The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1903-10-17
LEGISLATION IN ALASKA
Public Sentiment as to Best
Form Of Government.
TWO FACTIONS IN A MERRY WAR

District should he More Tricky
Settled Before Ia becomes IA Terri
tory or Dons Gsrb of Statehood.
a special dispatch from Sitka, Alas
ka, 10 the New York Tribune says.
The spectacle OF horde Of statehood
boomers urging the claims of their ter
ritory 10 sovereign rights In the Union
is common enough, but Alaska pre-.
sents the anomaly of not being quite
sure that she even wants TO be a terri
tory. Agitation there Is and OF a vocif-
erous kind that the territorial form OF
government should be conferred by
congress at once. But there is a strong
party, headed by Governor John G..
Brady himself. which believes that the
district Is a mere infant still and
should be left for a time longer In its
present swaddling clothes. The knee
brooches of territorial government and
the manly garb of statehood should not
be donned, they say until their huge
land is more thicSly settled.
The committee OF the United States
/
legislative needs of Alaska this sum
mer has heard a great deal on this
particular subject, and It's recommen-
dalton on this point VIII be received
with great interest. The senators have
| Travelled many thousand miles In the
interior and along the coast and have
had an exceptional opportunity 10
learn public sentiment and TO examine
the facts ut first hand
Meanwhile the merry war between
the boomers and the let well enough
alone party goes briskly on. The terri
torialists had a field day at the trans
mississippi congress which was recent
! ly held I'm Seattle. Poor Governor Bra
dy had no one TO back him up, while n
dozen or more men identified with
Alaska went In hammer and tongs for
the change OF government.
A. l.. Swineford, ex-governor of the
district, pointed out some of the abuses
OF having the laws all made In Wash
1 ington. why" he said, "a woman
dressmaker has got to pay license Of
500 year. heard OF one case where
| a man who kept a general store sold
an official bottle OF arnica liniment.
The merchant was thereupon compelled
to take out a druggists license at $500
year"
John C. Green. for twenty-elght years
a resident OF Alaska, made these
points:
1--WE feel that we know what laws
are best for us and are capable OF
making them. We don't want 10 be
saddled any longer with the laws OF
Oregon, which now govern US. We
want TO elect our own territorial legis-
lature instead of being ruled by cast
of politicians"
Don Fletcher OF Seattle told how a
miner In the interior was attacked with
malaria and after much trouble man
aged TO get a bottle OF whisky. He
paid S. for IT, Information of this com
Ing to government official he laid
complaint, and the camp of miners
which had sold the stuff had TO take
out a liquor license and to forfeit its
whole outfit.
1t was further pointed out that Alas
i ka now produced $21000,00O a year in
metals. fish, furs, etc, while IL con
/ sumed an equal amount of goods from
\ the parent country II the district were
allowed to collect its own revenues Of,
say, 100000 year, half would suffice
for expenses and the rest could be used
in the internal improvements which
were so much needed
Governor Brady Of course believes
that Alaska needs more money. but he
thinks congress should appropriate Il.
I He pointed out al the Seattle gathering
that by the census of 1900 the popula-
ton was only O3,592. of whom only
30,507 were white. These were scatter
ed over 100000 square miles. Most OF
them were I'm a measure sojourners, MS
the total number of families was hacd-
" more than 800 or GOO.
"The only gain" the governor went
on, would be a delegate in congress.
The expense would be much greater.
and Alaska is not yet prepared TO meet
IT, Besides. the territorial form Of gov
eminent "a unsatisfactory 10 many OF
those who live under IT,"
1t must be said that there Is consId-
cradle support for Mr.. Brady among
business men. One OF them, who has
been In Sitka many years, said:
"Of course we should like a delegate
at Washington. He would have no
vote, but we should feel that we were
little more a part OF the country II
there were some one entitled TO express
our needs and wishes. But this we
might have without becoming ter
ritory. Tho merchants generally want
to have things continue as az present
We believe that In few years Alaska
will have grown SO I'm people and
wealth that congress Will gladly take
us into statehood without making US