The daily morning Alaskan., 1903-05-06
RIPE FOR TERRITORY

Alter condeming the plan proposed by Senator Beyeridge Co provide a del- egate in Coogrcss for Alaska Co be chos- en by the Federal officers of the district, the Seattle Post Intellinger says; "A few days since the people ot the state of Washington celebrated the fifteenth anniyersy of the passage ot the act OF ganizing the territory of Washington. For thirty-six wears the territory was governed under that act withno substan- tial amendments made Co ir 40 the time full territorial government was set up tn Washington there were barely 5000 people in the territory, a smaller number than are at present permanently residing in the single Alaska town ot Skagway. Thirty years after the ter ritorial government Of Washington went into effect, the total population ot the territory was less than the permanent white population ot Alaska Is today
 When Washington was organized as aterritory and tor many years thercat- Ger the only means of communication with the outside world wa, by an occa- sional sailing vessel plying to Sau Fran cisco at which place couuecrioucou.d be made with steamers running monthly Co Panama; thence acro,, the i,thmus Co another steamship at Colon; thence Co New York The alternative was che t0ilsome journey by oNteam orou horse back across the continent, involving weeks or months. Alaska ha, at Che present time a daily steamship service Co the tcrmiuu, 0t ,hrectrau>coutiueut- al railroad, a, Seattle.
 "Wheu Washington was organized. its eastern bouudry vas the summit ot Che Rocky mountains, and che eastern and western portion, ot che state were separated from each other by 90 high mountain range, impossible ,or many months %, thc year. The means ot iu- terual communication, then and for many wear, thereafter, were canoes and ,loops along che water courses. and and horseback trail, elsewhere. Alaska Ina, a fleet ot steamship, plying along her coast line; bringing an c0a>, points, outside oi Boring sea. iu close and nti- mate connection at al timc>ottheyea- and during che summer month, dozens oi steamboat, ply on the Yukon the wholeofit, uavigab,e length, w'ithother steamboats on the tributuie, ot that river.
 "For many years after the territory ofWa,hington was organized it, export, were insignificant During che past six months the territory ot Alaska has sent Co the United State, itS own products Co the value Of s2O. .OOO,0 ,0OO, of which nearly one-halt wa, of products aside from min- erals, or ores.
 The lOOOOOpeOp.cre>ideu, .n Alaska are of the best of American blood and brawn; the finest type, of American man hood. It i, not country for helpless dependen, or uneutcrpri,ins. What scandals have occurred in the admiui,- tra,ion of a1airs in Alaska have touch- ed merely che official, appointed from the outside, che officials who, according Co Senator Beyeridge and hi, admirers, are alone ft Co be entrusted with the siection ot @ delegate tocougrc,,. whiie che 10000 residents ot Alaska. who have gone there of their own initiative and who are engaged in developing the resources oftheircountry, are consider ed incompetent Co exercise che du,ie, Of American citizenship.
 Alaska is better equippedt0 maintain a full territorial government than any territory ever organized wa, at the time its organic ac, passed ], |, an outrage on ,he Aiaskans that they are denied thepriviege> of ,eli-goyerrmcut. which they are betterqualided Co exercise than are che people of halt che state, iu the Union; or the majority ot thr voters ot any of the great cite, of che Past; and it is an insult Go them 70 hold that half a dozen oHceho,der> who have gone Co che territory with federal commission, i0 their pockets. are better fitted Co ,e- lect a suitable delegate in congress than the 10000 American citizen, resident  there and engaged iu private ayocotion