have so far run from $100 to $500.
Yours very truly,
(Signed) H. T. Tripp.
Hotel Seattle, Seattle Wash.
Citizens who are still sound a
sleep should reread this letter and
note particularly objectionable sen
tences. Note how anxious this man
is to have George C. Hazelet for
Governor. Also note that appoint
ments would thereafter be made
“from the best available timber.”
Also that McBride has “so far
as I know, attended to his duties
in regular political order.” “So I
have come to Seattle and have
so far succeeded in quietly gather
ing enough”—etc. But the dead
give-away of the cannery system
of governing Alaska is here? “As
no one cares to have their donat
ions—that is what they call it—“do
nations”—“to have this fund made
public I have arranged to have all
checks made payable to E. S. Mc
Cord.” This nauseating exhibition
of these men who still control
Alaska politics is enough to make
every decent citizen sick. “Donat
ions” ! Bah!
the new regent
Tom Marquam has been eppoint
ed Regent of the Agricultural Col
lege and School of Mines at Fair
banks in place of E. M. Keys,
resigned. Some people would say
that this appointment of Tom was
a worthy recognition of the brilliant
parts of that able lawyer. We
wonder who is responsible for the
appointment, and wonder more if
President Charles Bunnell is the
one.
Tom Marquam is a big man
and John Spickett of Juneau
is a little fellow, and yet when
Tom was leaving Juneau along
about 1898, Tom owed a hotel bill.
Spickett told Tom he would have
to pay, whereupon Tom showed how
resourceful he is for he threw his
suitcase out of the side window
and lowered himself with a rope,
ran to the steamer and got away.
All the time Spickett thought Tom
would walk thru the lobby like
an honest man. Spickett is still
waiting, but perhaps Tom will make
a very good and useful Regent.
PATRONIZE THOSE WHO AD
VERTISE IN THE ALASKA FISH
ERMAN
JUNEAU EMPIRE ADMITS
No one thought they ever would,
bu,t facts are facts. The Empire
is indeed wrong ,not only in that,
but in its entire reasoning
The Alaska Native Brotherhood
admits that it is in politics, but
denies that there is any compulsion
whatever in its organization to
compel any member to vote accord
ing to orders of its officers. The
success of its leaders in rallying
the Indians to vote for certain
candidates is based entirely upoin
hard facts and reason. The follow
ing is taken from the Empire:
Our Indian friends of the Alaska
Native Brotherhood declare that
The Empire erred when it said
their order was a secret political
organization. They insist that it
is not secret, that it has no grips
and passwords and holds its meet
ings in the open.
Very Well. We are glad to ac
knowVc\ge the error. Howfeivier,
it was not denied that the order
is a political organization, that
it is composed wholly of Indians
and seeks to induce the Indians
to vote as a unit under definite
leadership. In other words it is
endeavoring to unite the Indians
into a solid bloc of electors to
vote as its leaders determine to be
for the best interest of the In
dian rather than for the general
welfare. These things have been
admitted over aind over agiain.
Therefore, Ijhe q’rganizaJtiom ihas
-
been correctly described by The
Empire in everything except that
secrecy is not enjoined.
The result is that we have an
Indian political party in Alaska
which controls almost the whole
of the Indian vote and casts it
as a solid bloc at the dictation
of the political leaders. Last year
these Indians, voting as Indians,
rather than as individual citizens
of the United States, cast 800
to 1,000 in mass for identical
candidates and thereby controlled
the Republican primaries by small
majorities and later, in the same
manner^ elected, also by narrow
margins, all members of the Legis
lature from the First Division ex
cept one.
This is the situation that makes
it imperative that the white citi
zens of Alaska agree among them
selves upon a course of action
and then vote as white men and
and continue doing that until the
Indians are willing to vote and act
as individual citizens of Alaska
instead of as a bloc controlled
by politicians. Until the Indians
cease to regard themselves as a
separate and distinct body of citi
zens, as Indians first and Ameri
cans afterward, there will be
racial distinctions in the Territory.
Until that time the Indians will
not and cannot make the progress
that ought to be made. As long
as they permit themselves to be
herded to the polls by political
leaders and voted en mass so long
will their experiment in citizenship
lead them away from Americanism
rather than to a clearer conception
of it.— Empire, Dec. 5, 1925.
FOREST J. HUNT
KODAK STORE THE FAIR
KODAK SUPPLIES Complete Stock
BOOKS
STATIONERY
PERIODICALS, NOTIONS
TOBACCOS, ETC.
NOTIONS and TOYS
KITCHEN UTENSILS
CUTLERY
PICTURE FRAMING
... DEVELOPING AND PRINTING PROMPTLY AND
PROPERLY DONE
KETCHIKAN, ALASKA
vr
f?
rr
ALBERT REINERT
Ketchikan, Alaska
i
Ladies’ and Gents’ Furnishings, Dry 'Goods, Boots and Shoes
—-; .s:a......■■ , ■-■a-saaarr.i.aaasst