ALASKA. 235 



What theu sbould be done to regulate the action of the two 

 parties ? 



It is with some hesitation that I offer my opinion on so grave 

 a question. One thing I feel certain of: the manufacture of 

 quass should be put down, and no intoxicating liquor should 

 be allowed to enter the country on any jiretext whatever. 



I think it the duty of the Government to provide schools for 

 the younger people, ■who are growing up iu ignorance, while 

 many of their parents can read and write in the Russian lan- 

 guage. These schools should teach the rudiments of English 

 education, and should be free from any religious bias, as other- 

 wise they would fail. Attendance should be made compulsory. 



But it may be said that this would require many officials and 

 great expense to get at the separated communities. I think I 

 can show that this need not necessarily be the case. Suppose 

 that the laws governing the Indian reservations were extended 

 over the Aleutian region. A beginning could be made at the 

 four principal places I have named, or at one or more of them ;. 

 and extended, or the plan modified, as experience would show 

 desirable. The few outlying smaller settlements could be 

 reached from these, if not at once, at least eventually. Let the 

 settlement be declared a reservation, and the resident offtcial 

 invested with' the powers of an Indian agent, and supplemented 

 by a schoolmaster. Theu the first would be in a position to 

 arbitrate between the natives and traders in disputed cases, 

 and to enforce justice on both sides.(8) 



I have not arrived at that point where I sbould believe that 

 the Government habitually employs dishonest agents, though 

 long experience in Alaska might shake any man's optimism. 



At all events, it seems. to me to be the duty of the Government 

 to act in the matter, if only to save its own honor. I think 

 there is a duty involved aside from economical considerations. 

 The citizens, if not the wards of the United States, are entitled 

 to the protection of the law, and it should be extended to them. 

 Whether the method which I have suggested is the best or not 

 is a question to be decided by others, but I cannot see how 

 there can be two opinions about the duty of ex tending the pro- 

 tection of the laws and an opportunity for education to these 

 and other civilized inhabitants of this Territory. 



That these are now wanting no honest or sane man can deny. 



It would be very desirable, also, that the headquarters of au- 

 thority in the Territory be transferred to Ounalashka. It is 



