The Ketchikan miner., 1908-07-25

the partisan press or AlaSka, Wniou has up to this time evinced more loy- atty to the Republican party than re- gard for the genera. public good, over a situation of it's own making. As 1t is. however, this paper is more in- clined to sympathize with the partisan press of that ilk over it's situation be- tw cen sthe devil and the deep blue ,ean which must be more than dis lressingly painful, and particularly with those of it's members who are honest and sincere advocates of the
 ause of local self-government in the
 erritory. This situation had its in-
 ipiency in the .knock down and drag outn proceedings of the double bar reled Republican, territorial conven- tion held in May last. which resulted in placing two candidates in the field, and as might have been foreseen, would come to be regarded, as it now is, as the result of reprehensible bar gaming between few self constituted leaders more intent upon their own personal aggrandizement thar the good of the party they assumed to represent, or the welfare of the terri tory which should have been their first and chief consideration.
 If, however, we accept as having been wholly regular that part of the convention of May last, which secured the recognition of the Republican National committee, it will not be de- nied that it was wholly dominated by the open and declared opponents ot home rule for Alaska, while on the other hand it adopted home rule platform and at the same time nomi- mated Mir. Corson, an open and avowed advocate of territorial government as it's candidate for delegate to congress. The other branch of the disrupted convention at the same time placed in nomi naton as its candidate for dele- gate Tom Gale, also an advocate of territorial government, and with these candidates and under these peculiar conditions went before the people. In the meantime Judge Wickhersham announced his candidacy, Major Cum posed as an independent candidate, the miners of the Nome district an- nounced the nomination of candidate of their own, as did also the Panama miners. Prior to these last named, however, the democrats of the terri tory had met in convention at Juneau and nominated John Roman, who is squarely in the field as their candi- date. With all these candidates in the field, it appeared to be trace free
 for all, and the devil take the hind most" making a confusion only to be worse confounded by the absolute withdrawal of both Gale and Wicker
 sham, leaving the contest apparently to oe decided between Corson and Roman.
 Now, it appears to be up to the Re- publlcans of the territory to reconcile themselves to the peculiar situation as best they may be able. Those ot that party faith who are opposed to a territorial form of government find themselves in the field with platform declaring in favor of such change, and candidate advocating it, and, as we suggested in the beginning, find the mselves between ''the devil and the deep blue sea-" On the other hand, those Republicans who are in favor of home rule and who regard Mir. Corson as Governor Hoggatt's s candidate, because of the latter's open and ..avowed opposition to the propos- ed change in the form of local govern ent, and are therefore distrustful of Mr. Corson's sincerity, find them selves in an equally embarrassing situation. They had hoped and relied upon means of escape by throwing their support Tn the election either to Gale or Wickersham, and now that prop is knocked from under them they are at a loss as to what to do in the premises. They cannot bring themselves to the support of Corson, who they affect to regard as the can didate of Governor Hoggatt. the arch enemy of territorial government in Alaska, and are beginning to earnest ly consider the question of what they may do to be saved.
 While The Miner has all along de- precated the idea of making Cover nor Hoggatt a personal issue in Alas ka politics, and has steadily refrained from any hint or suggestion tending thereto, it may venture a suggestion to the Republican advocates of ter ritorial form of government for Alas koa which, if adopted and acted upon, may be made the means of relieving them from the dilemma in which they find themselves. There comes time in nearly every congressional district when one party or another finds it necessary to administer rebuke to leaders who have become too objec- tionable, if indeed not wholly corrupt, even at the exnense of the defeat of