The daily morning Alaskan. (Skagway, Alaska) 1899-1904, 1900-07-15
THE AMERICAN SURRENDER

The protest of the loval citizens of the
Porcupine mining district which has been
forwarded to the president of the United
States discloses the extent of the American
surrender in agreeing to the modus viVendi
in the Alaskan boundary dispute.
After stating in his message that not one
inch of American territory would be ceded
to Great Britain. the president permitted
his state department to agree to the surren-
der of four hundred square miles of terri
torv on the Dalton trail, which includes
not only verv rich placer fields and water
privileges, but the gateway to other min.
ing areas OF still greater extent.
The line as established bv the joint com
mission which has Just finished its work,
in the neighborhood of Klukwan, is repre-
sented to be within ten miles of tide water,
and il gives to the Canadians all of Kla-
heena river and its tributaries, Glacier and
Boulder creeks, all gold bearing. With
klaheena river goes the outlet of Poroupine
creek with its rich tributaries, Mckinley
and Cahoon creeks. The Canadian Access
sion also includes great portion of the
Dalton trail between KlukWan and Porcu-
pine, thus making it impossible to get
goods into the Porcuplne country without
going through Canadian territory and IN
dergolng all the vexations incident to doing
business with Canadian customs officials.
Thus has the United States surrendered to
Canada one-haf of the extremely rich
Porcupine mining district within verv
few months of a positive declaration bv
the chief executive that not one inch of
Alaskan territory would be given up. We
are spending millions for the expansion of
American territory and trade and sacrlfic-
ing that which has been ours for years.
1t NAV be urged that the line just estab-
lished is only temporary, but it is safe to
conclude that it will remain for wears after
all the placer fields of the Porcupine have
been Thoroughly sifted of their gold. A
provisional line was established on the
Stickine river quarter OF century ago,
and, like this, it was established miles
nearer the sea than the true line. 1t was
specifically agreed that the line was only
TO be temporary arrangement, vet there
It Is today where President Hayes secre-
tarv of state consented 1t should be.
Now that temporary line has been es-
tablished twenty miles nearer tide water
than 1t rightly belongs how are we going
to push il back1 Our president has con-
stantly and very justly refused to permit
arbitration of the Canadian attempt to
grab American territory, insisting upon
the right of the ten league strip, clearly
specified In the treaty, but he has given
them more than half of their contention in
the Porcupne section.
Does the secretary of state expect Can
ada to become convinced of the error of
her way, and gracefully return to US that
which we have weakly surrendered If
so, he will learn more about Canadians in
few wears than he knows now.
Our government has permitted itself to
be forced into doing that which ii has re-
fused to do. 1t must now consent to arbi
tration. Otherwise there is but one of two
alternatives open for acceptance, either to
relinquish absolutely all claim to the Por-
cupine country given awav or to fight
That Is all there is to it, Our diplomats
have been out generaled at every step.
1t Is the same old story. The history of
Alaska has been a continued story of con-
cession and cesson to Canada without get
ting one single privilege In return.
Our country needs some of the spirit
shown BY Grant in the San Juan diff cul-
ties infused into it. We need Blaine to
say to the grasping Canadians, ''there is
the line, put YOUR custom house on the
other side Of it,"
If the United States is to enter upon a
career of expansion its qualifications should
be shown bv disposition to protect its
citizens and such territory as it already
possesses.