The Cordova daily times., 1921-07-26

difficult, he sal, to secure legislation that is not a matter of national importance that it might be said that legislation on local matters has become practically legislation by unani- nous consent. The minute opposition and diff ferences develop the general rule is for congress to let the subject go over
 When one takes this situation into account and considers it is connection with the well es- tablished fact that legislation on any subject 1t matter of evolution, that to get proper rules and regulations many subjects legislation must be more or less continuous performance, changes and amendments coming as experience dsclOses their needs 1t IS not difficult to under stand that as long as congress maintains iuris- diction over matters that should be delegated to the territorial legislature, there will be little or no growth in legislation affecting the development in Alaska It is too difficult for senators and representatives to get the facts and viewpoints necessary to legislate ntclli- gently on local matters, and, as a result they do not legislate at all. This is not the fault of congress, because 1t is charged with the respon- sibility of legis!ating for an entire nation and its members have not the time necessary to acquaint thems, Ives with things that are strict fly local in character
 The remedy Tor this situation is to give the IpcopIc of Alaska power to legislatc on these
 local matters. They are matters that are only
 incidental at Washington. Here they are mat ters of vital concern. Here we have the ma chinery for arriving at the will of the major
 ty, something hat is obviously impossible at Washington. Here are accessible the facts from which con, Iusions may be found and upon which IcgsIativn judgment may be based.
 tIt,t had in mind when he said in his 1912 report that Alaska ought to have full territorial form of govern mcut II was in the mind oI President Taft when he repeated the recon. 0mcndation in his last regular message to cou. 9rcSs, It was in the mind of President Wilson when he also endorsed thr recommendation. It Was in the mind, of various Alaska legislatures, conventions and other representative Alaskan bodies and organizations when they have re- pcatcdIy made similar accommodations.
 Alaska ought to have, by all means, full territorial form of govcmmcmt-such a gov crmcnt as has obtained on all American iron tiers, save only Alaska, for a century
 The short cut for the rcparation of so many of Alaska $ legislative needs would be the pass age of a law confcrrin@ the powers Sf full territorial form of government on the people, and this is so obvious that it is strange that anyone should think of any other method. Behind such a measure should if be presented to congress, W,lId be the precedcnts of a cen tury of Amcric,. history.
 Early in the history of the United States it. was determined that the best method of legis- latng for the pioneers on the frontier was to, confer upon them authority to govern them selves To carry out this decision the territorial form of government was devised. It was work ed out to a large extent by the profound legal minds of two of the greatest of American iron tier statesmen, Thomas II. Benton and Lewis Cass, men of tremendous abilities and very cX- tcnsivc pioneering experience on the western border They were stanchly supported i'll this work by both Clay and Jackson and others off the west and south. The century that has wit messed the march of American civilization and industrial and commercial enterprise across the continent from the Mississippi valley to thcI shores of the Pacific has amply justified the wisdom of America' $ first great westerners north and south. Under the full territorial form of government the great states of tn" l middle west and south the Rocky mountain region and the Pacific slope, have been built from wilderness to imperial status. They havc| shown that the principle of self government constituting the very foundation of AmcIicul ism iS not only ri uht and inst hut tbot If is