The herald., 1896-07-15
A GOVERNMENT FOR ALASKA
Its Queer Position In the Political System o
the Country-Brighter Prospects Now

the Country-BriRhter Prospects Now
The position of Alaska in the political
system of the United States is both ex-
ceptional and exasperating. Alaska is
not state. 1t is not territory waiting
at some future time in the wisdom of
congress admission into the Union on
terms Of equality with the other states.
1t is not reserve territory like the Dis
trict of Columbia, exempted from any
of the burdens of the government and
participating in the governments eX-
penditures without making any material
| contribution to them. 1t is non colony
ruled by governor or encouragement
and retaining certain inalienable rights
1t does not even rank with the Indian
territory, the residents of which are not
taxed and have their own political and
judicial systems. Alaska is, politically
speaking, an unrecogniZed geographical!
division, without representation or re-
tained local power, and permitted to
participate only once in four years at
the national convention of either party.
In area Alaska covers 1000 square
miles, more than twice the size of Texas,
and it's total population is about $4,000
about the same as Portland, Me-, or
Quincy, Ill. The Republicans at the 81.
| Louis convention on Thursday adopted
as one of the planks of Oheir platform
| the following:
I'VE believe the citizens of Alaska
| should have representation in the con-
gress Of the United States, to the end
| that needfuo legislation may be intelli-
] gently enacted"
The present territory of Alaska was
| for nearly 100 yearA underline domina-
| tion of the czar of Russia, andtthe char
| ter of the Russian American Fur COM
! pany, modelled on the plan of the great
| East Indian company expired in 1854
fnxx otH hn nIn ,f ha A ,avi,, .ptx
! war. This charter had been granted
| sixty-five years previously, and anoth
| er renewal was asked and withheld by
| the Russian government. While the
| matter was I'M controversy the United
| States became a bidder, in friendly
| way, for Alaska, and purchased that
territory from the ---,--co,H government
| in May, 1867, for s7,2Uv,vUO cash. While
Alaska Isl a large place, the meagerness
of It's population and the mongrel char
| acter of it's people, Eskimos, Aleutians,
Indians, Chinamena Russians and other
white settlers, has been such that Con-
gress has rarely been willing to make
any provision for Alaska toward the
establishment of definite political sys-
tenn. From 1867 to 1884 Alaska was un-
der military authority and subject to
the jurisdiction Of the secretary of war
in washington, somewhat on the plan
OF conquered province, though, in view
u VIZ hiCsiiou lOIOWeQ III acquiring II.
the fiscal officer of the government. the
secretary of the treasury, would seem
to have been better fitted to the task of
supervising its affairs. In 1884. during
the last year of President Arthur's adj
min1stration, Alaska was made a land
ulstrict, and district court was estab
llshed there. and resident governor
and local officers were appointed. This
governor owes hfsl appointment to the
president of the United States. His ten
ure IS Iour years, and he receives a sal
ary OF $4,000 a year-$2000 less than Is
pald the secretary of the mayor of New
tork. he mas an assistant, who per-
forms the duplex duties of lieutenant
governor and secretary of state. and
gets tnereror salary of $25OO. The
term OF the governor begins in June
ana OF the lieutenant-governor in lam,
ary. There is also'a United States dis
trlct judge. His name is Warren Truitt
gress.
When the law establishing the civil
government of Alaska went into ef-
rect Tour years ago it was provided
that all the statutes of the state of Ore
gon should be accepted as the laws of
Alaska thereafter, so far as they were
applicable to the territory on the Pa
cinc. Az that time Oregon was terrific
rally the nearest state to Alaska. but
1t is such no longer for Washington. to
the north of Oregon, has since been ad-
mitted, and this anomalous condition is
found: A territory on the Pacific TAX
ing its laws from state at some dis
tance, and its officials from the city of
Washington, D. c. The other territo-
ries of the country, whether acquired
by purchase or otherwise, have each of
them representative in congress to
speak for them and to represent their
interests, and to make known their
wants, but Alaska has been without
such representative. The Republicans
at st. Louis have now committed them
selves to the policy of recognizing Alas
k in this regard, and it is thought Quite
probable by many that the Democrats in
Chicago will do likewise. Just now the
mining interests of Alaska are being de-
veloped, and are overshadowing the fur
industry.-New York Sun.