ffl)e SaUji ,AWk<m
? OFFICIAL CITY PAPER.
Admitted as second class mail mutter
July S, 1893, at the Postofflce
at Skagway, Alaska.
L. 9. Keller, Publisher.
Subscription Rates.
One month by carrier 1.00
One month, by mall 75
Thre? months by mail 2..
Slx mouths by mail 4.50
One year by mall 9-00
WHAT ALASKA NEEDS IN ORGAN
IC LAW.
The following article Gt from the
pen of Ju Ige James Wickersham, del
egate-elect from Alaska, and is taken
from the curr?'i?t Issue of the Alaska
Yukon magazine:
President Roosevelt, iu his 1907
message, said to congress concerning
the necessary legislation for Alaska:
"1 reiterate my rei ounnendation ot
last year as regards Alaska. Some
form of local self-government should
be provided, as simple and inexpen
sive as possible. It is Impossible for
the congress to <.evote the necessary
time to ail the little details of neces
sary Alaskan legislation."
In the receut campaign for dele
gate to congress from Alaska each of
the candi lates appealed to the voters
on thai general is>ue. Kach candi
date was pledge.", iu xoine form, by
his platform to secure additional oi
ganic law in aid of territorial govern
ment. .My own pledge was: "I shall
stand for ( 1 . President Roosevelt's
recommendation that 'some form of
local se.f-governnient should be pro
vided, as simpte and inexpensive as
possible," for Aia-ka; rt) An elective
terrltoria. l>'gislatuie with carefully
limited i>owers." Upon that pledge
the people of tue territory gave me
forty per cent Oi ail the ^otes cast
and the election. .My next highest
competitor, .Mr. Joseph Chilberg,
stood on an eten stronger sounding
plank and was p. edged for "territor
ial form of governmeift for Alaska un
der which her citizens may enjoy that
degree of free .oiu in the administra
tion of their a fairs to which all Am
ericans are justiy entitled," and the
people gave him twenty-five per
cent of the total vot". The demo
cratic candidate stood on an ampllfie
ftirm of Presl ent Roosevelt's declare
tion: "We regard the establishment
o f a suitable form of government for
the territory of Alaska the question
of foremost impoi tain e, ami to that
end we submit the following: We
demand the ena tment of some sim
ple and inexpe?l?e torm of local Se.r
govemment for A aska on lines sut'fi
%
ciently guarding and restricting the
number of subdivisions into which
the territory may be subdivided, this
to the end that property rights with
in the district so provided with an
organic law may be. in all respects,
perfectly safeguar ed and protected iq
the ful est extent compatible with
good go\ ? rnment." I'pon that dec
laration Mr. Ronan received a llt'le
more thau ten per cent of all the
totes cast. .Mr. .John i*. Clum. on a
declaration in favor of territorial gov
ernment and home rule, received
three per cent o: a.l the votes cast
for delegate, thus making a total of
seventy-eight per cent of the total
vote in favor of territorial home
rule.
That branch of the Ketchikan con
vention which n:ade Mr. Corson its
standard-bearer purposely avolde.l a
direct declaration in favor of an or
ganic law establishing home rule in
Alaska, and contented itself with an
evasive plank favoring the extension
to Alaska of t*ie impossible and an
tiquated ordinance of 1787. The peo
ple of Aaska were clearly informed
and well understood that this candi
date was not p e lge 1 to favor any
other organic !a?, and were well ad
vised an 1 believe 1 that the ordinance
of 1787 was not what Alaska needed.
Notwithstanding his ability as a pub
lic speaker, and t!ie powerful political
and corporate inf.uences which sup
ported him, Mr. Corson received only
twenty-two per cent of all the votes
cast for delegat ?, because his plat
form bound him, Inferontlally at least,
to opposition to President Roosevolt's
express declaration In favor of homo
rule for Alaska.
Thus upon an op-'u public contest
with territorial home rule for Un
real Issue, It receive I seventy-eight
per cent of all the 9,025 votes cast In
Alaska; 7.486 votes were cust In sup
port of President Roosevelt's recom
mendation and but 2,13!? against It.
Of this opposition vote nearly 700
were cast by the railroad construc
tion gang on the Cordova road; they
would as readily have voted for It if
so Instructed, but they were not. In
addition, Mr. Corson was obliged
everywhere la his campaign speeches
to avoid ills own platform and prom
ise support to home rule. More than
ninety per cent of the electors of
Alaska would vote for President
Roosevelt's recommendation If It
were put to a direct vote between
that and an opposing plauk.
A territorial form of government is
that form which congress establishes
m a territory. There is no set form,
aud never wa-. No two territories
have had just the same form of ter
ritorial government, though in all ter
ritories heretofore organized within
the present limits of the United
?lutes the three co-ordinate branches
? the executive, legislative and Judic
ial ? havo been created aud have
worked together as the territorial gov
ernment. Notwithstanding Alaska
has no territorial legislature, the su
preme <oui t of the I nited States in
the Alaska ca*e of Rasmussen vs.
I" lilted States, 197 1". S., 01?, and in
prior cases cited therein, has speci
fically decided that "Alaska is one
of the organized territories of the
L'nited Stat<-s.' Congress created
both the executi.e and judicial de
partments or branches of a territor
ial government tor Alaska in 1884,
but that great legislative body has it
self acted as t:ie legislative branch of
the Alaskau go. eminent ever since.
Many otherwise well-informed peo
ple aud even the great seal of the
territory at Juneau, speak of the ter
ritory as the "District of Alaska.
And so it is ? the customs collecting
district of Alaska. For that matter,
there is the customs collecting "Dis
trict of Delaware," too, though no
one doubts that Delaware Is at the
same time a state in the Union. In
that sense, and In that sense only,
Alaska is the ' District oi Alaska."
The great executive seal at Juneau
ought to be corrected, that It may
speak the legal truth and give Alaska
its true dignity as a territory, of
which dignity the great seal seems
to be ignorant.
Alaska is one of the organized ter
ritories of the United States, and is
now and since 1S84 has been govern
ed by a territorial form of govern
ment. It is altogether misleading and
inaccurate to say that Alaska needs
a "territorial form of government."
Alaska needs additional organic law
in aid of her insufficient form of ter
ritorial government. Since ISS4 it
has had a governor appointed by the
president of the lTnited States, as
was and is usual in all other terri
tories. It has the same executive de
partment or branch j>f territorial gov
ernment that other territories before
it have had. The organic act of 1SS-1
also established the usual territorial
judicial branch or department of the
government, and today Alaska has a
complete system of courts ? the same
judicial department given to all other
American territories. The third
branch or department of territorial
government only i?: missing. Alaska
has no Alaskan legislature. Con
gress has persisted, in opposition to
all the precedents for more than a
century, to act as our territorial legis
lature. Local legislatures have been- -
provide.1 for I'orto Rico.?the Hawaiian
Islands and the Philippines, but for
forty years congress has continued
to irritate Itself and everybody else
by acting as the Alaskan territorial
legislature. Howbadlv such a course
has handicapped A'.aska is well
known, but President Roosevelt with
his usual good judgement now an
nounces in his 1907 message that "It
is impossible for congress to devote
the necessary time to all the little
details of necessary Alaskan legisla
tion." By that language he pledged
himself to stand for the creation by
Tue rc?uli ol U*b uoaorvatlon lakcc
?it Mooro wharf at midnight, Jan. 23ch
I9f 1?, in aa follow m
Temperature tiuioobwirvat'u. 0 above
Mas. temp. preceding 24 hours i> above
Min. " " " " 3 above
Mean " " " " t> above
Karotneier 30.0S,
Cloudy and north wind.
INTERIOR WEATHER
Whitehotse, 10 below
TaRish "
Atlln, .... 8 "
llootallmjua ... 20 "
III* Salmon ? ? ? ? 2) "
V ukon Crossing - - . 2f. "
Selkirk - - ... 32 "
Coffee Creek, ? - ? 3S? "
Stewart, ? - - - 2t> "
Ogllvie .... 34 ?'
Dawson, ? - - 31 *4
congress of an Alaskan territorial
legislature to which all the little to
talis of necessary Alaskan legislation
might be referred. The people of
Alaska have Just declared In favor
of the sumo organic law by a seven
ty-eight per cent vote.
' If congress establishes an Alaskan
general assembly it will forever still
the cry for a "territorial form of gov
ernment," put the burden upon the
local legislature to attend "to all the
little details of necessary Alaskan
legislation," render innocuous the Al
askan lobh.v in Washington City, and
cut tin- "grouch" out of Alaskan af
fairs,- so far, at least, as congress and
the national capital are concerned.
We could then enact our own lien
laws, amend our code, and cure many
of the evils of the mining law which
are now beyond cure.
What Alaska needs in the way of
organic law. from the hand of con
gress, is not a "territorial form of
government," but a law creating an
elective territorial legislature, con
sisting of the usual upper and lower
houses, with a limited membership,
ami such carefully limited powers
that no territorial or municipal bond
ed Indebtedness can be Incurred, nor
county government Inaugurated: with
a fixed limit on its power of taxa
tion. and such other limitations as
will give to the territory a sufficient
though simple and Inexpensive form
of self-government.
BRING YOUR OWN JUG.
Mount Vernon Rye onil Belmont
Bourbon direct from bond at whole- 1
sale price by the gallon. The Mas
c?t, phone 07. Delivery free.
Why not put a few crisp readers
In The Alaskan, advertising your I
long sto^k. and get rid of It?
Why not be cheerful? Poor Lit
tle Herman has just received a con
signment of that famous Cream Rye
A smile guaranteed with every drink J
PANTHEON FIRE SALE.
?
Owing to damaged labels caused by
the fire In my warehouse I will sell
3 Bottles Rainier beer 50c
3 Bottles Olympia beer 50c
1 Bottle A. B. C. beer 25c
3 Bottles Malt Rainier beer 50c
2 Pints Olympia beer 25c
2 Bottles Ginger Ale 25c
These goods are not damaged, only
the labels are soiled, and this salej
will continue until all are sold.
J. F. ANDERSON,
Pantheon Saloon.
NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION.
The copartnership heretofore exist
ing between Chris C. Shea and Fred
Patten, doing business under the firm
name of Shea and Patten Is this
day dissolved l>y mutual consent. Mr.
Chris C. Shea, retiring from the firm,
^Ir. Fred Patten, assumes all liabili
ties from the 1st day of January,
1900, all outstanding accounts are
payable to either Fred Patten or
Chris t\ Shea.
CHRIS C. SHEA.
FRED PATTEN.
Skagway, Jan. G. 190ft. oewMw
Why not be cheerful? Poor Llt-|
tie Herman has just recevled a con
signment of that famous Cream Rye.
A smile guaranteed with even* drink. I
PILES CURED IN 4 TO 6 DAYS.
PAZO OINTMENT Is guaranteed
to cure any case of Itching. Blind,
Bleeding or Protruding Piles In 6 to
14 days or money refunded 50c.
i '
In the Days
of Old
Letter writing wan a lux
ury indulged in only by the
wealthy and the learned.
Today everyone may obtain j
and at a reasonable price, a|*
writing paper t'.ir more beau-j
tifnl than the crude hand- j
made product of y?* olden \
days.
Hue to be sure that you are
getting the paper of the high
est quality, the most pleasing
writing surface, and the most
correcr sizes and tints, buy an
Eaton, Crane A* Pike P^per.
We have them as follows.
Highland Linen . Price 50c
Etomine Linen .. Pi ice 7f>c
Celtic Linen . . Price 50c
WM. BRITT
The .Druggist)
All whiskies anil wines served at
tV l'ack Train Bar is ptirclmsed by ?
Mr firini direct froni the u.sUUcrs '
and win ics. tf /
JUNEAU 8. S, CO'S.
KLFCTRIC LimTEP STEAM
HKATED STEAM EK
Georgia j
Currj In* U. S. Mall
For Haines, Rerner* Bay, Juneau, j
Hoon*, T? nnkee, Sitka and Wn'port*
? SAILS ? ?
January 5, 12. 19. 20.
? * ^ February 2, 9. 16, 23.
WILLIS NOW ELI., Mer., Juneau f|
VV. W. tfUUUUTON, A?ent I
Broad w a v and Fift.h Avo phone W '
U. S- Mail Steamer
Carrying Passengers and Mall will
leave Skngway for. Haines
Every Tuesday, Thursday and Satur
day at 9 A. M.
Returning leaves Haines for Ska ;?
way at 2 P. M. same day.
F are one way $1-50 f
Rouud trirj $2 50
Pacific Coast S.S. Co. j
SPEED, SAFETY COMFORT,
Seatll , and other Piifet S>und Porta
'lARRTINO O h.
Steam era of Tbla Company Leave
COTIAGE CIIY ? JAN. 30 ffB.I! - 23
Conruct'ng with t*c Oompvy'n >|p?m m at Set'tle fo* Sak F**WCi9CO,
Socthf.rn California. Huh kk a (H mboldt Ray) a?d Mitxico
Vdr Above s>ch<Mliilo Subject to Change Without Notice.
FRANK H. STUART, Agont
Second and Hrottlway, Skagway
Sf.attt.k Tick ft Ornrr, lt3 Jamxs St.
C. P. DUNANW, *.jpn?ral l'a??<?nger Agent,
112 Market r: ? a ?-? .coi >, C?;
Canadid!.' Pacific
R A 1 L. W A V
( B. C. COAST SERVICE )
sciiEnrt.K or sailings from skaoway
Subject to change without notice
? PRINCESS MAY
January 16-30 February 13-27
For Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, \ia Prince Rupert
Spacious Observation and Smoking Rooms
Tickets to anv part of :ho world arcl all information from
Phone 87 F. F. W LOWLE, Ag#nt
Alaska Steamship Co.
Carrying U. S, Mall and Alaaxa Pacific Kxpreea
Next Sailing of the Faat Faaaenger Steamer*
Jefferson Jan. 11, 23
Feb. 4. 16, 28
Company reserve* right to change tailing date without notice ?
Tranafera to Victoria and Vancouver Without Additional Charge
Through Ticket* to San Krancleco
R. A. CARROLL, Agent. Phone M
mum ii.ii 1 1?? ? ? ? ? ? ? i I
The White Pass &Yukon Route
TIME TABLE No. 18
( Ha'iy F.xoept Sunday.)
S'o. 1. N. Pound ? fxi. 8. Bount
lit oi?*. 1?? cla*
8 SO a. a. Leave# SKAOUAY Arrive ft 2>1 p m
0 (OY ra. " WHTTB PASS " 1 45 ?*
noo ?? ?? log cabin " 12 ?2 ??
lis) " ' BSN.VKTT " It 10 "
13) p.m. " CARIBOO " 10 2S *. w
.1 45 Atrlvea Warn Horse Leav<* * 15 "
Pn.>-i'3c?jr? mutt l>e at depot* In t1m? to ha*c Bwnwre Impecu*1 and
hecfc-Kl. tnapootlon t< tiioppc i "0 m!nutc? !? f?vr? i vlrr time of t -aln.
Hum 'p of ottrysuro ?l)i I chef* ?.*<. > with i*r.h full fare ticket
,-r! ",*> ' ? :*v with "acb KT 1 f fa? ticket
n
Through Line From
Skngway to AtHn, White Horse, Big Salmon, D?wson and. Intermedia1* Yukon Hirer Po'nta.
Tno new placcrcamj>* In the Alsek and Kluanc Mining District* are reached onlr via White Horse
Winter Route Stage Service
During the winter season, when navigation ii closcd, dally trains will continue running between
Ska:wav and Wlilto Horse. A through Mail, Pa?senger nnd Freight Service will be maintained
by T"ho ouphly Equipped Stago Line between White Hor?c sod Dawson.
Regular stager, carrying mall, express and passengers, leave White Horse for Dawaon) and
intermediate point*.
For Courad City, locaic d in tbe heart of the newly discovered and fabulously rich quattx camp
of the Windv Arm District take our dally trains to Caribou.
Fo' Information relative to passcngei, freight and tele??raphlo rates, apply
to any agent of the Company, nr to*
TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT
Vaccouvtr, F>. C.
A. L. BERDOE, Gen. Mngr. F. B. WURZBACHER Gen. Agent
Vancouver. P. 0. ant* SJcasnaj, Ata?\rn Pkagrsy, A>?ka