The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-20
4 ROAST FOR BRADY
Address of Donald Fletcher Before
Trans-Mississippi Congress.
ON THE AFFAIRS OF ALASKA
Uhe Governor of the Possession
:, Charged With Betraying
It's Interests.

twists for the British lions tail;
scathing denunciations Of Governor Brady
OF Alaska; attacks on the commercial
tyranny and monopoies enjoyed by the
great Alaskan commercial companies
gorgeous pictures of the future OF Alaska
and its wealth, and fervid appeals for
territorial government were ingredients
IN the hot oratorical dish served up to
the Trans Mississippi congress last night
by Donald Fletcher OF Seattle.
The attack on Governor Brady was so
severe that it would not be strange II the
governor would bring an action for libel
against Mr.. Fletcher. Brady was ac-
cused of betraying the interests OF Alaska,
either stupidity or Culpab or both He
was accused Of being dominated and ami
mated by great selfish interests. powerful
in Alaska, and hostile to territorial gov
ernment because under it they would no
longer be free to pursue high banded
practices and would be subject to taxation
from which they now escape almost en-
tirely. Governor Brady was severely
criticised because he opposed the crea-
tion OF territorial government at this
time, and because be advocates the cX
tension of the land laws in their entirety
TO Alaska. One reason Governor Brady
gave in his report for opposing territorial
government was that very few Of the
white people Of Alaska regarded them
selves as permanent residents thereof.
Mr.. Fletcher denounced this as a mis-
statement, and to prove that he was
right asserted that the federal govern
ment was now spending more money for
the education Of white children in Alaska
than ever before spent in any unorgan-
lied territory. AS for the extension of
the land laws, Mr.. Fletcher found in
that another evidence of Governor Bradys
betrayal of the interests of Alaska for
he thought that the 160-acre homestead
was altogether too small to promote the
development Of Alaska. and that the
homestead should be at least 800 acres.
Mr.. Fletcher made a strong argument
for a change In the present method of dis
posing Of public lands in Alaska, by
which a man can get only eighty acres,
and that after such an expensive process.
that his holdings cost him as much as an
equal amount Of land would cost in an
old and settled state. He argued for
great liberality in disposing of the public
domain in Alaska, saying that nobody
cared II few men should make fortunes
off the plan provided it were only possible
for the people to get the land. In pic
turing the condition Of Alaska with tax
alton and without representation, Mr..
Fletcher waxed fiercely eloquent, COM
pairing the condition of the Alaskan pio-
neers. whom he declared to be the flower
OF the American race, to the men of 10"
He said that there were %. 900 Americans
IN Alaska. and that he was sure that
hve-sixths of them would support a
petition for territorial government as
against the continuation of the present
status as desired by Governor Brady who
he says is immensely unpopular in Alas
ka. The national revenue collected in
Alaska amounts to s2S5.O0O a year. and
the expenditures $4,000. The territorial
revenues are s155,oO0 and the expenditures
$4,000. The people Of Alaska are taxed
$3.50 per capita under Washington rule
said Mr.. Fletcher, as against per capita
tax Of SO cents In Oklahoma under terri
torial rule.
Commercial Monopolies.
Referring to the commercial monopolies,
Hr. Fletcher said they held up scores of
miners who made good finds but were alb
solutely dependent upon the company
stores for their living. Prospectors, he
eaad. dared not leave their claims for a
moment for fear of having them jumped
by agents of unserupulous companies. He
strongly intimated that all Of them had
governmental pull. AS an instance OF
this pull he cited the case of the North
American CONNIE rcial company at Dutch
Harbor. Unalaska. The company there
owns eighty-nine acres Of land Some pri-
vate parties undertook to get possession
Of another piece on this valuable har-
Dor, but that moment, said the speaker
a revenue cutter hurried to Seattle with
dispatches for Washington and presently
the government reserved all of it's har.
Dor front, leaving the North American
Commercial company in supreme contro
of the situation.
Mr.. Fletcher did not touch at length
en- the Alaskan boundary dispute. Tha
question was to have been discussed b,
MIR. J. w Ivey. formerly collector of Gus
toms for Alaska, who resigned SOM
months ago and simultaneously criti
cised Secretary Of State Hay for hi
course with respect to the boundary. Blu
Mr. Fletcher contended that the Unite
States should never submit to arbitra
tion any more than it would submit t.
such disposition a British claim to tn
city Of Baltimore. He also raised tn