The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-23
SHOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBLE

The preparations which the war de-
partment is making to send relief
forces and supplies to the people in the
Klondtke region who are supposed to
be in danger Of restitution this winter
seem to us to be as unWarranted by
good policy as they are by anything
in our laws. The condition of these
people will doubtless be deplorable be-
fore they get to the end of the terrible
winter that prevails in the land of the
midnight sun. That condition is one
which they themselves invited There
is not a newspaper in the United States
which did not treat upon the dangers
of an invasion of the Arctic region of
Alaska by persons not suitably pre-
pared and provisioned. There is not
one which did not warn all it's readers
with emphasis and vehemence that the
gold hunter who sought the Klondike
this fall must do SO ait his own peril
and at the imminent risk of starvation.
Notwithstanding this, thousands CT
men have gone into that desolate re-
gion and are there about to suffer the
pangs of want. They did not go there
inpelled by any noble, humane or puh-
lie motive. The object behind them
was the individual hope and will to &C
,quire wealth. Is the government of the
United States committed or is it to be
n n haar q
of people who go about the world hunt
ing fortunes for themselves? Is it the
business of the government, which is
nothing but the taxpayers of this
country. to send out relief expeditions
after every man who may have disre-
garded experience and warning and
put himself in a position of peril be-
cause he was in haste to be rich? The
position is utterly absurd and even
wicked. These men are where they
are because, in face of full information
and an attempt to persuade them to
desist, they determined to take all the
chances and Sacrifice life, if need be, in
the race for wealth.
We have, moreover, to look not only
at the past, but at the future. # there
is nothing to place any responsibility
upon the people to rescue these men
from the plight In which they have put
themselves, there is very strong rea-
son why it should not perform an act
that will multiply its responsibilities
and difficulties UNNECESSARILY. 1t needs
no argument to show that, if Score
tary Alger sends relief to the people
now in the Klondike, about every able
bodied man in the United States will
start for Alaska next spring. relying
upon the government to help him out
Many are now restrained by inability to
provide a proper outfit or to take with
them an adequate supply OF provisions.
Let the government commit itself in
the way suggested, and no man Will
trouble himself about either. He will
wait only until he has funds enough to
pay his way to the I<londike, and let
the government do the rest. II nrovi-
sions are sent to the miners this Win
feed an army next fall; for, if the gov
eminent must interfere to save a thou
sand men from the hardships invited
by their own indiscretions, much less
could it refuse to extend sueccr to 100,-
900.
The old rule of nature, which places
the penalty of folly and obstinacy upon
the Individual, has never yet been inn
proved upon. The proposed extension
of federal munifcence is not defensible
in itself and will, in the end, be tan
tamount to offering free board at the
nations expense in Alaska to every
gold hunter who cares to go thither.
Is this the business of government? Is
it true philanthropy? Is it justice to
those people who have decided to stay
at home. attending to their ordinary
business and putting their shoulders to