Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-30
ALASKAN GRAB

"a certain departmental government
methods is shown by the printed
statement that "insiders are betting
seven to three the Guggenheims will
yet control Alaska
Whether or not the Guggenheims
will be allowed to grab the peoples
property in Alaska win depend on the
people themselves. If they keep on
talking about this subject long enough
by the time they have reached the end
of their talk and have made up their
minds somebody must bring some
pressure to bear upon somebody high
er up in order that the department of
the interior may work for the people
instead of against them-tne mischief
will already have been done.
LET US LOCK THE ALASKAN
STABLE DOOR BEFORE THE PEo-
PIES HORSE IS STOLEN. The
thief is all in readiness to capture the
valuable animal and brand him for
his and pretend he is PRIVATE
PROPERTY.
VIII the people of the United States
quietly allow one of their most val
liable heritages, the Seward purchase.
to pass into the hands Of corporations
and Of individuals. who will exploit
it as corporations and favored individ-
uais have exploited Hindustan until
the common people" of Britain have
almost lost interest in It? We must
not act in the United states as if we
were immune from the catastrophes
whicn have befallen other nations as
result Of carelessness or greed.
Alaska was not bought for the en-
richment Of a trust, but for the people.
If properly cared for, It will yet pro-
vide homes for thousands OF Ameri-
cans, and with its resources carefully
conserved and the people in control,
will yet become one of the richest and
most prosperous states in the Union.
The Guggenheims and others of their
type were among the first to smell
out" the riches of Alaska and imme-
diately coveted them and began to plot
and plan how TO gain possession of
them.
The timber lands OF Alaska are
worth as much as the mineral prod
ucts; nay, there is every indication
they are Of more actual value to this
timber-hungry nation. Yet people VINO
would be willing and eager to go TO
war with foreign power for the sake
of retaining or obtaining control of a
gold supply will sit idly and apparent
ly indifferently while the richest tim
Der lands in the world are confscated
and looted by private interests. Sure
ly it is obvious that In such case pri-
yate interests are public enemies and
must be fought with as much vigor
enthusiasm and desire to win as would
be manifested in a contest with an
alien power.
Chicanery, fraud, artifce, all kinds
Of un-American Devices are being used
in the endeavor to steal Alaska. Not
even in the courts are the people get
ting a square deal. 1t is charged the
interior department is not in earnest
in its conduct of the suits in Seattle
over the Cunningham claims. For de-
fense of the public domain the depart
ment selected a beardless youth, the
graduate Of a night school and cor
respondence school law course in 1907,
who on cross examination objected to
a question because it was a leading
question. When one of his own ques-
tions on direct examination was OBJ
jected to as leading he declared he had
a right to indicate to his witnesses
what answer he expected.
This youth of incredible ignorance
and inexperience is opposed by two of
the foremost lawyers of the west.
What chance has he? What chance
was it intended he should have? What
chance have the people this greenhorn
is supposed TO represent?
We in California have a vitally keen
interest in keeping the looters from
annexing and exploiting Alaska. The
timber grown in this vast domain Will
supply the wood from which the homes
of America will be built.
To Southern California especially the
Alaskan timber question is one of the
gravest moment, and we wish our
good people would realize this. The
future prosperity of Southern Califor-
MIA depends in some measure on the
success of the effort to resist the ra-
pacious encroachments of conscience
less greed on the Alaskan woodlands. !
The old timber states have been
stripped. Their condition of denuda-
tion is pitiful. There are no pine trees
in the "Pine Tree state" and there are
thousands of empty acres where once
hourshed the vast forest primeval'
of Evangeline.
viii the Guggenhems control Alas |
ka? Not if California and the west |
country awaken to a sense of their |
danger; to a realization of the menace |
to the building and the growth |
and prosperity Of our state that exists |
in the unchecked rapacity of the raid |
ers of the northland.
The people, not the Guggenhoims, |
must control Alaska
IJnT UXETOnn