The San Francisco call., 1909-09-26

s.-.-.---.-.--s
PERSONALLY I am unable to
any serious objection to division
of the state of California and
can see many cogent reasons in
favor thereof. The communities
60 | that have grown up south of the
%%8 Tehachapi pass are for the most
part alien in temper and spirit
s-...-..s.: from ours. Some of them
narrow minded, bgoted. intolerant and mean spir-
ited Listen to them beefng and squealing over
the advance of an assessment roll on which the
eight leading hotels in Los Angeles were coec-
lively valued at less than hotel in San Fran
cisco. Take the measure of people who advance
such shabby plea a valid reason for dividing
state In fine, it is wholly different population
alien in sentiment and,habit from the broad liberal
spirit that has always characterized the California
founded by the pioneers
SECTIONAL HATREDS
Apart from this there is an ugly feeling OF sec
tional jealousy that promises to grow worse instead
OF better. The people of Los Angeles have always
hated San Francisco from the bottom of their hearts
and they never cease making invidious COM
cisco have not paid much attention to all this or
cared what Los Angeles might think. But there
are some things that rankle. There is not the
slightest doubt that the last state election the
Isais creek bonds to improve harbor de-
ieated by Los Angeles out OF jealousy of anything
that might help this city 1t is true that San Fran
cisco was betrayed by some of its commercial
bodies in that matter and the people of Los Angeles
used that treachery to excuse their own mean and
paltry jealousy. But the real reason for the adverse
vote was as | have stated, and threat to repeat
the action on very much the same prompting
made by the editor OF the Los Angeles Herald from
a public platform the other day 1t is difficult to
conceive baser of the electoral franchise than
to apply it for the injury of distant community
out of petty jealousy and for possible good to
yourself That is the Los Angeles spirit. In this
view their room is better than their company If
possible let them go.
DIVISION IMPOSSIBLE
OF course it is not possible to accomplish a
division of the state in the present temper of con-
gress The political powers do not want to multiply
senators, and lot OF soreheads who should go
to Washington asking that state be split up on
the ground that their assessments had been raised
than the universal derision OF the country. The
hard loser is always figure of ridicule.
AN OLD STORY
This talk of state division is old story in
California. have been hearing it at intervals for
forty years and it was we'll seasoned topic long
before that In fact far the state electorate
could accomplish it. California was divided in 1850
In that year the legislature passed act giving the
states consent providing the ratified by
a two-thirds vote of the people. At the following
election in November OF the same year the people
voted "A per in favor of division. But congress
took action, the session of 1860 being busy
season in Washington. This law of the California
legislature known as ''the Pico act is said to be
still in effect, but whether the popular ratification
at the election of 1859 is of continuing validity is
another question During the eighties, when state
division was having one of its periodical arings, a
committee of Los Angeles lawyers held that the
ratification still valid and that it only remained
for congress to act. But needless congress paid
attention TO the artificial outcry raised by few
ambitious politicians That is all there is to the
present movement. gang of small politicians
appeal to mean spirit of sectional jealousy to
advance their own interests.
LEGAL DIFFICULTIES