MIRRORS OF JUNEAU
Observations of An
Eve-Witness
We have often wondered why the
newspapers that so faithfully report
the daily doings of the legislature
have never taken the trouble to re
view these same transactions, placing
their estimate on the work of certain
members and measures. Since this
field has been r 'dected by the abler
writers and observers, we are not pre
.rmnticus we think in writing this ar
ti-lo and nope that it will be indeed
•‘Mi rrors of Juneau.”
As the session progressed, the real
purposes of men became revealed, pur
poses that at first were carefully con
cealed. Always legislators affirm or
pretend that they speak for “their
constituents” leaving it to the hearer
to guess their meaning. But in the
course of time, “their constituents”
become very plain to the observer.
In thm last \gislature the issue was
divvvn between privilege and the peo
re; between appointed officials and
elected officials; I between supporters
of carpet baggersl and advocates of
greater Home Rule\ under the present
Organic Act. The silvange part is that
enough elected officia {s supported the
appointed officials so \ Pat all progres
sive legislation embody 'ng the senti
ment of the people was defeated. Un
doubtedly the people have .been be
trayed and the evidence of there’ be
trayal is hidden in the deep silence \of
newspapers which advertise that they*
print “All the news all of the time.”\
In the following sketches we hope '
that we have succeeded in giving an
estimate of the men as we believe is
held by the uninterested spectator.
GOVERNOR SCOTT C. BONE
The word gentleman best describes
Governor Bone. Courteous, affable,
polished, he comes from the old school
of diplomatic politics into the vigor
ous democracy of Alaskan life.
To grace the executive mansion and
its social functions, no person could
be better fitted. To greet and enter
tain strangers who visit the Territory
is no small part of the Governor’s
work, and he performs the duty well.
Educated, refined, scholarly; years of
journalistic work have taught him
much of national and world affairs.
Alaska is neither national nor uni
versal in its viewpoint, nor is its
capital a metropolis. “Main Street”
fits Juneau as well as it fits an,y small
town in the States. The circumscrib
ed life of Juneau is probably irksome
to one of Governor Bone’s tempera
ment and we opine that the petty poli
tical and social strife incident to small
towns and thinly populated territory
are anything but agreeable to one who
has spent much of his life in popul
ous centres.
To live for many years in close as
sociation with national statesmen and
then to be suddenly placed in contact
with bush league legislators, each one
with a clearly defined political mission,
must be a transformation to jar the
sensibilities of the Governor.
The Diplomacy of the Governor’s
is secretive, dissembling; and is not
understood or appreciated by legisla
tors from the open spaces, whose fu
ture political life depends on securing
appropriations for trails and agricul
tural colleges. These men of the hour
place their cards on the Governor’s
table in accordance with the invari
able custom of their home localities.
That’s where they make a mistake.
The rules of diplomacy do not pre
scribe any such method. “Open cove
nants openly arrived at” savors of
Pining camps, and fishing villages and
never made use of by real states
men, in practice, although as a catch
phrase it is often used as a diplomatic
camouflage.
The proletariat cannot understand
Governor Bone’s diplomatic actions
and it makes no effort to do so. The
Governor does not intend to ostra
cize himself from the Alaskan masses,
he cannot meet
ground nor can he
desires and ambi
The reason is largely one of
trailing. The national politicians with
whonA the Governor learned the game,
always! operated at a remote distance
from tihe general electorate, and mani
pulate^ it through the medium of
those in the secondary political strata.
Obviously, to apply such national meth
ods to si\arsey populated Alaska, where
every individual has an intimate ac
quaintance with his neighbor, cannot
bring the/ results of personal touch
with the / people. The Governor sur
rounds h imself with a small coterie of
hand-pic eed advisors who fawn upon
him, anc I he, a poor judge of men, mis
takes th/eir agreement with him on all
subjects! ai a mark of their compe
tence. I The Governor is a victim of
ur,usual|ly incompetent advisors. Those
who tell 1 him the truth in a straight
forward manner are non grata. Those
out unfortunately
tvhem on common
comprehend their
tior
who puff wind on his sails are al
ways welcomed As an appointed offi
cial, the Governor naturally leans to
the side of the administration when
controversies arise between the peo
ple of the Territory and Washington
regarding policies.
Unfortunately, the Governor is not
in a position to learn the attitude of
the people and more unfortunately his
advisors are not in sympathy with the
people as against the hosts of privil
ege.
It should be recognized by the peo
ple of Alaska by this time that their
political rights will never be protected
or defended by appointed officials,
whose first allegiance is to the ap
pointive powers and their policies. Na
turally, those who derive their pow
ers from the people must be their
defenders, hence the antagonism be
tween elected representatives of the
people and appointed officials, which
is always in evidence in territorial
political life.
In the present contest between the
people of Alaska and the despoiling
fishery interests, the lineup between
appointed and elected officials is
clearly defined. It is not on record
that anyone appointed official has
spoken in the interest of the people.
Governor Bone's attitude on this
great question is one of public record
and that record shows plainly that his
sympathies are not with the people in
their struggle to retain their rights.
The position of Governor Bone of
Alaska is not an entirely enviable one
and the history of past governors of
the Territory tells of blaring trumpets
and sounding tom-toms upon arrival
and silence like the grave at departure
Where are the governors of yester
year? Surely not in Alaska! The all
attractive Northland of their official
enthusiasm has no attraction as a
permanent home.
DAN SUTHERLAND
The Delegate is mentioned here for
purposes of contrast: the contrast
between individuals and the contrast
between elected and appointed offi
cials. Sutherland and Bone are as un
like as human beings can possibly be.
Sutherland is the antithisis of Bone.
Sutherland is undiplomatic and un
polished. His frankness verges on the
brutal. His cards are apparently al
ways on the table and face up. If
he knows the dissembling, disingenu