The Alaska citizen., 1912-07-15
LET US BUILD RATHER THAN
 DESTROY.

When the first delegates to con- gress were elected in 1906 Alaskans believed many of the hindrances to the development of the country, oc- Casioned either by the acts of omis- sion or commission of the Washing ton sOlons, would be removed and the territory would soon enjoy the benefits of such laws as befitted it's state. The remedy for the sx- isting evils appeared to be simple md easily accessible-in fact to be had for the asking. And there was good reason why Alaskans should i have been sanguine of obtaining good laws when the opportunity was afforded them of making their plea to the congress in person. for they were asking no more than had been granted to all of the other territories | in their early days.
 Six years have elapsed and the l territory. instead of having benefit l ed by reason of having it's represen- l tative al the national capital. is | commonly acknowledged to have re- | trograded. Its laws for the most | part are those that were in vogue | in 1906. many of them entirely in- adequate to local conditions. It's 1 industries have been retarded by un- ] warranted interference on the part of the administration. Promoters of l legitimate enterprises, instead of | finding encouragement. have been op- | posed by bitter denunciation and dem agogic raillery. And the congress. | in receptive mood in 1906. Is now.
 as is the administration. suspicious of every request made from the ter ritory and inclined to fight shy of of even the most praiseworthy pro.
 posals.
 There must have been a reason for
 this maladministration of Alaskan l affairs. The government had shown | it's willingness and readiness to help ] the territory when it created the office of delegate. Alaska has ask l ed nothing unreasonable. The con- gress, made up of the best in the l United States, honorable men with | brains who are not only willing. but ! anxious to fulfill the burdens they ! uritl oF would surely have helped had it
 been shown the way.
 The belief is warranted that the
 delegate for the past four years has
 given more heed to the venting of ! his personal animosities than he has ! to the wants of the territory. Al l though the mining law is recognized
 as curse to the country he has utterly failed in getting it changed
 in the slightest degree While it
 is conceded that better transportation ! facilities are the territory's greatest need he has put stumbling blocks in
 the way of legitimate capitalistic en-
 terprise. and he has not in the
 slightest degree facilitated the build
 ing of a mile of railroad since he
 took office. Imbued with hatred to
 the Guggenheims he has allowed ran
 cor to cloud his better judgment in
 matters in which he imagines they
 might in some way be remotely con- cerned, and he has thereby retarded economic betterments that would
 have started the territory well on
 the road to prosperity.
 There is much more than a req sonable expectancy that the next congress and administration will be Democratic. In that case it's atti- tude toward Alaska will be distinct ly friendly. It is fitting that the mediator between the territory and
 the government should be a man in
 whom his constituents can place inn
 plicit faith that he will accord to
 their wishes a greater amount of
 importance than to his personal squabbles. A man who may be
 trusted to fulfill his pledges. One
 who will not be satisfied simply with knocking the other fellows scheme, but will be keeping busy all the time on the work intrusted to him of getting through all neces- sary legislation. One who, in fact, is constructive rather than destruc- tive