The daily Alaskan., 1910-02-25
THE MEN WHO sEFRIENoEo AL
 ASKA.

Although 70 beISS"'S is chiefly due the credit for the defe&a Of the proposed Beveridge bill, the people of Alaska owe a deep debt of gratitude 10 those Senators who oppcs d the bill in the committee room an .p the floor of the Senate. and who showed themselves so well informed upon Alaskan conditions that they fairly riddled the bill with shafts of debate the few times that it made an appearance before retiring to the committee room for that final sleep of oblivion.
 Senator Borah of Idaho stands fore most among this small band of sen ators who opposed the Bevertdge bill purely on principle, for the reason that it was un-American, unjustified by cond .uons, and would result in a vicious concentration of power in the hands of the appoiutiye commission CTS. undesirable from any standpoint MT. Borah was well informed upon the actual conditions in Alaska and he was equally well aware of the interest ed influence behind the Beveridge bill from where this interest eman- ated and to what end 1t was directed.
 When on Jan. 26. Senator Bever- idge attempted to bring his bill beto'e the Senate on the order of unfinished business. Senator Borah. sustained by Senator Clark of Wyoming and Sen a,or Frazier of Tennessee. opposed this procedure and relegated the bill to the committee room. When the bill was again brought up Feb. H. Senator Crawford of South Dakota and Senator Borah again scored it in such manner that it was taken back to the friendly shelter of the territory committee room. there to lauguish and die.
 During his speech in the Senate Jan. 26 MT. Borah said;
 This is a peculiar and extraordin- ary bill It may be necessary; there may be conditions which warrant it: but certainly we are not prepared at this time to consider the question. be- cause there is no information before the Senate as to why this change is proposed. This is bill which pro vides in the first place, for govern or. an attorney general and a cOmmis sioner Of mines; and in the second place. for eight councilmen, to be ap- pointed by the President The right of self government, and the power of the people of Alaska to express them selves. is effectively cut out of this entire scheme of government
 
 As I have said, there may be many conditions prevailing in the dis trict of Alaska where some 10000 Am- erican citizens reside, which warrant and justify this cOugrss taking away from them all semblauce of self-goyerh meut; but before we proceed to do that. before we establish and engraft upon the American system the colon ial doctrine of England in it's simp- lest form. we ought to have a thor ough statement of this matter before the Senate. For that reason I trust that the Senator from Indiana will not insist upon taking this bill until either a report is made or until other senators. who are not members of tha committee. have an opportunity to know the reason, the why and where fore of this peculiar and extraordin- ary form of government which is pro posed to be given to the people of the District of Alaska.
 "....I do not say now that I shall not vote for the bill, but say there will have to be extraordinary and conclusive facts to justify a vote on tbis measure, conceiving it to be. as