Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 436, 20 ʻApelila 1892 — Annexation in Aiaska. [ARTICLE]

Annexation in Aiaska.

In the year 1565 the Americun Governtiient took poBB€Rsion of Alaska. For 80iue vears a eommepeial coi»pany whieh haditB he.ui $t, Pvter3buris had * xover the natural riches of tbat iminenee temtory, but it did not pav, go wifd the uīn* nipulatora, who theniBelvep hecan>e woalthy. The Governor, Pryu-e Maxentoff waa anxious to aell out tbe gr«at *fch N %o Uneie Stin. SecreUry Beward — ont of the IB6it sagacioue and patriotic etate«-

men of this age — was th«n tary of Interior and uT%ed the purchase of Aiaska; but Congr©Bs and the XjktLon generally ridicule<| the idea ay that of %< purchasing an iee* berg; ,> An inquiry was authorized by Congress whieh resulted in a ivjh rt favoring the purcha»e, and accordingly in IHB7 the govemment of the United Btate» paid Kustjia »even aa«l a quartermU4j(mB of dollars and Aiaaka heeamea territory of the United Stat©B. The foregoing facts carry with them certain leBeons applieahle to our own case. We have a splendid tcrritory. amall it in true, but valuahle from many jH)intb of view. hut tliruugh the grinding greed of 'monojH)ly nothing pays, and civilized labor find it a most uncongeniai spot. But what we are specially concerned about in thĪB connexiou is how did the change affect the native poople ? In the first plaee the knonl was alx>lished by the change, just as the inhuinan operaj Uon of "contracl ialv)r M would bo I in Ilawaii. ! \Vages for an Alaskau laborer | unilcr Kusfiian rule was fixed bj' the arbitrary aelion of ? ho eomuiereial e )nipany and was from ten to | j twenty cents a day just as it is re* j here on plantations bv tho j decreos of the Planien?' Labor aiui j Bupply Co. After the U. S. gov- j 'emmenl assume<l control wages j gradudlly ro«e to a dollar anda half' a day within a vear. Cai>ital How-! ēd into thc country. The itnjH)rts into Alaeka wiiliin five years! amounted to over three hundred! dollars per man 4 wouian and child.: How were the eommon affected in the matter of land holding ? Under the ru!e of Holy Russia a man could only live where he was tol'd" to live. The C'rown eon- ; trolle<l the land and there was but jone indtistry conBi«Wred; fur. nof thing hnt fur. The country was : n s < use for anv thing ehe, so they ' ?ai<[. l»ut under the United States systteni intelligence and free labor had free play. free eeooe. to dej velope the reso;irceM of land and , [ watvr. Under Uussia every ;nim rial l.>ēlonged to th<.' crown. aiul tl»e I renuit w*as that the wealt h nat 1 intende<l for the enrieliuient ot" th" !]>eople, lay untoucheu. UmleE-ihe ' 1 Americ:in sysiem fisher:e*> anu e:inI neri»-s i pruirg up al.l' V.round :ur>: fo >d lo a !nilltrrv world. i Tinil»cr i;;ilis were estal lishe<i i !and the gold, silv^r 3 a'iul yo}>tvr 1 »uines of Alaska are now fa»u<ms, [The Treadwav inine on I>ou«:Jrs6 j island owns one of the largei?; ;uvt- ] j teries of anv single uoul niine in the worid. and pays lahor ai)d inve&:-. jment handsoinely. # ; ! ot the f:rst ofilcial acis yft*»e i j United (ioverninent wa» t(. st cur»* jto eaeh inhabitant a. Im* ot lan l junder governmentgrantWhat j a boon this would be to thp land>. | less Ilawaiiaii and it would*be the • firnt care of t" ■ United St(»ljps, or •cven of tho Briti?h governm< nt, in ■ case we decided to throw in our I lot with Unele liull —to Becure to |eve r y citircn a !.tnd holding. j The al>ove is a brief cutline of ; facts in eonneeUon with a recent aml ceh»brated case of annexation, and the p<rint Liiujisia&ab]v to the desirabilitv ot our own gpee<ty entry mto the gran<i lamilv o| State?, under the shadow of whose Hag the honest child of western civilitation is protected from labor | coropetition with the refuw of Aiia. 1