The sun., 1894-09-24
That Mass Meeting In Alaska.


Americanism is politics. Wherever Amer
leans plant stakes. we hear Of political agita-
tion. The speeches at the great mass meet
ing Of Alaskans at juneau had the true
American ring. There may have been other
political mass meetings In Alaska, but the
news Of them has not reached us. The Ju-
neau meeting was the first important po-
litical demonstration in that part of onr
domain, the northern shores of which are
laved by the waters Of the Arctic Ocean.
Alaska lay In solemn silence for over .
hundred years, under the rule Of the Gar
of Russia. Never was . public remon-
STRANGE raised there by the hardy Aleuts, or
the tolerant Innuits, or the fierce Co
Yukons. Never did any Esquimaux
orator up there shake the glaciers with
his eloquence, while demanding his rights
or protesting against his wrongs All
was still In Alaska, from the time Of Virus
BEHRINa to that Of Gen. LOWELL II. RoUs-
sEAU-excepting when some volcano broke
the silence with its mighty voice, or when
some thick-ribbed mass Of ice ratified down
the mountain, or when the rolling Kusko-
quinn rose and roared, or when some polar
bear growled in his hunger, or when some
belligerent seal barked in its rage, or when
some warlike native met his foe in battle,
or when some hurricane swept through .
gorge, or when the VOLTS long howl was
heard, or when the crack of Russian hunt
er's gun woke the echoes. All, all had been
silence In Alaska, with but occasional inter
ruptions, ever since the first dawn. In so
far as we know.
What we seek to impress upon the read
er's mind is that in those times, the Alaskan
quiet was never broken and the Arctic skies
were never rent by the bombilation OF the
untamed American orator, by his terroriz-
ing fulminations, his ringing appeals, or
his wild warnings Of anxiety. Eoquence
could not get show from Nuwuak to
Ukamak. Oh, cold Alaska! mute from the
day Of creation until that day, twenty-seven
years ago, upon which the American flag
was hoisted over IL by Gen. ROUSSEAU.
Alaska was pretty quiet, in accordance
with It's antecedents, for over twenty six
years after we got hold Of 1t. But now, In
this year OF 1894, we hear for the first time
the shouts Of the Ave or six thousand Ameri-
cans, all OF them born orators and politi-
clans, who have settled there. About Janu-
AIRY last, II not earlier, they began to make
noise which, though slight, reached
our ears They gave notice that they
wanted reform-good for them! That
is what we all want. They were de-
termined TO get their rights, just as
We are determined to get ours. They sent
word TO Congress TO that effect, following
our style. They would not be trified with
three cheers for Alaska! They needed more
Post Offices, larger appropriations, several
remedial measures, freedom from corrup-
tion, and better government How like
New YOrkersl AS their voice, however,
was then rather feeble, II did not attract
proper notice. So they grew angry last
month, when Congress adjourned without
needing their appeal.
Hence the great mass meeting at Juneau
OF which we have accounts. IL takes long
time to get news from Alaska TO this place,
and so we have just heard Of the demonstra-
tion, which occurred four weeks ago last
Thursday. There are only about 1000 in
habitants in Juneau, which has already an
electric light plant, but people living in
distant parts, even at Chilcat Pass, attended
the meeting. The speakers were in high
feather, and made the fur iy. They proved
that Alaska must have a new code, new
court houses, new mail routes new public
buildings, new liquor laws, new land offices,
new arrangements with the aborigines,
new prisons, and other things, besides
regular Territorial Government, and a Dele
gate in Congress. The listeners oheered the
speeches, cheering ever louder as the speak
ers grew ever hotter.
Never before was there such a meeting in
Alaska. The ancient silence was broken up
there by sounds other than those OF the
barking seal, the growing bear, the thun-
dering avalanche, the hunters gun, the
active volcano, the hoarss Indian warrior,
the bowling wolf, the tornado, or the
booming Kuskoquim.
And that affair at juneau last month
was not the end of the Alaskan uprising. It
was only the beginning of it. Resolutions
were adopted providing for Convention
Of the ptOpls Of Alaska. 70 b hsld At