The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-07-27
PROHIBITION N ALASKA
Laws Existing in Theory, But
Void in Practice.
SMUGGLED LIQUOR In PLENTY
White Men Secure 1t without the
Slightest Trouble, But a Sale to
the Territory Indians Meets Con-
dign shment-Governor Fa-
vors q High-License Law.

| Alaska is aprohibition country--in theory.
In fact it is not prohibition country.
The importation, manufacture and sale Of
Intoxicating liquors in the district of
Alaska, except for medicinal. mechanical
and scientific purposes, is prohibited By
law. Notwithstanding the uncea sing ef-
forts of all the civil officials, hquor can
be obtained In any white settlement Of
any consequence In the district. And
when ID is remembered thatnot one bu siness
in Alaska fayors the enforcement of the
| prohibition law, the situation can easily be
| understood. The exten sive coast line of
| Alaska. with its innumerable bays, TO
| getiier with the sentiment OF ftsinfia5itants,
| makes smuggling easy. and load after load
| OF iiqaor d. brought fpofn British Columbia
| to the different Alaskan towns.
The collector OF customs and his depu-
| ties and assistants do all they can to pre-
vent this Illegal traffic, as is evidenced by
the amount ofIquor which has been seized
by them. The governor Of Alaska has re-
ported to the Secretary of the interior
that the force is utterly inadequate to
| NbFGI IffN HOft ElOubu VI cuPiItoS thN
traffic. Once landed, the liquor j. hidden
in somt secure place, to be taken there
from and disposed OF to the retailer as
the trade requires. The retailer also has
his sec ret place, and seldom has more than
a bottle or 80 in his saloon at a time, NJ
that IL raided, his loss is slight.
For many years the grand juries in
Alaska have refused toindict saIoOnkrepers
or even allow evidence to be presented OF
viola tions OF the prohibftory law. This.
however. only applied TO sales to white
men. The grand juries of Alaska have
never failed to indict, nor petit luries 20
convict, anyone proved guilty Of selling
whisky TO Indians, or of selling intOxi-
eating liquors without having first paid the
United states internal revenue tax
The people OF Alaska take the ground that
Congress in passing the prohihtOry law
had IN rind the Indians. understood their
con ndition and knew that 1t was necessary
for their wdl-being to keep liquor from
them: that when IL was passed the white
population IN Alaska was small and not to
be taken into consideration; that since its
passage the white population has largely
Increased and new conditions have arisen.
and that ia vigorously Y enforcin the liquor
law In regard TO the Indians and practically
ignoring IL in regard to the whites they are
carrying out the spirit Of the law and full
filing the intent of its makers The civil
officials must take the law as they find it,
and have strcnu0usly endeavored to en-
force It,
The governor OF Alaska reports to the
Secretary OF the Interior that as the
matter stands now. this prohibitory law
is demoralizing in its effects. ft begets
a disregard for all law, SAYS the governor.
fosters smuggling, and ca Hses large class
OF citizens, who ought to aid the civil
authorities. to be against them and crimes
that ought to he punished. and wOud be
were it not for the law. go unpmished
BEING against the Governmentfn G thismatter
they are almost 1nknowiugIy against 1t
IA others; and desire to get even" often
ou'wcishs all other Considerations. Mean
while the salr Of Hauor GOES On openly,
and none ~ the people in the Territory
seem to be opposed TO it.
law should be repealed ard in its place a
high fcpnse law. with proper safeguards
sh1nll hn enacted. Tha number Of saloons
woBld decrease, smuggling would cease.
sIleS ~ liquors. 70 Tndians womb he less
ened, vile Compounds and death-deaHne
mixtures vO1iid disappear. and the General
Government would he benefited by col
lecting its proper revenue, which is now
lost.