Seward daily gateway., 1924-08-30
THE LITERACY TEST

The literacy test, voted down by the members of the last legislature, will undoubtedly be brought up again at the next session. The enactment of legislation requiring literacy test for all voters in Alaska is not radical propaganda, not a new thing. Six teen states of the Union now have such test enacted either by Organic law or thru legislative enactment. In some of the States the law, while gen. eral in it's provisions, is designed to reach a particular class of voters. This is true largely in the Southern States, where the colored population is largely illiterate and in numbers is equal to or greater than the number of whites. In other states such as New York, Ohio, Wyoming, and Utah, the provision is general one designed not to reach any particular class, but enacted as a matter of principle, with a view to compelling all voters to be properly qualified.
 In Alaska a situation confronts us which grows more alarming every day. By the 1920 census the popula- tion of the Territory is shown to be very nearly equally divided between Indians and whites. It shows that of the whites there are less than two hundred illiterates, while among the Indians more than 10000 are illiterate. The recent enactment by Congress of a law making all Indian citizens of the United States, regardless of trib- al relations, unquestionably gives the Indians of Alaska the right to vote at all elections.
 The Indian population as to divi- sions is shown by the census to be approximately as follows: First div ision, B per cent; Second Division, 82 per cent; Third division fl per cent; Fourth division, 42 per cent. In this classification all natives, includ- ing Aleuts, Eskimos, and others are termed Indians.
 The Indians of southeastern Alaska under the leadership of certain un- scrupulous politicians have been vot- ing en masse for number of years Some of the Indians, especially on the thn A l. eutian peninsula and among the Al eutian Islands, have been voted in times past, but up to the present time no organization has existed among them. During the recent pri- mares it is alleged that certain men have voted the organization known as the Native Brotherhood, a suppos- ed fraternal, benefit society composed of natives.
 The remedy for this situation is the enactment of an appropriate measure requiring all voters to submit to literacy test at the time of registra ton. There are two ways of doing this: The best way would be for the Delegate to Congress to introduce such a bill at Washington. Inasmuch as the Delegate opposed the enact- ment of a literacy bill by the last legislature he may be averse to doing this; failing in which the remedy is left to the Territorial Legislature.
 It has been questioned whether the Territory has the right to pass such a law in view of the provisions of the Enabling Act which has been con- strued by eminent lawyers as prohib- iting the Legislature from assuming such powers or passing on such en- actments. The legislature has, how ever. provided for publications of el- ectors, primary election laws, and oth- CT matters, without interference from Congress, and the passage of such bill as one requiring a literacy test for voters would undoubtedly be ap- proved by Congress, and upheld by the courts.
 But even though such literacy test was held to be invalid it's passage by the Territorial Legislature would un-