The Ketchikan miner., 1908-05-23


 Though this paper does entertain an oipinun of it's own as to the merits and demerits of the party row. those are questions which it prefers to leave to discussion and possible satisfactory settlement by the partisan organs of the territory, in the hope that they may be able to arrive at solution sati isiactory at least to the ''solid in- terests, - if. indeed, not to the rank and file of the party itself. It may be excused for saying however, that two sets of delegates having been chosen to represent Alaska in the National Republican convention, both sets ot whom will, presumably, present themselves demanding recognition, that that body will, through its prop erly constituted committee. be per- fectly justified in declaring "a plague on both your houses. and in suggest ing that they both go back home and learn how to behave themselves prop erIy before again presenting them selves for admission to a participation in the supreme council of the party. That would be, in the opinion of The Miner. the only recognition to which they will he justly entitled.
 Altogether. assuming that the fac tion which succeeded in holding pos session of the hall and finally concud-
 ing its business without interruption was the ''reguiar' Republican con- vention, then. in that case it must. honestly be admitted that il arrived at wholly inconsistent, lame and impotent conclusion. This faction is suppos d. indeed claimed to repre- sent what they themselves chose to denominate the "Hoggatt. faction"-in other words. the sentiment ithin the party was openly opposed to terri t1rial form of government for Alaska.
 The Miners opinion oI the propriety of thus making the issue oi opposition to territorial government one personal to the Governor himself because of h.s well known views on that question and the injustice thus done by his ill advised friends. is a matter of little moment and cuts no figure here, other
 than to tend to emphasize the align ment between the contending factions
 within the party, and is suggested only hy the fact that they themselves would have it so. If we concede the adherents of this so-called "Hoggatt faction. which held possession of the nall to the end. to have been the regular convention, hen the Miner submits that its suggestion of an alto gether inccn istent, lame and mpo- tent conclusion having been arriyec 1t is one fully justified by the proceed ipgs had. The fact that after having unanimously adopted a resolution in favor of territorial government and nominating an openly avowed, able auu e.cqoent advocate of that theory nf popular home government as dele gate to congress, it then passed res- olution endorsing an equally zealous and pronounced opponent to territorial govern nent in the person of Cover nor Ho2gatt concerning whose posi- tion on that question there can be no doubt whatever, there can be but one of two cure'tiSions arrived at-either hat ot hay irg launched q campaign with intent 10 deceive the people, or one based upon q bargain sale. made ard cot cIuded in advance of nomina- tion aLd election. In that regard. the people may be able to draw their own conclusion.
 The Miner regards Mr. Corson as most es.imable gentleman of more than ordinary ability, and he will prove himself indeed capable of carry ing water on both shoulders if he shall succeed in winning out despite the handicap imposed upon him by those to whom he owes. his nomina- tion. Summing up the whole affair, The Miner can but sincerely deplore the outcome of this latest double bar reled convention, for the reason, if no other. that it has served in itself to cast a serious doubt in the public | mind as to the existence in Alaska of that degree of capacity essential to the intelligent exercise of the privi- | leges of elf-goverDment. The Miner must add, in justice to a | ma iority of the delegates who came | here anxious for peaceful and har- convention and who hoped to bury the past party strife once for all, that the burden of blame rests be- | yond the sh adow of doubt upon the | shoulders of not more than half doz- en men who placed their personal am- btions above the party welfare and who sacrificed the good of their party | to the consuming desires of their own hearts.