The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-06

constitution shall be fuzzy defined and
provided for. F
Legislative Relief for Alaska.
A necessity for Immediate legislative
relief exists in the territory OF Alaska.
Substantially the only law providing a
civil government for this territory is
the act Of May II. 1881 This act il
meagre In Its provisions. and Is fitted
only for the administration Of Affairs
In country speEsely Inhabited by civil
ICED people, and unimp0rtant in trade
and production, as was Alaska at the
time the.act was passed. The increase
in population by immigration during
the past few years, consequent upon
the discovery Of gold, has produced
such a condition as calls Tor more am
pie facilities for local self-government
and more numerous cOnVenlences Of
civil and judicial administration. Set
Elements have grown up in various
places. constituting In point Of popula-
ton and business cities Of thousands OF
inhabitants, yet there i8 no provision
OF law under which municipality can
BIZ maintained.
In some localities the Inhabitants
have met together and voluntarily
former municipal organization for
the purpose OF local government adopt
Ing the form Of a municipal constitution
and charter, under which paid officials
have been appointed and ordinances
creating and regulating . police force.
a fire department, q department of
health and making provision for the
care of the Insane and INDECENT poor
and sick and for public schools, have
been passed. These proceedings and
-. 11HF
cipnlitles are without statutory author
ity, and have no sanction, except as
they nre maintained by the popular
sentiment Of the community. There Is
an entire ahsence OF authority to pros
vide the ordinary instrument Of local
police control and administration. the
population consisting Of the usual per-
centage Of Ia Nless adventures Of the
class that always flock to new fields OF
enterprise or discovery! and uHler cir
cumstances which require more than
ordinary provision for the maintenance
OF peace, good order and lawful con-
duct.
The whole vast area Of Alaska com
prlses but one judicial district. with one
Judge, one marshal. and one district at
torney. yet the civil and criminal busl-
ness has more than doubled within the
past year, and Is many times greater.
both in volume and Importance, than
II was in 1884. The duties, Of the judge
require him to travel thousands of
miles to discharge his judicial duties at
the various places designated for that
purpose. The territory should be d.
vlded into at least two districts and an
additional Judge, district attorney,
marshal. and other appropriate officers
be provided.
There is practically no organized
form of government In the territory.
There Is no authority. except in Con-
Eress, to pass any law, no matter how
local or trivial. and the difficulty Of
conveying to the Congress an adequate
conception and understanding Of the
various needs OF the people in the diff
ferent communities Is easily under
stood. I sec no reason why q more
complete form OF territorial Orgaulza-
ton should not be provided. following
the precedent established In the year
1905, when temporary government
was provided for the recently acquired
territory. then known under the name
of Louisiana, 1t seems to me II would
be advantageous to confer greater e%
ecutIve power upon the governor and 10
establish, as was done In the case Of
the territory OF Louisiana, q leglsla-
tive council having power to adopt or
dlnances which shall extend to oil the
riEhtfuI subjects of local Hesitation.
such ordinances not to take eject until
reported to and approved by the Con.
gress, II in session, and u that body Is
not In session, then by the President.
In this manner q system Of laws pro-
vidIng for the incorporation and gov
eminent of towns and cities having n
,artntp V,pDy1InfIpV, rriVinR fhnm Abe
power to establish and maintain q
system of education to be locally sup
ported. and ordinances providing for
police, sanitary. and other such pur-
poses. could be speedily provided.
l believe provision Of this kind
would be satisfactory to the people Of
the territory. II is probable that the
area IL too vast and the population too
scattered and trnnsltory to make II
wise at the present time to provide for
an elective legislative body. but the
conditions calling for local Belf-govern-
ment will undoubtedly very soon exist,
and will be facilitated by the measures
| which have recommended.
Legislation for Porto Rico.
recommend that legislation to the
same end be had with reference to the
government of Porto Rico. The time is
ripe for the adoption Of q temporary
form of government for this island;
and many suggestions made with refer
cnce to Alaska are applicable also to
Porto Rico.
The system of civil Jurisprudence
now adopted by the people Of this Is
land is described by competent lawyers
who are familiar with Il, as thoroughly
modern and scientific, 30 far ms !: re-
lates to matters Of internal business,
trade, production. and social and pri-
vate right in general. The cities OF the
island are governed under charters
which probably require very little or no
change. So that with relation TO mat
tiers OF local concern and prlVnte right
II Is not probable that much. II any, leg
lslatIon Is desirable; but with reference
TO public administration and the rela-
lions OF the Islands to the federal gov
eminent. there are many matters which
are OF pressing urgency. The same ne
cesslty exists for legislation on the part
OF Congress to establish federal courts
and federal Jurisdiction in the island
as has been previously pointed out By