The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-04-25

of the three and are the ones that
have been largely prospected. Coal
has been found in nearly every part
of Alaska, both on the coast and in
the interior. The coal is so widely
distributed that II must be regarded
as one Of its most important resources.
1t is conservative estimate to place
the area occupied by the coal.bearing
rocks at 10000 square miles. Accur.
ate statements can not be made as
to the figures of the fish industry
for the year 1910, but it can be said
that it mas been continually growing
and is still in its infancy More than
30 varieties of food fish inhabit the
Alaskan waters. The annual output
of salmon alone will amount to more
than S15,000,0O0 at this time. Alaska
alone can feed the fish-eating world.
Considering the vast possibilities Of
Alaska--and all of these statements
can be proved by records on file in
the various departments of the gov
Notwithstanding, ] say, what
is absolutely known, and which can
not be successfully controverted. l
stand here as a representative of the
people on the floor of the American
congress and ask why Alaskans should
! not have the right to govern them
selves? Why they should not have
home rule? Why they should not
have territorial government? ! pause
for reply. sv'.'
No true American can deny Alaska
home rule. No patriotic American
will object to the Alaskans having a
lical legislature and the right to
make their own local laws. Under
the terms of this territorial bill each
one of these four divisions indicated
on this map will have two represent
atives in the council elected by the
people, and four representatives IN
the assembly elected by the people
and the cost of this local self-govern'
ment will be so infinitesimal in COM
parison to the great wealth that
Alaska is pouring into the American
treasury that We shall ere long won
der why Alaska was denied for SO
long local self-government. b
Mr.. Chairman, have been to Alas.
ka several times. | know something
about that vast domain. ! know
something about the sentiments Of the
people who live there, and ! stand
here and declare that the people oil
Alaska want territorial government;
and knowing the facts as | do, un
hesitatingly say, and / defy success
full refutation, that under all the cir
cumstances Alaska is now, and long
has been, entitled to territorial gov
eminent, and congress ought to give
1t to the Alaskans without any more
delay. Alaska is an anomaly in the
history of our territories. | know
that the people of Alaska are, IL
every point of view, abundantly capa
BILE Of maintaining local form o.
government, such as has always here
tofore been. accorded the territories o.
the United States, and / deprecat,
the idea OF further burdening the con
gress with purely local legislation, a.
it is the duty Of the delegate to press
upon the attention Of congress in the
absence OF territorial organization. Ii
my opinion, such legislation can safe
ly be entrusted to the people o.
Alaska themselves, and, in my judg
ment, this bill providing for the same
should be passed. according to hel
people the measure of self-govern
ment to which they are Justly EMIT
led and which has never heretofore
except in the case of Alaska, beer
withheld from any considerable bod,
of American citizens engaged in tn,
settlement of new district.
believe that Alaska is more en-
titled today to territorial government
than seven-tenths of the other terri
tories that were organized / am op
posed, as a matter of right and o
justice and of principle, to taxing
the Alaskan people, gathering the
taxes by federal tax collector, and
instead of giving the taxes to the PEG
pie of Alaska for their own local pur
poses, depositing the money in th'
federal treasury and trying to gov
ern Alaska from the war department
or by the congress, when nine-tenthi
of the men in congress know abso
lutely nothing about the people il
Alaska or the country either.