Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-09-17
OLYMPIA, WASHNGTOM FRIDAY EVENING" SEPT H. 1897

| F',Aoo,oOV, tO De palu IN SOld WltEln
30 days after the ratification of the
treaty by the Senate. Accordingly,
March 81, 1867, the treaty was signed,
sealed and delivered at the State de-
partment, and that territory be came a
part of the national domain.
Pending the purchase, Secretary
Seward had not given to the public
press his reasons for the acquisition of
this territory. The eastern press was
bitterly assailing the administration
in the most caustic and scathing
terms.
The Boston Transcript, shortly after
the purchase of the territory, in an
editorial said: "What do we want
with Alaska? What benefit will ac-
crue to the American people by the
purchase OF this barren land? Natural
ly we are led to inquire what is the
hidden mystery that has induced the
government to acquire more territory
at this time. 1t is said that this pur-
chase will be productive of conse-
quences that cannot be seen at this
time. But few people will ever take
the time or trouble to think of this.
We suggest that Mr.. Seward had
better try to acquire slice OF British
North America"
The Vermont Mercury, under the
caption, "a Wonderful Bargain"
said: "The mind expands in astonish-
ment at the sublime prospect of this
wonderful negotiation, resulting in
the purchase of barren domain. 1t
seems to be the first and sure step in
the ladder that leads to universal en-
pire. The Herschel, though he hide
his enormous head in almost in
calculable distance from the unas-
sisted eyes of mortal, yet he may be
bought as bauble for the government
to play with. The comets may be
purchased, or at least chartered as
frigates to carry treaty.bearers for use
full laborers, and the sun himself, that
great source OF illumination, may
have reason to tremble for his own
independence"
As regards the derision thrown upon
the purchase OF Alaska, it is curious
to note with what exactness history
repeats itself.
BY reference to newspaper files Of
1904 it appears that the same pre-
dictions were advanced in the case of
the Louisiana purchase as in that of
Alaska. The purchase of the Louis
lana territory by President Jefferson
was assailed in every form of squib,
epigram, doggerel. parable and parody
possible to conceive. When Jefferson
recited the resources OF that territory,
its saline springs, fertile lands, its i'm
portance as commanding the Mis-
sissippi river, he was derided in almost
identical terms with those used in
reference to Alaska. The new pur.
chase OF jefferson was declared to be a
malarial swamp, its prairies were desti-
tute of trees, vegetation or water; that
the government had been cheated for
giving $l5,OOO,OO0 for a territory so
worthless and pestilental that it could
never be inhabited or put to any pos
sible use.
Mr.. w. H. Smith, OF Washington,
D. c., who accompanied Mr.. Seward
on his trip around the world, told the
writer, when asked why Mr.. Seward
never made known his reasons which
led to the purchase Of Alaska, said:
"Mr. Seward had suffered enough
abuse and ridlcule from the press.
The manner in which President JEFF
ferson had been criticised and abused
when he attempted to set forth the ad-
vantages of the Louisiana purchase
had been a sufficient object lesson for
him to know that II he had attempted
to announce what he knew of this
newly.acquired territory the derision
would have been greater. Suppose he
had made the statement that the ter
ritory contained gold, silver, copper
and other valuable minerals. Such q
statement would have been ridiculed
as puerile. He was determined that
his advocacy of the purchase would
justify ITSELF"
Referring to Mr.. Stewards trip to
Alaska after his retirement from
public life, he said: "When we
reached Alaska the ex-Secretary, in
company with an intimate friend,
Mr.. Samuel Hooker, of Massachu-
setts, was standing in the bow of the
ship gazing at the shore. Just before
landing Mr.. Seward placed his hand
on the shoulder of his friend and said:
Hooker, here is the land that I have
been so much abused for acquiring for
the United States. Mark my words,
the day will come when it will prove a
greater sensation and far more re-
muneratives than California. The
American people will yet retract what
they have said in abuse of my action
in regard to this territory, and
eulogize me for its purchase
ONE advantage of taking Ayers
sarsaparilla to purify the blood is
that you need not infringe upon your
hour of labor nor deny yourself any
F. l.A rvard