Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-25

this people. and after the lapse of over
fifty years they are still excluded from par
ticipation in the national councils. and are
still outside the Union, far as national
elections and government are concerned.
The District Of Columbia has for hun
dred years been governed without its con-
sent, taxed without representation, SUBJ
jected to the Jurisdiction of body in whose
counsels 1t has never participated. Direct
taxes are collected from the District, but
no representatives are allotted to 1t, though
the. Constitution expressly couples the two
things. When the words throughout the
United States" are employed in the Con-
stttution, they have been held to include
the District when uniformity of duties is
prescribed. and to exclude the District when
the time Of national elections Is fixed. The
District has been pronounced a state under
a treaty with France, construction con-
ferring privileges on aliens. but not a state
under the Constitution. whose people can
sue In the federal courts 1t Is thus treated
as part of the Union of states when bur-
dens are to be imposed, and not q part Of
the Union when privileges are to be con-
ferred. Technically the political status Of
the people of the District of Columbia is
the most deplorable and their unhappy po-
litical lot is theoretically the most heart
rending of any recorded in so-celled re-
publican annals. Our grief over imaginary
political woes may well begin at home, if 1t
begins at all.
Grinding Tyranny in Alaska.
Alaska's entrance into the republics
primary class exhibits some notable sim
ilarities to that of the Philippines. AS the
first non-contiguous acquisition of the
United States, it set the precedent for our
annexations in Asia. Though 1t covered ac-
cordtng to varying estimates anywhere
from 10000 to 100000 square miles, 1t re-
sembled the Philippines in Offering little
or no prospect Of ever becoming fit for ad-
mission to the Union on an equal footing
with the states" It's main value was sup
posed to be in its fisheries and commercial
and broad international considerations urg-
ed its annexation.
Undoubtedly our tropical territory and its
people will have good reason to complain If
they are not treated as literally and con-
siderately as our frigid territory and its
people. How then have Alaska and the
Alaskans Jared?
The treaty Of cession provided that 1.-THE
inhabitants Of the coded territory, accord
ing to their choice, reserving their natural
allegiance, may return to Russia within
three years. but II they should prefer to
remain in the coded territory they, with
the exception Of uncivilized native tribes,
shall be admitted to the enjoyment of all
the rights. advantages and immunities of
citizens Of the United States, and shall be
maintained and protected in the free en-
5oyment of their liberty. property and re-
iigfon. The uncivilized tribes will be sub
1ect to such laws and regulations as the
United States may from time to time adopt
in regard to aboriginal tribes of that
country
Thus Russians who remained in Alaska
! were promised citizenship In the United
states. No such promise was made to the
natives. And the Constitution does not
seem OF its own force to have conferred
such citizenship upon anybody Immediately
upon treaty ratification.
In the case Of the Philippines nobody
was promised American citizenship by the
treaty. The civil rights and political status OF
the natives are to be determined by Con-
gress Why should the Constitution bind
Congress more tightly in dealing with the
Filiptnos than with the Alaskans? Why
should our uncivilized tribes near the eoua-
tor be transformed by the Constitution in
stantly upon treaty ratification into ma
tional citizens of the United States when
treaty ratification had no such effect upon
our uncivilized tribes near the pole?
II one born since annexation among the
uncivilized native tribes Of Alaska is rot
under the Constitution a citizen Of the
United States. why must one born among
the uncivilized native tribes of the PhIlip.
zines since annexation be necessarily such
a citizen? If we may constitutionally clas-
sify the natives of Alaska with our Indian
tribes in their relation to citizenship, may
we not treat the natives of the Philippines
after the same analogy?
Absolute Military Despotism.
From the time Of the transfer" says
A. P. Swineford, ex-governor Of the terri
tory, in his book on Alaska, ''the newly ac-
quired territory was looked upon and treat
ed by the President and Congress as an
Indian country. and the rule Of General
Davis and succeeding military commanders