THE ALASKA FISHERMAN
Published the 15th 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
An Act
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States of America
in Congress assembled, That all non-citizen In
dians born within the territorial limits of the
United States be, and they are hereby, declared
to be citizens of the United States; Provided,
That the granting of such citizenship shall not
in any manner impair or otherwise affect the
right of any Indian to tribal or other property.
—Approved by the President of the United
States, June 2, 1924.
An act (of Feb. 8, 1887) relating to “every
Indian born within the Territorial limits of the
United States” embraces Indians of Alaska—
Nagle vs. United States, 191 Fed. 141.
Honesty in Journalism
People or interests who own newspapers some
times lose sight of the fact that the business of
the newspaper is to report the news as faithfully
as possible. This means that both sides of a
question shall be reported. That is what makes
the Literary Digest so deservedly popular.
The prevailing policies of newspapers seem to
be the apparent belief that they are meant to
give only the view of news held by the owner
or advertisers, and by culling or censuring the
news to warp the opinions of the reading public.
The nearest example of such dishonest news
paper reporting is the Juneau Empire. Many
examples of this species of dishonesty (the own
er no doubt does not consider it such) have oc
cured while the legislature has been sitting.
Such half-truths, colorful attempts at reporting
and sending of dispatches to outside newspapers,
are extremely dangerous and pernicious.
We will take but two examples of what we
mean, the first was the literacy test bill, and
the second, the Soldiers Land Bonus memorial.
In the report of the literacy bill, the Empire
reports at length the strongest arguments of its
friends, smoothing over rough points and con
necting arguments and exaggerating the inter
est and support of the audience. This paper
passed over without mention that extraordinary
incident in which the Hon. E. M. Polley told the
House that whoever voted for the bill thereby
voted for corrupt politics. A faithful report o!
this insulting statement by this amateurish
statesman would hurt “the cause” for it is plain
that the interests for whom the Empire is
spokesman have further use for this gentleman
elected by Indian constituents.
Nor did the Empire report the well considered
reasons why Indians did not support the Hon.
H. R. Shepard for their spokesman, William L.
Paul, stated very plainly on the floor of the
House that their reasons were that these ignor
ant Indians could not support a man who had
so little regard for the 18th amendment that he
must need the entire sidewalk, and that he must
insult the guests of the Gastineau Hotel by the
filthy language which that member used in their
lobby. Men who create law should obey the law.
In the report of Senate proceedings, the Em
pire says nothing of the cogent arguments based
on sound reason against the Foster Bill, but
makes a large point of speeches for the bill. We
will be content here merely to note that no at
tempt was made by any Senator supporting the
bill to answer the speech of Senator Dunn.
In the matter of the soldiers bonus bill, the
Empire records only the speeches for the memor
ial. We heard Senator Diamond and Senator
Dunn, the former making his usual plausible
speech of glittering generalities. When Sena
tor Dunn got up and said that he was an ex
soldier and told his experience when he answered
his country’s call in 1898 without the interven
tion of a draft, he took such a high position that
no one could assail him. No one there told the
Senator that he was unpatriotic and retold the
great^ sacrifices of the Alaska drafted men for
the Senator told that he volunteered, he was
glad ip go, that he did not get $80 a month eith
er, and got no bonus, nor did he expect to get it.
He summed up his entire argument in this
statement: “I am in favor of giving the ex
soldier 320 acres if that is what he wants; but
I am against script. Those who understand
what script means will know what I mean and
further explanation is not needed.”
No one answered this speech for the evils of
script are too well known to need exposition.
The argument against the bonus memorial is
not a sign that we are against the ex-soldier.
This country has learned a painful lesson by the
mistakes of the civil war and the script that fol
io week The rewards that we wish to give to
cx-soldiers should go to them and not to specu
lators. And we but show our regard for the
patriotism of the ex-soldier when we ask that
lie take his reward in such form that it will not
hurt his country.
“When the House passed the Soldier Bonus
land grant memorial, it thereby gave three
cheers for Alaska veterans of the World War;
when the Senate cut off the last 16 words of the
House draft, it gave Alaska ex-service men the
‘razz’,” the Empire says were the words of an
interested spectator.
People who heard the debate will know that
such reports are the veriest untruth and will do
more to undermine good government than the
most flaming charges of any “red.”
The Petersburg Herald reports the following
in its issue of July 11th, last:
“Aside from the address of Hon. Henry Roden,
the exercises in Variety Theater were intertain
ing, instructive and patriotic.”
What was the matter with Henry?
Fisherman, miners, working men, the small
business man must remember that our victory
is not complete until after the November elec
tion.