“FREE ADVICE”
We ha*l a talk with Honorable A.
M. Free, member of Congress, who
has been delivering lectures ex
tremely popular with Chambers of
Commerce in Alaska. We asked him
this question: “Mr. Free, you were
leported in the press as saying that
1800 illiterate and ignorant Indians
voted in the last election. Where
did you get your authority?”
He answeied: “From missionaries,
priests and Indians.” We asked
him, “Do you remember the names
of any,” and he said, “No, 1 did not
keep track of them, but 1 was told
that you voted over a thousand of
them in this Division last year, and
that you are making a lot of money
out of them. You got something
over $5,000 last year, and in the
month of June $275 from Sitka
alone.”
Our answer was this: “Since
1921, when I was sent by the Alaska
Native Brotherhood to Washington,
up to the present time we have col
lected less than $5,000. This covers
four years. Since 1021 we have re
ceived no money except for ex
penses. All money raised by the
Brotherhood is given to the Treas
urer, Italph Young of Sitka, who
pays the same out only upon re
ceipt of bills for expenses. We re
ceived nothing from Sitka during the
month of June as you say, and
would like to know where you got
such information. The only money
which the natives are raising today
is to meet the expense of the “Alas
ka Fisherman,” which is their pub
lication. I receive nothing for edit
ing it, although it takes a great
deal of my time.
“Senator Hunt and I figured that
the maximum number of Indians
who voted in the last election is
800. My own figures are 000. Of
this number less than 100 might
be termed illiterate. Indeed, the
records at Juneau show that only
03 persons voted in the last elec
tion who had to have assistance
from the judges. The government
records show that there are over
1500 Indians in the First Division
who are literate, meaning that they
can read and write, most of them
having at least a Fourth Grade edu
cation, which is the average stand
ard of the Bureau of Education
Schools.”
Mr. Free then said: “Do you be
lieve that persons who cannot read
and write should be allowed to
vote ?”
Our answer was this: “I certain
ly do, and further T cannot see how
any mail who believes in the Dec
laration of Independence can believe
otherwise. Do you remember it,
Mr. Free? The second paragraph
begins: ‘We hold these truths to
be self-evident, that all men are cre
ated equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain in
alienable Rights, that among- these
are Life, Liberty and the pursuit
of Happiness. That to secure these
lights, Governments are instituted
among Men, deriving their just
powers, (and I want you to notice
the next phrase, Mr. Free), from
the consent of the governed.’ Now
Mr. Free, are the illiterates not
among the governed? And if they
arc can you deny them the right
to vote under the Declaration just
quoted ?
“I recognize that ignorance is an
evil, but the answer is not to de
prive these people of their fran
chise, but to remove their ignorance
by establishing schools. You are to
blame, Mr. Free, partly for the con
dition that exists here, for you Con
gressmen in your effort to save
money are so niggardly that ade
quate schools are not provided, and
when you will not appropriate money
for | schools you must assume the
responsibility for the continuance of
a bad condition. There is no school
building in Ketchikan. The school
building at Angoon is wretched.
There is no residence for the teacher
there. The school building at Killis
noo is about to topple over. The
school building at Sitka has been
condemned three times as being un
sanitary and unsafe. This is also
true of the Douglas school. The
Juneau school is a wretched portable
building, and so on down the line.
The sanitary equipment of the
schools is terrible and you fellows
in Congress think you are doing a
fine service when you cut down the
appropriations asked for to carry on
the business of educating the In
dians of Alaska.”
Mr. Free then said, “Do you mean
tc say that you are doing all this
work without pay?”
We answered, “I do. It doesn’t
seem human, of course, but such is
the truth.”
Then he said, “Do you mean to
say that you make enough money
from your law business to carry on
your work?”
Our answer was, “I do.”
Then he said, “How much of your
business is white?”
The answer was, “Practically all
of it, for the Indians of Alaska are
not among the criminal class, nor
do they appeal to the courts to
settle the disputes between each
other, they being of a peaceful na
ture, and forego the loss of a great
deal of money rather than ‘fight it
out in courts.’ If I had to depend
upon Indian business I would starve
to death.”
Of course Mr. Free cannot under
stand how a person in private prac
tice can get along since his own
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