Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-19
STATE DIVISION
SUBJECT OF MASS
MEETING TUESDAY
CIVIC BODIES TO TALK OVER
GREAT PROJECT
PLACE OF GATHERING WILL BE
ANNOUNCED MONDAY
Secretary Baseom A. Stephens Outlines
Preeedents That Give Southern
California a Right to
Statehood

One more step was taken IN the
scheme for the division Of the state Oh
California yesterday afternoon when
committee set the date for a meeting
of representative Southern California
men to outline a plan Of procedure
Tbe committee was appointed at the
mass meeting called by the Los Angeles
realty hoard last Monday and was
authorized to issue a formal lnVltatloh
to civic and commercial bodies 10 JON
the movement. NJ,
This committee set as the date Lues-
day. October 5, the hour o'clock IN
the evening and the place some nan 10
he chosen by Chairman A. J. Wallace
and Secretary. Baseom A. Stephens ana
to be announced by them at the earliest
nossible date. 1t is probable the meet
ing place will be In the assembly hau
at the chamber Of commerce.
According to the terms OF the resoIu-
zion a,ithorizing this committees work,
the sole object was the choice of DATE
and place and the Issuance Of a call.
Trhe bodies to be included in the inVl-
tation are the Los Angeles realty poard'
the chamber of commerce, the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers ASSOCIATION
the Municipal league, the City CLUB the
Los Angeles Jobbers' association, tne
South California State league and the
Credit Mems association. Each OF these
bodies will be asked to send ten dele
oates 10 meet with the committee OF
eleven elected at the mass meeting
No Hasty Action Taken
The members of this committee are
viii d. Gould, 7. E. Gibbon, H. Jevne,
s. q. Marshutz, A. ]. Wallace, Rich
mond Plant, A. E. Pomeroy j. NJ
Quinn, ]. H. Braly, c. ]. Lang and d.
A. Hamburger. Because OF MS unique
knowledge of the history and legal
aspects of the project for dividing the
state. Bascom A. Stephens, president OF
The South California league, was asked
TO serve as secretary to the committee
Attorney Will D. Gould, IN whose Of
fees in the Temple block the meetlng
was held. acted as temporary chairman
until Councilman Wallace was elected
to fill the chair. Chairman Wallace
stated the purposes or the lleeIllis ,ls
briefly and urged that the action taken
he with due deliberation and quietness
and without any acrimony or haste
Thomas E. Gibbon offered resolu-
tion setting forth that the sense OF the
committee was to call meeting LOT
the date named arranging for the seiec-
tion of hall by the chairman ana sec
retary and naming the bodies TO be m
cluded in the invitation TO send dele-
gates. c. E. Pomeroy suggested there
would be some expense, and oIIereu TO
furnish his pro rata share OF such eX-
pense at once. Mr. Jevne arose with
the suggestion that the state board OF
equalization be asked to pay the pre-
lininary expenses, which raised
hearty laugh and some caustic remarks
tending to show the frame Of mind OF
those present.
Definite Call Due Monday
Chairman Wallace undertook per-
sonally to see to the expenses Of the
Issuance of the call, and the meeting
adjourned. The place Of meeting, the
chairman said later, would be deter
mined on Monday and announced I'M
nediately thereafter. The invitations
and an explanation of the purposes OF
the committee will be sent out at once
Secretary Stephens, whose pet hoppy
for several years has been the right
of southern California to separate
statehood and the ultimate need or
such a governmental segregation, in
an interview given after the meeting
said
"The original thirteen states of the
American union were made pubic cor
porations as colonies under royal Eng
itsb charters, and on their declaration
as independent states formed the first
federal constitution known as the ar
+icles of confederation which was
succeeded by the more perfect union
under the second federal constitution,
that of 1887, which is now in force.
''IThe first state to be admitted was
Vermont, which purchased freedom
from New York for 100000, but YER
mont had existed virtually for several
wears prior to her admission as an
Independent state.
"The first actual state division under
the present federal constitution was
that Of Kentucky, a county of Vir-
ginia, in 1892. The legislature of Vir-
ginia and congress first gave their
consent The separation OF the dis
trict Of Maine from Massachusetts,,
and of the counties of Virginia west
of the Allegheny mountains in 1852
were the next two cases.
"In many instances congress has first
passed what is called an enabling act,
which authorized TIE people Of a ter
ritory to form a state government un-
der q constitution and apply for ad-
mission.
"California did not wait for an en-
abling act, but, under the direction of
General Riley, commanding the Amer
icany army OF occupation, organized
full-hedged state government at
Monterey in December, 1S49, and was
admitted by a special act of congress
passed Sept. 9, 1850; hence the picture
of Minerva on her coat of arms, the
goddess who sprang full armed from
the brain of Jove.
1.-THE so-called California republic,
with its bear flag, was simply a his
torical Joke.
State Already Separated
"In 1859 the legislature Of California,
agreeably to the federal constitution,
consented to the division of the state,
segregating the southern counties
which their people approved by pop
ular vote. Further action awaits the
consent of congress.
"Texas had achieved her indepen-
dence and established herself as an
independent republic before her admis-
sion in 1845, which the lone star on
her flag shows. Congress agreed that
Texas might be divided into FIVE
states.
Later admissions of territories have
been accomplished generally by en-
abling acts Of congress-, giving the peo-
pie authority to form state govern
nents and apply for admission. So
there are three ways in which the pro-
posed state OF Southern California
might be admitted:
Il As the present state was admit
ted that is by the people forming a
state government on their own au-
thority, and applying to congress.
"2. BY first securing an enabling