The Alaska prospector., 1908-05-28
CERTAIN FACTS ABOUT
 KETCHIKAN CONVENTION

Threshing over old straw is always profitless enterprise, but certain facts concerning the recent Republi- can circus at Ketchikan are entitled to be enbalmed in print while the subject is new, and the most import ant is that but for the obstinacy of a very few men the party could have been united without leaving anybody in a violent state of dissatisfaction.
 A discussion of the attempted dis position of delegate contests would start an endless controversy, and it is only fair to say that while the ma ajority of the credentials committee which was permitted to act by sufferance decided nearly all contests for their own side with what the minority in sisted with much heat evinced plain determination to "hog every thing" it must be conceded that they were only following precedent estab- lished i'll convention and congress from time immemorial. Contests are seldom decided on their merits.
 This much however, is entitled to go into history-The delegates person. ally present from the Third division, all but one opposed to what was known as the Juneau bunch," off cred every possible concession which could be dignitied by the name of of compromise and the Juneau crowd refused everything that did not give them assurance that they could name the national committccman, the triv- ial issue upon which rotated nearly the whole controversy The result was two delegations to the Chicago convention with the chances in favor of the admission of the anti Juneau men and the naming of national committeeman hostile to them.
 The anti-lioggatt men of the Third division, not one of whom is person ally hostile to the governor, offered for two days to split the delegation to Chicago evenly between the two fac tions and name q man friendly tO both sides for national cOmittccman, or leave that matter to be settled at Chicago. They offered to accept Milo Kelly of Cordova, q Hoggatt man, for the disputed post, knowing Mir. Kelly To be fair. This was de- clined, the determination of the Jul ncau crowd being to name l.. F. Shackleford, the governors close friend and political spokesman. Mr. Shackleford is an able man and there was no personal antipathy to him but as the delegates from the Third represented anti-lloggatt constitu- encies, aside from Cordova, they could not support Shacklcford
 Finally MT. Shacklcford proposed Ed s. Orr of Valdez for national com delegates from Valdez and Fairbanks, and the proposition was instantly ac- cepted. Shackleford said he would have to sec his lieutenants and after an hour returned and said he would have to withdraw his proposition Then he was urged again to split the national delegation evenly and pass the question of representative on the national committee up to the delega- tion. He assented but when the names of the antiHoggatt delegates were given him he refused to accept w. T. Perkins or John G. Held. He was told that no objection would be made to any three men he might name for his side but he must make the same concession. This ended efforts to compromise.
 Some of the antiHoggatt men were so anxious for peace that they were willing to give the Juneau crowd q little the best of deal, but Chaun- cey Boyer of Fairbanks insisted on an even break, while w. T. Perkins of Nome was opposed to any compro- mise at all. This made anything but an even split impossible.
 The Hoggatt men were willing at all times to accept in the platform eirpet antipathy, territorial govern ment, and after the split their con vention adopted in toto the platform of the Juneau convention of last November, the demand for home rule included. Then they nominated for delegate to congress that pronounced advocate of territorial organization, John w. Corson of Nome. Following this they passed separate resolution indorsing the official career of Coy. Hoggatt, the uncompromising oppo- nent of territorial government.
 A special grievance of the anti Hoggatt delegates was the consistent and persistent ruling of every point in favor of the other side by c. D. Mu- rane of Nome, who was permitted to