The Alaska daily empire., 1923-03-16

acy Bill. With one minor amend ment the bill, which was considered in committee of the whole nearly all day, was passed to second read ing.
 Supporters of the Foster Literaey Bill for electors won a preliminary skirmdsh in the flight to pass the measure when the House this morn ing defeated a motion, by Chairman Decker of the committee reporting the bill unfavorably, to postpone it's consideration until April II. By an overwhelming vote the motion was lost and shortly after 10:30 a. m, be, fore well filled gallery of specta- tors which included many prominent citizens, the House resolved itself in a Committee of the Whole to con- sider the measure.
 At noon the hearing was adjourned until ? D. m. without any definite action being taken. Several members had spoken for the measure. and only one, Mr Decker, had opposed it. He in his opening remarks, admitted that "the principle of the bill is right" and that men should be able to read and write the English language be fore they cast ballot
 Discussion Is Open
 On motion of Mir. Shepard, author of the minority report urging passage of the bill, eourteaies of the floor were extended to citizens desiring to bc heard. In making his motion MT. Shepard said in part:
 "T-his bill is aimed directly at the illiteratc Indian voters of the Terri tory. It docs not dfsquallfy Indians who have acquired educational train ing and the Territory provides amply through it's night schools for the proper education of those whites whom it might affect.
 q believe that the pa ssage of such an act would be an incentive for the Indian to acquire an education in or der to qualify him as a voter and with the coming generations would be Ia blessing rather than hardship.
 "The committee was advised by what I would term the master mind that the Indians needed only 'sympa thetic guadance' to vote iItalligently Previous elections have demonstrat. ed that this Sympathetic guidance results in the delivery wholesale or this vote to the party then in powcr.
 'I fully realize that if this bill frils to palss that any person having favored the bill will have dug his political grave, but personally, hay ing no future political aspirations the then master mind in extending sympathetic guidance will in no way affect mo but such influence will con- tinue to be a menace and affect all future generations.
 Foster Opens Argument
 MT. Foster opened the argument for the bill In 13 years residence in the Territory. he said, he had seen the iiliterlte Indian vote used as a pawn in elections despite laws placed On the statute books to prevent it. He pointed out that the bill included all illiterates without regard for race but admitted that its effect would be felt largely by the Indians, owing to the gr2s. percentage of llliteracy in that race. Forty-eight per cent of the population of Alaska, he said, is Indian and probably more than 70 per cent of the Indians are unable to read and write English. The bill, he pointed out. would net deprive any Indian who can do so of the privilege of voting.
 He referred to the organization of Southeastern Alaska Indians into one body and how it had been welded "Lf all the Indians of Alaska should be joined together in such an or. ganization. this House would have a different complexion pretty soon," he declared
 Such Indians have no idea for whom or what they are voting and the practice he denounced as being un-Amer.can. Those who oppose the ritcracy test idea, he added. do SC for political purposes and no other "I venture to say that he who op poses it has considerable influence with the Indian voter" he decuared-
 If any of the election laws passed by former Alaska Legislatures are valid, he said the present ,bill, il enacted into law, would also stand the test If ever there was right cous bill, this is onc,' he concluded
 Murray on Legality
 Representative Murray member ol the Alaska bar of l.he Third Division and widely known as a lawyer in the Territory. upheld the right Of the Legislature to pass the bill. II Il should be that it is further than Congress intended the lawmakers O Alaska to go Congress can declare such an act void. If il so desires. ol it can approve it, he said. He re ferrcd to the Alaska Native Brother hood of Southeastern Alaska. and as serted fl is only a matter of organ izing ability no extend such an or ganization throughout Alaska. H' proclaimed his friendship for the In dians barf said sentiment has no ilac' in the settlement of the question which, he said. resolves itself int
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