Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-09-03
CRISIS FOR ALASKA.
Tide of immigration is Turning in
Other Directions.

Other Directions.
Washington, Sept. 3.-Ffhe Informal
ton that the Alaskan gold fields are be-
ginning to show smaller yields VIII
coubtlcss make difference in the fu-
ture development of that country, and
cause congress to '.go SLOW in the mat
ter of legislative development there.
| decline of almost one-half in the gold
output for the current year, and the
further fact that during that time no
rev mines have been discovered. VIII
lrove a sufficient danper to the enthu-
siasm of people who have been 11Surlhs
that that country was to produce a"
unlimited supply of the precious metal
while the inclemency and rlgof OF lhe
seasons will combine to reduce the uae
| if immigration and at the same tune 10
diminish the number of people already
there. Evidently, Alaska is about to go
thru its most critical period. If during
the next year or two the gold supplies
| are Still short, the country will be sur
| fered practically to relapse into It's
lcrignal state Whole cities and towns
in many instances Will be abandoned,
| the machinery of the federal govern
ment will be simplitied, wagon roads
will be given up. steamboats, Will be al
lowed to rot at their mooringS. and the
English-speaking population, when
has gone there in such great numbers
during the past few years, will return
| to milder ATTITUDES farther south. Indi-
rectly, this threatened decadence of the
Alaskan peninsula will affect the bust
ness of the thriving cities on Puget
sound, which have become immense
Quitting points for the far northwest.
But fortunately for these cities, the
oriental trade is now assuming such
satisfactory proportions as to insure
their future beyond peradventure.
The recent order bw Assistant Post
master General Wynne. defining the
lengths to which postmasters may so
in their desire to render service to the
political party of their choice. is based
upon Il letter written by President
Roosevelt and therefore correctly in
terprets the views of the administra-
ton on this important question. Un-
der some Of the presidents postmasters,
as we'll as other federal office-holders,
have practically been deprived of many
OF their inherent rights as citizens. and
required to maintain pose of absolute
neutrality and non -combativeness in
each succeeding political campaign.
According to President Roosevelts way
of thinking, however the federal office
holder has rights as a citizen and wilt
be permitted, within certain broad
Hines, to exercise them. For instance, it
will now be permissible for postmas-
ters-and this ruling will apply to all
federal employes-to join political
clubs, attend political conventions as
delegates. and, should they desire to do
so, to contribute to campaign funds.
They ought not, however. in the presi-
dents Judgment, to become unduly act
i've in campaign work. In other words.
he would not have them acting as the
chairman Of political convention, of
campaign committees, or In other ways
setting the pace within their parties as
leaders But as followers-hfgh pri-
Yates in the rear ranks of partisanship
they have full rights and will be pro-
tected in their exercise.
Ia This new ruling is much more liberal
than any that has been made on this
question for many years. and it will be
welcomed by thousands of postmasters,
big and little, in all parts of the coun-
ivy.