The Ketchikan miner., 1907-08-17

the vote on the question of popular home governments would be he would nave to know the terms of the contraetl "If. , says this erudite logieian, "Gongress in the charter or Organic Act provides that there shall be no gambling in Alaska, that the dance halls must all be done away with and the saloons closed on Sun day that certain forest and fishing legislation shall be left to the federal government, and many other things that restrict the rights of the citizens of Alaska, it will be defeated by an overwhelming majority. On tho other hand, if the Organic Act leaves the question of gambling, dance halls and Sunday closing to the legislature which the people may elect, it will carry, for the saloons of Alaska have an all. powerful influence in this min ing country. Knowing that they have this strong influence in the territory is the very reason that the federal government is slow to grant the right of self-goyernment to our people. '
 Without stopping to characterize as it deserves, this open, wanton insult to the people of Alaska, than whom, as a whole there are none more intel ligent and law abiding anywhere, The Miner will content itself with simply pointing out the perfect absurdity of the whole proposition. An organic act creating form of government for d territory is not only not in the similitude, but partakes of nothing in the character of D contract to which the people of that territory is a party. It is simply a charter of privileges within the province of Congress, with the approval of the President, to grant or withhold, and there has never yet been such an act passed which did not specifically make the acts of the territorial legislature sub ject either to the approval or disap- proval of Congress. IT. has been the practice of Congress in the passage of such organic acts to limit the powers of territorial legislatures in various directions-in the matter of taXation bonded indebtedness, etc. for instance and it would doubtless do the same in the case of Alaska. But there has been no instance in which Congress has passed an organic act for a terri tory and then submitted it to the peo- pie of the proposed territory for acceptance or rejection, and it is un- reasonable to expect that it will do so in this case. Alaska must perforce take exactly what Congress gives it, no more nor less.
 The only question now is whether the people of Alaska desire a terri torial form of government, or some other equally as just and liberal in it's provisions. and their desire in that regard can be conclusively ascertained by making it direct issue in the party conventions that will shortly be held for choice of delegates to the national conventions, as well as by pronunciamento of the non-partizan convention proposed to be held in October. At all events, that question can not be obscured or lightly set aside by specuIating in advance on the powers of legislation likely 10 be con ferred on the local legislature or by as pensions cast upon the intelligence and probity of the people.
 Having apparently abandoned the bughear of taxation it would now ap- pear that the monalchists will be will ing to accept territorial organization, provided the aot providing it is first shorn of all the essential rights and privileges of seli-&oyernment. It is in effect saying to the people abandon the substanee and VIC will join yoH in demanding the shadow,