THE ALASKA FISHERMAN
Published the 16th of each month at Ketchikan, Alaska
WILLIAM L. PAUL, ATTORNEY FOR THE
Alaska Native Brotherhood
Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at
KETCHIKAN, ALASKA
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $2.00 FOR TWELVE ISSUES
The Fight Has Just Begun
During almost the entire political history of
Alaska politics it has been controlled by one or
two large interests who have governed this coun
try. “To make money out of it.” During the
past three years there has sprung up an organi
zation which is determined to do what it can to
end the vicious circle. The original principles of
the Alaska Native Brotherhood was to prepare
its members to exercise their privileges as citi
zens and to do it intelligently without prejudice
and without distinction as to race. In so doing
it was found necessary that all Indian children
become educated. An examination showed that
hundreds of children in this Division were with
out school facilities. Hundreds of others had
facilities only through the third or fourth grades.
As a result a general demand was made that
the Territory meet the situation and provide
schools. An appeal was made to John Troy, edi
tor of the Empire, to give publicity to the well
founded demand of our native citizens. Then it
was that the studied discrimination of Mr. Troy
and his friends was such that the Brotherhood
had to enter the political field.
In deciding on which side the vote of this
organization should be placed two factors, and
two only, were considered. First: The moral
issue; Second: The economic issue. In deciding
the first issue we found that there was a politi
cal ring composed of the attorneys of the large
cannery and mine corporation who operated by
and with the Juneau Empire, and who controlled
the Democratic or Republican Federal Brigade
for their common purpose, and that at all times
these attorneys were enlarging the profits of
foreign corporations at the expense of resident
Alaskans. We found that Federal patronage
was used to corrupt a sufficient number of legis
lators in the House or Senate as was necessary
to secure control of these bodies; that this vici
ous circle also used the public monies and the
public press to accomplish their evil designs.
Consequently the Brotherhood has had to declare
against these people who are known as the ring
and to support men of independence.
On the economic question, the personal ex
perience of the Brotherhood required the abolish
ment of the fish trap in order that resident fish
ermen and small business men of this Territory
might secure enough money to remain in the
country. It is no secret that the Alaska Native
Brotherhood is in politics, and that it is there
to stay, with the avowed purpose of driving from
public positions and from positions of power
those interests which are contaminating the pub
lie mind. In this class we place foremost the
so-called Honorable Scott C. Bone. If the truth
were known concerning this man the public
would know that the lawlessness which exists
today in Alaska is due to him, and that he is the
hub of the wheel around which the law violators
turn. The few honest deputy marshals and pro
hibition officers that we have are not allowed to
perform their duty by Governor Bone, for the
reason that if the law were impartially enforced,
the highest public and Territorial officials in this
land would have to face the Grand Jury with the
probability of a fine or jail sentence. Strongly
supporting Governor Bone we have the preda
tory cannery and trap interests. The dominat
ing personality in this group is J. R. Heckman,
a man who “must have his liquor every day.”
Other leading lights are George D. Beaumont,
United States Marshal; II. V. Means, Prohibition
Director; Carl Thiel, Surveyor General; and Ar
thur Shoup, District Attorney ,and various news
papers like the Juneau Empire; and the present
leaders of Masonic organizations like H. T. Tripp,
a Thirty-third Honorary Degree Mason, who
travels around the country stirring up prejudice
and supporting corrupt public officials. Not the
least of these influences is John W. Troy and
Stroller White of Juneau, who daily poisons the
public mind by stirring up race prejudice, dwell
ing on false political issues and championing the
cause of their own vicious circle.
“The Fight Has Just Begun”
“Members of the legislature and the people
of the other Divisions must not run away with
the idea that this is a matter that concerns the
First Division alone. If Mr. Paul is able to put
oyer his boss-ship of the First Division there
will be Pauls in the Second and Third and Fourth
Divisions to do there what our Paul is doing to
this Division.
“Alaska cannot permit the control of the Ter
ritory to fall in the hands of one who casts the
Indians’ votes and those who would traffic with
such a boss. The development of Alaska, the
homes ol those who live here and all of those in
terests are here, the schools, institutions and in
dustries of the Territory must not be subjected
to this hazard.
“The fight to break this system has just
begun.”
No truer word was ever said. Until the cor
ruption which eminates from the mind and the
pen of John W. Troy and Stroller White ceases
to flow in this Territory the fight will continue.
For the moment a man named Paul is expressing
the public’s protest against the vicious system,
and we are encouraged to think that the Prophet
of Baal predicts that other citizens having in
mind the same principles as this man Paul will
arise in other divisions, and we predict that when
this is done, be such a leader an Indian, an Aleut
or of our beloved white race, good citizens all
over Alaska will rally to the support of such a
leader. The fight has indeed just begun, and
we will prevail, for though they be desperate
men, our couse is just.