The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-09-17
LEGISLATOR m ALASKA
Public Sentiment as to Fest
Form Of Government.
TWO FACTIONS IN A MERRY WAR.

one wants Territorial Government
the Other, Headed by Governor
Rrady. opposes title Believes the
District should Be More Thioisly
settled Before Il Becomes "a Terri
tory or Dons Garb Of statehood.
A special dispatch from sitka, Alas
ka Is the New York Tribune says
Tie spectacle Of horde Of statehood
boomers urging the claims Of their ter
ritory to 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 I
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 6
Brady himself which believes that the
district Is mere infant still and
should be left for a time longer in its
present swaddling clothes. The knee
breeehes of territorial government and
the manly garb Of statehood should not
be donned they say, until their huge
land Is more thielSly settled.
The committee Of tile United States
senate which has been looking into the
legislative needs Of Alaska this sum
mer has heard a great deal on this
particular subject and its recommen-
dation on this point win be received
with great interest. The senator's have
Travelled many thousand miles in the
interior and along the coast and have
had an exceptional opportunity 70
learn public sentiment and TO examine
the facts at first hand.
Meanwhile the merry war between
THE boomers and the let well enough
alone party goes brisl1ly on. The terri
torialists had a field day at the trans
mississippi congress which was recent
" held in Seattle. Poor Governor Bra
dy had no one to back him up, while q
dozen or more men identified with
Alaska went in hammer and tongs for
the change of government.
1 A. r. Swineford, ex-governor Of the
district. pointed out some of the abuses
Of having the laws all made ia WASH
ington Why he said, "a woman
Idressmaker has got to pay a license Of
$50 a year heard of one case where
man who kept a general store sold
an official a bottle of arnica liniment
The merchant was thereupon compelled
to take out druggists license at 500
a year.
| John c. Green, for twenty-eight years
resident Of Alaska, made these
points:
Eve feel that we know what laws
are best for us and are capable OF
making them. we don't want TO be
saddled any longer with the laws Of
Oregon, which now govern rs. VIZ
want to elect our own territorial legis
lature instead Of being ruled by cast
/ off politicians"
| Don Fletcher Of Seattle told how d
/ miner in the interior was attacked witt
malaria and after much trouble man
aged to get bottle Of whisky III
paid s. for IT, Information Of this com
/ ing to a government official he Iaid
complaint, and the camp Of miners
which had sold the stuff had to take
out a liquor license and TO forfeit #,
whole outfit.
/ 1t was further pointed out that Alas
ka now produced S25.000,000 a year il
metals, fish. furs, etc, while ii con
sumed an equal amount Of goods from
the parent country. If the district were
allowed to collect its own revenues 81
say, 100000 a year, half would suffice
| for expenses and the rest could be USED
in the internal Improvements whicl
We're so much needed.
/ Governor Brady Of course believes
that Alaska needs more money. but liz
thinks congress should appropriate It
He pointed out at the Seattle gathering
that by the census Of 1900 the popuIa
ton was only 63,592. Of whom only
30,507 were white. These were scatter
ed over 100000 square miles. Most 81
them were in a measure sojourners. "a
the total number OF families was ha I'd.
~ more than 800 or 600.
"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
Iii, Besides, the territorial form Of gov.
ernment is unsatisfactory to many OF
those who live under IT.
II must be said that there is eonsid-
erable 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 q part Of the country if
there We're some one entitled to express
our needs and wishes But this we
might have without becoming ter
lritory, The merchants generally want
70 have things continue as at present.
We believe that in a few years Alaska
will have grown so in people and
wealth that congress viii gladly take
us into statehood without making us
pass through the purgatory Of terri