Frontier and pioneer life -- Oregon; Frontier and pioneer life -- Washington (State)
The Atlantic Coast in the same number of degrees of latitude, commencing
at the forty-fifth degree on the coast of Maine and proceeding south for
sixteen degrees, is covered to some extent with mountains; but as a
general rule they are low as compared with our ranges. Much of the land
on their slopes is rich and accessible, and all of their fertile slopes,
coves and small valleys have been long since occupied.
I state these facts to show that in addition to natural causes the
States bordering on the Atlantic in the same number of degrees of north
latitude, as will more fully appear, must continue to have the
dominating power in the lower house of Congress. The three States
bordering on the Pacific Ocean extend over sixteen degrees of north
latitude. Commencing at the 45th degree in Maine and going south sixteen
degrees, thirteen States border on the Atlantic. These thirteen States
have a representation in the lower house of Congress of 103 members;
while the three States bordering on the Pacific have a representation of
fourteen members. Thus it is manifest that for many years to come, and
possibly forever, with a slowly-diminishing power, the Atlantic will
have the control on all subjects of tariff, of finance, of currency and
of immigration; subjects in which the Pacific Coast is deeply
interested, and upon some of which there is not only an actual, but
growing conflict of interests and convictions. Add to this the further
fact that Washington and Oregon extend inland for over four hundred and
fifty miles, and California on an average of two hundred and fifty
miles, and, applying the same rule of inland extension to the Atlantic
Coast, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, with their thirty
Representatives, would be let in and added to the 103; thus giving to
the Atlantic Coast permanent control of all those vital subjects of
legislation, so far at least, as the lower house of Congress is
concerned. It will thus be seen that a fatal mistake has been made in
the political division of the Pacific Coast. I have confined myself
strictly to the Ocean-bordering states. The great Inland Empire, lying
between the Rocky Mountains on the west and the Alleghany Range on the
east, is more intimately and strongly connected by commercial and
financial ties with the Atlantic than with the Pacific Coast. As a
partial compensation for this inevitable want of political power in the
lower house of Congress, it was the true policy, as I have declared, for
the Pacific Coast to divide its immense territorial area into small
States, so as to secure in the United States Senate, an approach to
equality of political power. We have seen that within sixteen degrees of
north latitude on the Atlantic Coast there are thirteen States,
bordering on the ocean, with twenty-six Senators; while on the Pacific
Coast in the same number of degrees of latitude there are but three
States, with only six Senators. California should have been divided into
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