since A
occupancy the Pacific coast OF the vast fortunes made on
coast from mining and has by virtue OF us gIea. @ tI
controlled practically all of the and manufacturing OF f
the race for supremacy today the metropolis of the south
concretng in its and mental character of South
ern citizenship leads the Pacific coast in everything that goes 6
make great live enterprising and we-governed city
Another OF friction between the two po
mate location The agriculture OF the two sections entirely
dssmar Southern California depends absolutely upon irrigation
for the marvellous which it has agricultural
muny Northern California depends upon its natural seasons
The that Southern California has needed legislation
peculiar dealing with problems of water rights and rrl
CATION This legislation its northern neighbs not only did not neeo
ageous to California would probably have worked in
The result that Southern California has had that heF
from proper legislation adjusting its affairs which would have
had had been separate commonwealth containing only territory
citizens interested the particular kind OF legislation most nee
essary to properly solve its problems.
These matters of difference the two sections have since they
were first occupied by men, brought less n
prominence the question division and the establishment
the south of a independent commonwealth
this question has never been permitted
come head up the present time Until within the past few
years many felt that Southern California lacking
the population and wealth to bear comfortably the
financial separate statehood The marvellous
this section in both these lines during the past twenty years has
removed that objection completely.
Other citizens have been affected by sentimental feeling tina
the Of California whole would be greater grander
more effective would be divided Many of these citizens
however, feel that to continue longer part OF state
the injustice wrong that have been persisten
inflicted upon Southern California paying too great price To-
sentiment.
Furthermore citizens beginning to wake to the fact tina
separate commonwealth with separate representation th
congress of the United States Southern California could not on
helpful itself but would also be larger and
helpful all matters generally affecting the Pacific coast
The popreos of The Herald have to confess that for
they were largely sentimental reasons possibly dsnclned
DIVISION but Notwithstanding natural bent against
years past both the physical and moral factors involved
gradually forced hem against their nclnatons to the
that the for for which nobody entirely
sponbe which been established by nature the char
acter territory involved we'll of the people interested