Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-22
Should Alaska Be for the Alaskans?

To the Editor of The Dispatch:
The controversy existing between the
United States .and England about the seal
fisheries of Bering Sea, andthe correspond
ence that has taken place in regard thereto
between Mr.. Blaine and Lord Salisbury has
attracted to the subject on both sides of the
Atlantic very considerable attention.
While this Alaskan seal fishery question
is so prominently before the people 1t seems
to me it would be well to consider it in
another aspect as it relates to ourselves
alone.
Ever since our Government has possessed
Alaska, now nearly quarter of century,
the seal fisheries have been leased to cor
poratiOn to which the exclusive right of
gathering seals has been given. Through
this means the Government has conferred
upon few individuals great wealth while
excluding absolutely the people of that Ter
ritory from all participation in the benefits
of the chief, if not the only, industry known
to them.
Now the people of Alaska are citizens of
the United States as much as any other.
Their rights ought to be given to them and
be protected. They have an inhospitable
climate to contend with, and have no agri-
cultural, manufacturing or other usual in
dustries to draw prosperity from.
In view of these facts, and the further one
that the lease held by the corporation or
company now having the exclusive right to
the seal fisheries will expire in another year,
be done in the matter for the future?
1t seems to me that these seal fisheries
should be turned over absolutely and ex-
clusively to the natives and bona fide resi-
dents of Alaska. Congress can easily pass
law regulating the number to be killed,
licensing sealers, requiring them under
penalty to report to the Customs officers the
number taken by each, so that when
the limit is reached public notice may be
given.
If this were done, the people Of Alaska
might have some chance of becoming i'm
proved pecuniarily, socially, morally and
intellectually. They might be rich enough
build comfortable houses, establish COM
Portable homes, build roads for better COM
munication, and possibly develop latent
mineral and other wealth in their Territory,
and perhaps demonstrate to Congress that
they should have Territorial Legislature
and Government.
If the right to gather seals were conferred
only upon natives and bona f1de residents
of Alaska, people wishing to engage in that
industry would gradually be drawn there,
and by that means the population would be
increased.
The first object of the Government should
be to make the place inhabitable and in
every way improve the Territory. To do
this it must not give the exclusive right to
the chief, if not the only, industry known to
the pc pie to nonresident, grasping cor
pOratiOn.
If, when gold and silver mines were first
discovered in our country, some corpora
tion had obtained from the General Govern
ment the sole right to work such mines to
absolute exclusion of the people of the Ter
ritories where such mines were located, it is
doubtful if the army of the United States
would not have had plenty of employment
in enforcing the exclusive privilege. Yet
the Government has always made just such
an agreement about our seal fisheries to the
exclusion of the people of Alaska.
PITTsBURG June 90 5. l.. LUPToN.