The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-04-29

while addressing the house of repre-
sentatives regarding the advisability
of lending aid to or showing interest
in the region west OF the Stony noun
,ains--as the Rockies" were then
called-made the following assertions:
This federation of states can never
be safely extended beyond the Stony
mountains. / can conceive that mutual
interest in the Mississippi valley may,
because of common river facilities,
help bind the people to the union; but
beyond the mountains can see a
few states formed just west and bor-
derng on the Mississi ppi-but further
west the federation system mus. not
be attempted"
In the senate Mr.. Dickerson of New
Jersey also entered vigorous protest
in these words:
The distance that member OF
congress from the state of Oregon (all
west of the Rocky mountains was then
known as Oregon) would be obliged to
travel in coming to the seat of gov
eminent and returning home would be
5000 miles II he should travel at the
rate Of thirty miles day 1t would
require BOG days; allowing for Sun
days forty-four, and it would amount
to $50 days. This would allow the
member fortnight to rest himself at
Washington before he should com
mence his journey home. 1t would be
more expeditions, however, to come
by water around Cape Horn, or to
pass through Behring straits round
the north coast of this continent to
Baffn's bay, thence through Davis
straits to the Atlantic, and SO on to
Washington. 1t Is true that this pass
age Is not yet discovered. except on
our maps, but 1t will be, as soon as
Oregon becomes a state"
The concluding words of Mr. Dicker-
sons address were, of course, spoken
In sarcastic vein. At the time OF this
unique argument the geographic CEN
ter OF the United States was at a
point near Pittsburg, while the center
of population was at a point nineteen
miles southwest of Moorf1eld, West
Virginia. In eighty years the geo
graphic center has been moved west
ward to a point northwest of the CEN
ter OF Kansas, while the center of pop
ulation is at Nashville, Brown county,
Indiana. Strange indeed are the
changes which have taken place since
1890, and remarkable the transforms
ton from the census of 1790-when
the geographic center was near Wash
fngton city's present location, and the
center Of population marked as TWEEN
ty-three miles east, not west, OF the
city of Baltimore
Odd as 1t may seem. the movement
of the center of population follows
close to the old Mason and Dixon's
line. the boundary between Pennsyl
vania and Maryland, which was estab-
lished as early as 1863. This line was
practically the imaginary division be-
tween the slave and free states.
John Randolph said: This Mason
and Dixon's line is the partition be
tween those who make slavery profit
able, and those who could not make 1t
was referred to as the bounds of the
slave and anti-slave states The CEN
tiers Of population have travelled near
ly parallel with it, an apt illustration
of how closely balanced were the con-
tending forces in the federal and anti
federal sentiments OF 1851
From 1890 to 1900 the center moved |
westward forty-one miles, landing 1t +
about Washington, which was prac- I
tically the geographical center also. I
In 1910 the center shifted to forty I
miles northwest of the rational CAPT
tai, in 1920 1t had moved fifty mites,
locating sixteen miles north of Wood /
stock, Virginia. In 1880, travelling I
thirty-nine miles, we find it nineteen
miles southwest Of Moortield, West I
Virginia; while in 1910, q jump of fifty
five miles places 1t sixteen miles I
south Of Clarksburg, w. va. In 1850,
a move of fifty-five miles sets it TWEEN
ty-three miles southeast Of Parkers-
burg. w. Va. A remarkable journey
of eighty-two miles in 1860 placed it I
twenty miles south of Chillicothe,
Ohio, but the terrible Intervention of t
the life-destroying Civil war is seen in I
1870, when it moved only forty-tWo
miles, landing at forty-eight miles
northwest of Cincinnati, Ohio. In
1890 the center shifted to a point eight I
miles west Of Cincinnati, after travel
ing flfty-eight miles. n 1890 It had I
gone west ferty-eight miles, arriving
twenty miles east Of Columbus, Indi-.I
ana; In 1900it went but fifteen miles, t
landing at Wigs, Indiana; and the Of
fetal records of 1910 show the center
of population located nj Nashville.
Brown county, Indiana.
IN order TO determine exactly how
strong the nation Is at present, and to
get at an approximate estimate OF cur
assembled under the Stars and Stripes,
the government is new laboring with /