Douglas Island news., 1907-01-30
Yes. But There are Difficulties

Of all the arguments set forth on the question of home rule, the most unique and perhaps the most convincing is the following from the Yukon Valley News:
 "should Alaska be self governing? Answer"
 That is the wording of a message re- eeived from the Fairbanks Northern Light last afternoon. What particular circumstance caused the inquiry can not be told, but there is likelihood that some kind of representation to congress regarding the matter is con- templated.
 The answer is "Yes." Americans anywhere on American soil should be self governing. The more remote and isolated from the populous centers, the more vital the principle becomes. Place a single individual in the wilder ness out of reach of his fellows, and he at once becomes self governing; and if he is a sensible American he usually governs himself we'll. Put two there and they will confer and usually adopt the most beneficial course of action. A majority will decide what is to be done by three. And SO on, and so on, up to any number. Set two men down in the wilds with absolute authority delegated to one to control the actions of the other, and rebellion or perhaps homicide will follow. The more local ized government is in a new country the bette-. In such a country there are always two evils to be feared when the governing power is centered at a distance: one is woeful ignorance and the other wilful wrong.
 The civilization of the United States has been built with local self govern ment as the corner stone, and it is built very strong.
 So far as this little paper is concerned | it has not been anxious to see self-goY- ernment for Alaska hastened, because | it has seemed impossible of achieve ment except through compromises that might rob the victory of its most precious fruits. It has hoped for a time when Alaska's case might be sub- mitted to congress with consciousness that the dominant party would acknowledge the territory's equality . with other American soil.
 AS it is now the federal government will yield up to the territory enough of the taxing privileges to make self gov ernment self supporting. The fisher ies may be claimed as a source of per petual federal profit. Portions of the public domain may be leased-as the fox islands now are-and the territory denied taxing privilege there. Fur monopolies of great value may be ! granted and the territory get no recon pense. The tim Der resources may be withheld. Commercial and carrying business may be regulated from Wash iugton. The half-concealed and doubly oppressive customs tax will scarcely lead to the dumping of cargo over board, as a regulation of kindred nature did on one historic occasion.
 Since it is very common to pnnctuate Alaskan reference with points from the Canadian side, it is not amiss to speak of the self government extended by the dominion to Dawson. The do minion held to its revenue-producing regulations and the city taxed itself to death. That bit of history could be repeated on the American side, with all Alaska undergoing the experience of the Canadian town.
 The natives furnish another difficulty in the way of Alaskan self-government. While they are in state of half free dom and come in contact with the whites everywhere, the federal govern ment might insist on keeping them singly under federal law, which would lead to endless confusion if not dis aster.
 Yes, Alaska should be self governing; but it should be so with the very broadest meaning that the term implies and there are difficulties