The daily morning Alaskan., 1900-01-01


 IF congress does nothing for us this session, then we will see what we can do for ourselves. But we have been saying this for these many long years. In his official report of 1Ss6-which Is very long time ago in a territory that makes history as fast as we are doing-Gov- ernor Swineiord put these words In italics.
 How long congress may continue to deem 1t wise and consistent to so legis- late as to hinder and re.ard, rather than encourage and promote the devel- opmeut of natural resources that may be made to contribute untold millions to the public wealth, may not be per mltted to guess; but do now hazard the prediction that Alaska is the com ing great gold and silver mining field of the world, and that the history Of her progress and development during the next twenty years, will most posi- lively reiute the theory of those public men who seemingly base their every official act, so far as her interests are concerned, on the mistaken belief that she is at best but frigid Taste."
 These wers the words of prophecy; .ae words of man whose faith was strong enough to pierce the unraised curtain of the future. They made no impression. Neither have the later evidences of Alaska's rapid progress and development that have been sub mitted; and we still bear on our banner this pitiful device;
 euosqus tandem. Catalina, sbutsTs patientia noseFa!
 Is 1t not time to change this; to have new banner, with a sort of "meme, meme, tekel upharsin" motto? Some thing, at any rate, calculated to awaken congress to the fact that We are very angry and disgruntled people; that we can no longer be triaed with; that we are growing dangerous. Something that wlllcOmmsnd for us just little share of cir sOlicitude for the future of the people of Cuba and the dusky denizens of the Philippines. What have wS Americans born and still AmericaS. done that these aliens should at once be granted constitu- tional liberty and laws for the protec- tion of life and property, while Alaska, like a blind Belisarius, begs and begs in vain?
 As hAs been -,aiad in this newspaper time aud timo again, Washington was given territorial rights before she had quarter of the population Alaska now has; and Oklahoma was granted the right to make her own laws before she had any population at all; before the reservation was thrown open to settle mert. The State of Alaska, or even the Territory of Alaska, Ito come down from the Mount Dewey peak of Repub- lie of AilsEa) or even the meagre right to make our own municipal laws and to assess tlxes to carry them into effect would b. something. At present we get nothing. We are a District; mere dependency so utterly without the least semblauce of political rights as to be a laughing stock in a nation of free and independent citizens.
 Well it will do no good to fume and fret over it. We may as well take the advice of those wiser ones and wait again, just for this once, to see what this congress does for Alaska. The modest presentation of our needs by the Alaska convention will surely meet with some consideration. If not, there are men among us whose passionate natures will stand no more of such gross iudignities, and the course they may take may be one that the American people will bitterly regret, and the Alaskans be proud of or not as a future based on such results rounds and fash ions itself out. The idea of Alaska be- ing made a colony with similar polit- ical rights to those that may be granted to Hawaii or Cuba, is pleasant one for an Alaskan to dwell upon in the present condition of affairs; and whether the movement trends in the direction of colonization, or scars to that Of an Alaska republic subject to ths suze- rainty of the United States, or merely demands, in the language of the Con stitutlon, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" |" good stifr bluff can do no great amount of harm and mey, in- deed, be provocative of much public good, as discussion Is ever the best