The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1922-08-15

that it was my belief the people OF
Alaska would never be entirely salts
| fled with the way they arc governed
until they are given full charge of
their own affairs. At the present
time they are not responsible for
the management of affairs in the Ter
ritory and it is only human nature
to be inclined to find fault. Placing
responsibility and authority in the
hands of the people of the Territory
would have a steadying and whole
some effect
Somehow, the idea SENS to have
been quite generally sold to the
people of this region that it is useless
for Alaska to ask for statehood.
am not so sure about it. On the
contrary l would not be surprised if
IT should turn out that Congress
would be quite willing to grant
statehood TO this rgion if it appears
that you are pretty well agreed that
YOU want it, Congress is an exceed
ingly busy body of men Their time
is more than taken up with legisla-
tion of importance and general ap-
nNcation to the AZ States without
giving time and attention to your
spcial problems Alaska has been in
the lmeliFht in Washington a great
deal for the past II or II wears.
Lots of good men in both Houses
ere unqustionablv in doubt IS to
what should be done for this region.
This Is not to be wondered at so
long as the people of the Territory
are not themselves fully agreed as to
what should be done From what I
have learned of the temper of Con
gress l believe they would welcome
such a proposal as being really the
best, most direct and the only per-
manent solution OF a perplexing sit
uatiOn.
Consistent With Policy
"a new state carried out along the
lines | have suggested, that is, with
the Arctic Circle as the northern
boundary and the lend meridian
as the western boundary, would be
consistent with our statehood policy
anu StOSI Apply. II nave eah
area at about 100000 square miles
which would make it about half way
between Texas and Montana in size.
1t would embrace probably 80 per
cent of your white population and 80
per cent of your best agricultural
your taxable wealth. 1t would in
chrde all your important coal fields
and valuable forests, all your rail
roads and all your towns of import
ance excepting Nome.
1.-THE population of the area in
question would probably be some
where in the neighborhood of the
population of Ohio when admitted
into the Union in 1903, or 1886
people. When Illinois was admitted
in 1918 it's population was only
55.211; Oregon's population when
admitted in 1859 was only 52,465,
and Nevada's population when ad-
mitted in 1864 was only $3.50. From
this it is evident that, from the stand
point of population, there is ample
precedent for the admission of AL
aska without waiting for further
population increase.
''From the standpoint of perman.
ency of population the argument is
all on the side of Alaska California
was admitted in 1850, or just one
year after the stampede of '49. Its
population was 92,597, but most of
them had been in the region only a
few months. They came from all
quarters of the globe and includ ed
many elements of lawlessness. Al
aska's population has stood a Cruel
ing shakedown through a period OF
20 years, Is now on a steady up
grade and is one off the same piece
as the population of any typical
northern state 1t is permanent, law
abiding white. English-speaking and
in every particular admirably fitted
for self-government.
Location Favors Step
1.-The remoteness from the national
capitol is an argument in favor oil
admission rather than an argument
against it. No doubt 1T was the very
renloteness OF California which
caused its prompt admission in 1850
Congress evidently realized it was
too far from the scene of action to
legislate for the swarming energetic
3 mass of humanity which rushed into
the gold fields. There were unex
r pected and unprecedented conditions
to be met Long range guidance
would have been futile If not disas
trous. 1t was evident that such prob
lens could be satisfactorily solved
only by the people on the ground and
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS