The Chitina Leader
CHITINA, ALASKA.
Entered as second-class matter, November 12, 1910, at the postoffice at
Chitina, Alaska, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879.
ONLY NEWSPAPER IN CHITINA
Published every Saturday by
WILL A. STEEL—Editors, Managers and Proprietors—BABBT G. STEEL
Office: Hotel Chitina Building. Cordova Office: Daily Alaskan
Seattle Office: 551 Colman Building.
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CHITINA, ALASKA, SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1912.
PERSONALITIES IN CAMPAIGN
Extraordinary as the present campaign for the Republican
nomination has been, in nothing has it been more remarkable
than in the dissolution of former friendships and the sundering
of personal and political ties. Not only are the “Dear Will”
and “Dear Theodore” of other days assailing each other with
invective, but we see an almost complete reversal of the align
ment of leaders of four years ago—the men who were at that
time doing everything in their power to prevent the then Presi
dent from electing the present President are now doing their
utmost to prevent the ex-President from defeating the re-elec
tion of his former candidate. Precedent and consistency have
been thrown to the winds in this whirligig. The exigency of
the moment seems to be the sole consideration and present ex
pediency the only-touchstone.
However the participants in this hurly-burly may justify
to themselves their courses, the plain citizen, not a candidate
for office or concerned in the factional fortunes of the rival
managers, must feel more or less bewildered. He must have
difficulty, for instance, in comprehending why just because
these men have espoused different candidacies they should
this year be subjected to bitter personal assaults from their col
leagues and eluogists of four years ago. He believes that this
is a free country and that every man has a right to express his
own view on political issues without being made a target for
personal attack, and particularly from his former friends.
Americans in recent years have flattered themselves that oui
campaigns were being conducted on a higher plane, with less
personal vituperation and recrimination than in any other
country, and that consequently victor and vanquished accepted
the result with more equanimity and less bitterness here than
elsewhere.
---oooo
FAIR TREATMENT FOR ALASKA
It is more than likely that the Senate will not accept with
out a struggle the Alaska home rule measure which received
the unanimous vote of the House of Representatives. But the
mere fact that the House passed the bill shows that the pros
pect for Alaska is steadily brightening.
Alaska may not now get a full territorial form of gov
ernment, the same kind of government other American terri
tories have received; but ether benefits will speedily come, and
ultimately the people of Alaska will get the kind of govern
ment they want and need.
Probably in the meantime Alaska will receive more
thoughtful attention at the hands of Congress. Members of
Congress have looked upon Alaska with somewhat of indiffer
ence. But they now seem to know more about actual condi
tions in the north, more about the needs of the people who are
seeking to develop the wonderful resources of Alaska, and
more about the limitless undeveloped wealth of that section.
Out of this broader knowledge of Alaska is bound to come
such legislation as will be of help to the men who under many
disadvantages and hardships have been struggling to develop
Alaska.
And in such further efforts as may be made to do for
Alaska all that ought to be done, the people of Seattle, as in the
past, will be on the firing line. Alaska’s cause is Seattle’s
cause, and the people of this city will lost no opportunity to
press Alaska’s claims for proper recognition and fair treat
ment at the hands of the federal government.—Post-Intelli
gencer.
-noon
AN UNREASONABLE OPPOSITION
The women voters of Washington are reported to be pre
paring to inaugurate a bitter campaign against the re-election
of Governor Hay of that state for a reason that will hardly com
mend itself to right-thinking men and women. It seems that
some enthusiast suggested that the governors of the suffra
gette states unite in a cablegram to Premier Asquith of Eng
land urging that he make provision for votes for women in the
Irish home rule bill. Governors Shafroth of Colorado, Hawley
of Idaho and Carey of Wyoming promptly consented, but Gov
ernor Hay refused on the very sensible ground that such inter
ference in the affairs of a foreign nation by the governors of
American states would be highly improper, adding that if Pre
mier Asquith attempted to influence legislation in the state of
Washington the people of the state would be quick to resent it.
For this position he has been bitterly assailed by the more
militant suffragists of the country. This unreasonable attitude
is apt to react against the suffragist movement as a whole, be
cause its opponents are certain to seize upon it as an illustra
tion, however sweeping, of the alleged feminine tendency t<
rely on instinct rather than reason and to be guided by preju
dice rather than logic. Reasonable suffragists and friends of
the movement will hope that the better sense of the leaders who
are condemning Governor May for a perfectly proper stand
will lead them to abandon the campaign against him on any
such indefensible ground as has been asserted.
-oooo
A bath of the disorderly workers of the world in New Jer
sey have gone for a year’s work in the jails of the state. The
New Jersey treatment of rioters is certainly more convincing
and probably more effective than mob law.
PAILS TO VOICE THEIR SENTIMENTS
“Seward was formerly a Wickersham stronghold,” says
the Gateway, and then it goes on to state why the people to the
westward have lost confidence in our present delegate, from
which article the following is republished: “Wickersham’s
foremost friends and political supporters were to be found
among our residents. If he has lost the political aid of these
citizens, the fault lies with himself alone. It cannot be charged
to the fickleness of his former friends here. When matters of
vital concern were pending before committees of the House,
and especially before the committee ion territories, the delegate
maintained silence, or would seek to turn the trend of the dis
cussion off on his home rule hobby. In such constructive legis
lation as a government-owned railway system in Alaska and
in the development of the coal areas of the north, the delegate
has had little to say, when, in fact, he should have taken the
initiative.
“Home rule, in the emasculated form which the bill as
passed by the House provides, is all well and good. But self
government of a limited nature is not the thing to aid in the
growth and development of this country. Our primary needs
are adequate transportation lines and the opening, of our coal
lands. Home rule will not accomplish these desired ends. Home
rule will follow as a logical result of increased population; an
augmented population will follow the opening of the country
through transportation lines and the development of our im
mense fuel resources. The delegate, apparently, fails to realize
this patent fact, and he must suffer the penalty for his refusal
i to voice the sentiments of his constituents.”
--oooo
GLOWING TRIBUTE TO THE PIONEERS
Vice President R. W. Baxter, of the Copper River & North
western Railway, knows God’s people when he sees and meets,
them, and although but a recent arrival in Alaska, he has been
in the territory long enough to appreciate the class of sturdy,
intelligent and patriotic men and women who reside in this
Northland. In an interview in the Daily Alaskan Wednesday
he paid a line tribute to the pioneers of Alaska, which, although
deserved, is none the less appreciated by our people. In part
he said: “What impressed me above everything else is the
splendid American men and womanhood that forms the back
bone of Alaska, which has no superior counterpart any place on
the American continent. I am proud that I am associated with
an industrial enterprise which affects the interests of such a
people. ’ ’
Mr. Baxter is optimistic as to the future of this country,
and believes that when the truth about its vast resources be
comes known, which time is not far distant, that the attention
of capital will be diverted in this direction, followed by a de
velopment work that will justify the hopes of the most san
guine. He also predicts that those who have stayed by this
much maligned and misrepresented territory through its dark
est days will reap the reward to which their patience and ef
forts entitle them. This view is also shared by Traffic Mana
ger C. J. Jones, who says, “All that is necessary for the peo
pie now on the ground floor is to grit their teeth and hang on,
and they will be amply rewarded.”
-oooo
EDITORIAL COMMENTS
Democratic economy seems to be incomplete in regarl to
that proposition to cut out the wireless appropriation on o:u
naval vessels. If our warships are not to be provided with tne
modern facilities for communication, safety and efficiency, the
wise course would be to economize the whole amount and lay
them up in harbors till needed—when they probably would not
be good for much. _ m
A New York judge has sent a woman to jail for beating her
husband. He deemed it necessary to justify his action by say
ing that if it had been the husband who did the beating he
would have sent him to jail, and he must treat the wife the same
way. So another woman’s right is destroyed—until they yt'.
the suffrage.
Mr. Fitzgerald, Democratic chairman of the House appro
priations committee, has about abandoned the hope that the
Democratic majority in that body will accomplish any economy
in expenditures. Economy in expenditures is one of the illu
sions, so long as politics are concerned by the politicians to sub
sist on “pork.”
As to those who quote as coming from the late Prof. W; i
liam James “communications” received from alleged speaking
or writing mediums, might they not properly be called upon to
submit to the test of quality by comparison with the produc
tions of that writer during liis life?
The fact that the New York women distributed $36,000 of
relief funds for the Titanic sufferers with an expense account
of $15.40 indicates that they did not engage the services of
professional charity workers or campaign workers, either.
If Bonci can collect any appreciable part of that $50,000
for catching cold in a Pullman there may be hopes for the vic
tims of other transportation system upon which the conductors
regulate the heating by not having any.
A New York young woman lost $205 through the breaking
of that feminine receptacle of funds that seems to be getting
more usual. Will this arouse a demand for government guar
antee of deposits in the stocking banks ?
The medical opinion that women read faster than men be
cause the blood flows more freely in the posterior part of their
brain may be a technical explanation of why they read the end
of a book first to see how it comes out.
From present appearances there is but little or no opposi
tion in Cordova to the candidacy of the regular Republican
nominee for Congress, and the probabilities are that he will not
only receive the united support of the party, but many other
votes as well.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
_
It was at a religious conference that Bryan made hi-s last
declaration that he is not a candidate. Of course lie isn’t. He
has too much art and experience to go back on his previous
declarations. The overwhelming popular demand must de
velop spontaneously before Bryan will yield to it. At least
spontaneously enough for public consumption. The Nebraska
statesman has too much skill to try to produce a popular de
mand by threatening people that they will be the property of
the interests if they do not demand.
There is one thing which should not be overlooked in the
coming Fourt hof July celebration—the decorations. Every bus
iness house in the town should have flags adorning its store or
business front, and the homes, as much as possible, should have
the American flag displayed. In view of the many assaults
which have been made on the flag of our country during the
past few months Independence day should be made an occasion
for showing how proud every true citizen is of the American
emblem.
The “drippings” from the Chitina grand jury whitewash
have percolated as far as Valdez, and are now being applied to
the U. S. marshal’s office by the Prospector. The dose is no
doubt being used where our contemporary feels that it is most
needed, but the spots are so prominent and the coating so thin
that the exhibition of the brush artist is rather pitiful and is
fooling no one.
A regular aeroplane service across the English channel, de
signed to make the trip from France to England in 15 minutes,
is being promoted by a French company. The flight has been
accomplished so frequently of late that it is possible that the
plan may actually become the first aerial line of transportation.
The New York school authorities who dismissed a school
teacher for marching in a female suffrage parade must be anx
ious to make votes for the suffrage cause. That kind of offi
cial persecution will make suffrage voters faster than suffra
gette disorders will drive them away.
Boodlers many years ago acquired by experience a strong
distaste for taking the boodle in the form of checks. They
will now be forced by reason of the advance in modern methods
to be strictly on their guard against the lurking and insidious
dictograph.
It is reported that Judge I ushman intends leaving AlasKa
next week, and “Judge” Healy quit liis job last week. Isn’t it
about time for the members of the official family to do a little
kow-towing to their departing chiefs?
There seems to be a determined move on the part of the
council to rid the city of some of its worthless dogs.
That “houn‘ dawg” certainly is gettin’ aroun’ some with
out being kicked.
From where we sit, it looks as though President Taft will
undoubtedly be renominated.
The “still hunt” used to be considered effective in poli
tics, but no one thinks of using it this year.
Within a few days we are have in our midst Mrs. Lena
Morrow Lewis, an exponent of Socialist doctrines.
At last an echo has been heard from Baltimore, which is a
gentle reminder that the Democrats are to convene there next
Tuesday and nominate a standard-bearer.
But few strangers in our midst have won a warmer spot in
the hearts of Cordovans than did Mayor Gilmore during his
short stay here.
The hotel engaged as headquarters for the Underwood
boom at Baltimore has been burned. No one had supposed his
boom was as hot as that.
The President and ex-President hold one sentiment in com
mon. That is that the,claim of LaFollette to be the only Repub
lican candidate who ca.i carry his own state, is not worthy of
notice.
LaF'ollette plannning to join the Taft forces is the latest
move on the political chessboard, which leads us to inquire
whether Roosevelt will have the temerity to charge that the
administration also stole the support of the Insurgent Senator
from Wisconsin.
The Champ Clark campaign bureau having borrowed from
the Red Cross Society the campaign idea of the stamp, it should
take heed lest later on it may have to seek from the same source
the science of early aid to the injured.
According to Colonel Bryan many men pretending to be
Democrats are not Democrats at all. Indeed if we consider his
restrictions, he intends to strictly protect the Democracy any
possible calamity of having too many votes.
Alaskans are vitally interested in the national conventions
of both parties, and this paper is sparing no expense in furnish
ing its readers with a detail report of the happenings among
the men who are shaping the future policy of the government.
Those who had the pleasure of meeting and hearing Can
didate Gilmore last night, and this included practically every
body in Cordova, are thoroughly convinced that he would make
an admirable delegate to Congress. He is a sincere, earnest and
convincing talker, with the ability to express himself, as well
as being a most affable and approachable man to meet. That ■
Mr. Gilmore deeply impressed our people there is no doubt, and
there will be abundant evidence of this fact when the ballots
are counted on August 13.
j 0. ADRIAN NELSON I
;
| U. S. Mineral Surveyor j
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■W44HH»M4H44WH4H» ■
PUBLIC LAND AND MINING
CASES.
If you are interested in any contest
or any matter before the Interior De
partment, write to Clark & Wright,
registered land lawyers, 002 F Street
N. W. (opposite Gen’l Land Office),
Washington, D. C. Free information
about contests and where to obtain
scrip, locatable upon public lands,
without residence or cultivation.
D. A. GRIFFIN,
DENTIST
All work guaranteed. Prices reason
able. In Tibbs' Building.
Chitlna, Alaska.
Feed, Fuel
and
Lumber
HAY, BRAN, OATS, CHOPS,
ROLLED BARLEY
We can make prompt ship
ments to points on the rail
road. Our feed is the very
best quality.
•. v.
■ . vi
0. A. Nelson & Co.
CHITINA