The daily Alaskan., 1904-09-09
THE SAME OLD HARANGUE

The correspondent Of the Seattle Times at Sitka has a long extract from the annual report of Gov. Brady, which has been prepared and forwarded to the secretary ot the interior. As was to be expected from one who knows not th- meaning of progress, the governor de- livers himself of the same old harangue on the question of territorial govern ment, one that is as insulting to the people of Alaska as it is untrue.
 He says:
 WThs serious error of those who advO- cate this (territor all form of govern ment for Alaska at present, Is that they begin with a wrong statement as Go the pOpulation of the district. Many aS- sume that there are at leaS, lOO,OOO In- habitants. This they have not been able to prove by any statistics
 "Whst reason have we for asking congress to organize here at present an expensive system of gOveruments The expense win not be leSSeued by reason of the scarcity of population, the tend epcy will be always tO create offices and put up expensive buildings, and employ persons iu every kind of way under the plea that it is necessary for the good Of the territory. This means taxation Co it's utmost limits And, when the taxes will not meet the expenses, then the only result is to issue bonds Co pay or the indebtedness. '
 He suggests that the district wait uu- til it is in proper shape and demand ad- mittsnce, not as a territory but as a state.
 Gov. Brady iayors delegate to con- gress, and approves of recent laws which enable towns to govern them selves. While the governor says noth- ing directly he evidently tavors the ap- pointment of the delegate by the Presi- dent, on condition that he shall be a bona ide resident of Alaska
 All of this is worse than nonsense. and could only seriously be uttered by one possessing as little comprehston of the American principles of government as IS possessed by Gov. Brady.
 The question as to whether the peo- pie of Alaska number 100000 or 10000 is immaterial when considered in con- nectiou with their right Co govern themselves. To intimate in an o#cia. report that those who are advocating territorial government for Alaska ad- init that their case rests upon the hy- pothises that the population of Alaska is lOO,OOOis to officially prevaricatc. l- Is contended that there are 5000 or co., 600 white people in Alaska but tt is also,held that fl there were only 20, 900 or lessi,hey would havearighr,as American citizens, Co govern them selves. Granting for the sake of argu- ment that there are only 2O,OoO people in Alaska, they are certainly just as able to maintain a territorial Orgauiza- tiOn, both iu the poin, of iute..ec,ua. capacity and financial ability, as were the less than 5000 poor immigrants who maintained the first territorial government in Dakota, or the less than 4OOO who performed the same office for several years in Washington, under conditions that were more primitive and that offered more difficulties than do those conditions which surround the people of Alaska.
 Gov. Brady refers to territOria. gov ernment as an expensive system of government" This statement is either the result of ignorance, or it, like the other, is just plain every day lying. Al territorial government is NOT EN-| PENSIyE. It has been demonstrated over and over again, completely Co the satisfaction of those without prejudice who have investigated the matter, that a territorial government can be almost as inexpensive as the people desire to make it. There is no reason why a ter ritorial government should not be as cheap as the government we now baver and far better results could be secured for one-half of the money, or even less.
 To intimate that the tendency of the people, if they should have self-gOyeru- ment, would be to create unnecessary offices, erect useless buildings and con tract burdensOme debts, is a gratuiJOus insult 70 them. It is to accuse them not only with incapacity for self govern ment, but with lack of moral fitness. That the accusation is not true is known by Gov. Brady as vel, as iJ is by everyone else. He is forced to admit that municipal government iu the dis trict is a success, and if the people are capab of running their own munich pal and school affairs along lines yf iu- telligence and public honesty, there is no reason why they would not exercise the same intelligence and the same hon esty in the affairs of the territory.
 The fact of the matter is that Gov. Brady is making a special pea for the continuation of his job, and he makes very poor job of iJ at that. Ii he were more intelligent, he would no, ID ike a showing so pa'pa5Ly rldculou-.
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