Iditarod pioneer., 1911-09-23
Representative Government: 4 Contrast Between Alaska and Yukon
 News zvoun
Dawson News, Euqust 2S

bumpers in favor of giving territorial delegates in the American congress as. full rights and privileges TIT in other words, to make them as fully repre- sentative-as are the territorial repre- Sentatives in the Canadian parliament.
 The Canadian territory of Yukon has no light to make for territorial govern ment This territory has had territo- rial government nearly all it's life since the great gold discovery in Klondike. This fact seems little known in Amer ican. Not only has Yukon territorial form of government, but has legisla- tive assembly, and every member thereof is elective. Yukon means to retain the form of government. Yukon Territory is far more adequately and satisfactorily conducted with it's terri torial legislative body, called the Yu- kon council, than before it had such an assembly. Local matters are in the hands of local men, men who best know the wants and can best supply the remedy.
 Delegate Wickersham is struggling to get his home rule bill and an amend ment to the placer laws through the American congress. When Yukon wanted 10 enact new mining law some few years ago it put the measure through the Yukon council, and the act was endorsed at Ottawa on the principle that what the Yukon &ssem- bly, formulated through its chosen rep resentatives must be what the people of Yukon wanted. And Ottawa has had no reason to regret the action. The law has worked splenddly. Several other reforms in matters of federal jurisdiction have originated in the Yu- kOn council and have been worked out to the entire satisfaction of the people of this territory.
 Alaska long has fought tor home rule. As far back as when Dr. Alfred Thompson went to Ottawa years ago as member of parliament for Yukon he found the people of Skagway in quan- diary over the question. Mir. Brady, then governor of Alaska, was against home rule, but, being on a tour of his territory, was being given a reception in SkagWay. Dr. Thompson was asked to attend the meeting. The governors anti home rule theories were not satis- factory to most of the Skagwayans, but the people there showed such courte- sies to the chief executive as were due the man and the office. Dr. Thompson did not understand the situation in Skagway, but since he was on his way to Ottawa and was asked to attend the meeting and say few words on his territory and the work it had for him at the federal seat, he did sO When he explained his position as member with full right to speak and vote, and told how the Canadian Yukon, under the flag, had just what the Skag- way ans and AIaskans were fighting for and had had it for years, and when he told them that in Canadian Yukon there is enjoyed what the Pilgrim fathers fought for and what is not now enjoyed in Alaska, but that the Alas kans should have it and should get home rule if they went after it, the reception to the Yukon man proved an ovation for him and Brady was almost forgotten in the enthusiasm. And the joke of 1t was that Dr. Thompson did not know at the time he had spiked Brady's guns.
 Today Yukon has staunch member in Ottawa who will continue there with all the privileges of any other member Of Canada. The Yukon Territory, or, Canadian Yukon, will retain her much coveted right of home rule, and will extend the warmest sympathy to Judge WickerSham in his fight to get full representative government for his peo- ple-the stalwart citizens of Alaska.