National Republican., 1880-03-12
FIFTY CENTS PER MONTE.


the cattle and vcgctables-raisod thore us
easily and Of as hno quality as anywhere in
tho world-the deer, grouse, ducks and other
gamo furnish such diet" as would delight AN
epicurc, aud furnish it in profusion all the
year round Aud while I cannot 500 that
people should bo denied the rights Of human.
ity because they food OH Ash" let me sny
that, IL fishes were tho only diet Of those
people, thoy exist 10 their waters In such
quantities and of such qualities. that, were
that industry protected and fostored, they
might make as fno living out OF II rs the
Newfoundlandors do out of theirs. Nor Is
this the only industry OF Alaska that might
provo Of vast profit.
The writer truly states that Mt present
Alaska iB under tho control Of the Treasury
Department, "its rulers forming its only
laws" aud adds that this is and will be SUN
nieut In tho northern and western portions of
The torritoTy which Ia inhabited by semi-bar-
harlan Alouts." Now, reflect that these
Treasury laws" extend only to the customs,
aud are In no respect more full than the
authority of tho collectors OF customs In other
districts. They furnish no means for tho col.
lection Of debts or the administration of
estate; mono for the preservation of the peace,
or tho restraining of violence. or tho punish.
mcnt OF olcnses against porson or property
absolutely none-and yet those people aro
largely composed of persons who remained III
the country under faith in the promise Of our
Government, due by every consideration Of
Justice, and solemly recorded n tho treaty Of
cession. Aro Treasury "laws' indeed "suili.
cient" to carry ont this promise Woro all the
rest true, hold thatas long rs single Russian
born subject who had accepted The promise of
that treaty remained In Alaska. no would be
entitled TO the fullest execution OF tho terms
Of the compact. But 1t is not tue that the
Aleuts arc semi'barbarous They aud tho
othor Alaskan residents, oxGept Indians, are IL
perfectly civilized people, aud whlo they nre
not highly improved, owing to tho want Of
facilities, from this same neglect
Of government, yet they aro sprishtly TACO
and ubundantly capable, in a. least five or six
other villages besides Sitka snd Wrangel, of
furnishing persons competent TO net as Jury.
mon and election officors."
Now M to the bill before tho Senate for the
establishment of u civil governments: II seems
to the writer of tho article that something
should be Attempted" which would prove
beneficial to all the people, aud vet that this
bill us not adapted to that end, aud contains
absurd and extravagant propositions that can.
moi bo reconcilcd to any sensible ideas OF
republican government" Ho basns this
opinion upon tho fact that tho legislative
authority Of the Territory is vested IN cuurl.
Gil to bo composed Of tho Governor, Judge,
Land Commissioner Marshal and Collector of
NuoiUlDht hll HO HhSNI Us lUNt LnOy are given
autocratic powers. This judgment is duo TO a
very hasiy consideration of tho bill and an
entire misapprohension Of its PROVISIONS TO-
gether with u want of knowledge OF the rca.
sons for the arrangements proposed.
These reasons, together with all the necessi.
ties and bearings Of the case, were considered
carefully and long by the sub.committcc, aud
the result was tho proposed bill, as tho best
possible solution Of the difficult problem how
n Uiva lhn manila nj Aluulrn ha
they arc entitled to at the least possible ex.
pcuse. And the fact that the reasons for every
provision ofthis bill were SO plainly good and
sufficient, when set forth TO the Committee on
Territories by the chairman of tho sub-com-
mittco, that they and tho bill were at once
agreed to- constitutes tho only flct that Iusti
Hes tho assertion that it 'Iccolyed no consider.
alton" from the committee.
Now as to those reasons: II is impossible to
give those people government sufficient for
their needs without courts Of justice; honce
they must have judge, and n marshal and
attorney follow, as necessary adjuncts ut "A
very small expense. OF course there must be
an Executive. and there Is present and urgent
need of surveyor and land commissioner.
which offices are combined, aud with thcm
that Of receiver, thereby saving great expense
In the same spirit the secretary is made es
O0icio treasurer and clerk of the legislative
council The council is US proposed for tho
same re son. But 1t is entirely incorrect to
say that they have power to do as thoy
please Their power is expressly limited to
providing tho necessary legislation for setting
the machinery of tho courts in motion, and
dstricting tho Territory into counties, and
listing voters and holding an election for Il
delegate. Aud they are required To report their
action TO the President aud to Congress every
session, As n further safeguard. no act Is
law unless voted for and signed by three of
them. one of which three shall DO tho Gov.
cruor, The provision for the places Of mem.
bers to be taken. in their absence, by other Of
the officials, is to prevent tho possibility of
want of II quorum in somo important crisis
not that the "ukascs Of this oligarchy may not
rcnse to flow on the happy Alcuts," but that
accident may not prevent the dow whom no.
,Gssary.
Lastly, tho writer mIsconstrues tho provls
ion that "any of said officers or the Collector
Of Customs may visit any part Of said Territory
In tho discharge Of tho duties of their Offices,
and may avail themselves of the means OF
afforded by any United Stntcs
vessel to make such visits" This provision
was inserted simply to afford whatever fauili-
Ties might bo possible and proper to tho oil.
Dias to visit tho remote corners of their Terri,
tory in tho line Of duty and for tho reason
that the authority to leavc Stka is now denied
under tho law to the Collector from which
damage Is known 10 have resulted through
smuggling heretofoTe), aud that there might
be no doubt Ms to ii hereafter, But surely no
lawyer can be found who would constrmo the
sentence quoted to grant any authority to press
vessels into service, whether under orders !
elsewhere from the Government of tho United |
States" or 'whother fitted or not for the cruise
In view" and to subject tho commanders of |
vessels TO this "poclict edition of u govern.
ment." II conveys simply tho authority to
Tho commander OF n vessel TO take these Off.
,ials whore ho may be going, under his proper
orders, In the Territory, and does not provide
for anything else, oven for rations, aud tho
officer who would act otherwise under ii would
Justly forfeit his position.
These are briefly the reasons for this bill.
And lot mo tell you Mr., Editor, that thoy are
lust and fair aud that tho poor abused, mis-.
represented people of Alaska want this bill,
iud nothing less than this certainly. 1t seems
rather reflection on our country's credit that
tho pitiful question Of the expense of govern.
mont should so long aud still weigh in some
quarters against tho solemuly guaranteed
rights Of 5000 civilized people especially since |