The daily Alaskan., 1909-01-29
WHAT ALASKA NEEDS IN OR GAN
 lc LAW.
Ic LAW.

pen oG JuIge James Wickersham, del egate-elect from Alaska. and is taken. from the current issue of the Alaska Yukon magazine:
 President Roosevelt in his l9O7 message. said to congress concerning the necessary legislation for Alaska: 'I reiterate my recommendation ot last year as regards Alaska. Some form of local self.government should be provided, as simple and iuexpen- siye as possible. It is impossible for the congress to devote the necessary time to all the little details Of neces- sary Alaskan legislation.
 In the recent campaign for aeie- gate to congress from Alaska each of the candidates appealed to the voters on that general issue Each caudi. date was pletgel, in some form, by his platform to secure additional or- ganic law in aid of territorial govern meut. My own pledge was: "I shall stand for u President Rooseyelrs recommendation that some form of local seI.goverumeut should be pro-  uded, as simple and inexpensive as possible. for Alaska; l2J An elective territoria. legislature with carefully limited powers. Upon that pledge Che people ot tue territory save me forty per cent O. al the votes cast and the election, My next highest competitor. Mr. Joseph Chilberg. stood on an even stronger sounding plank and was pledged for "territor. ial form of government for Alaska uu der which her citizens may enjoy that degree of free, e,om in tbe administra- ,iou of their fairs to which all Am orleans are just,y entitled, and the people gave him twenty-five per cent of the total vote. The demo- cratic candidate stood on an ampIitie form of Presi ent Rooseye,ts decIara- uou: We regard the establishment of a suitable form of government for the territory of Alaska the question of foremost importance, and to that end We submit the following; We. demand the ena tment of some sim. pie and inexpensive form of local se%- government for A aska on lines surfi- cieuuy guarding and restricting the number of subdivisions into which the territory may be subdiyided, this to the end that property rights with, in the district so provided with an. organic law may be. in all respects, perfectly saCeguar ed and protected lu the fuI est extent compatible with good goy,rnment" Upon that dec laration Mir. Roman received little more than ten per cent Of all the votes cast. NIr. John P. Cum. on a declaration in favor of territorial gov crnmeut and home rule. received three per cent o5 al the votes cast for delegate, thus making a total of seyenty.eight per cent of the total vote in favor Of territorial home rule.
 That branch of the Ketchikan con. yention which made Mir. Corson it's standard,bearer purposely avoided a direct declaration in favor of an or. ganic law establishing home rule in Alaska. and contented itself with an evasiye plank, favoring the extension to Alaska of the impossible and an tiquated ordinance of 17S7. The peo- pie of Alaska were clearly informed and well understood that this candi- date was not p,elgeI to favor any other organic Jaw, and were we'll ad- vised and believed that the ordinance of 17S7 was not what Alaska needed. Notwithstanding his ability as a pub lie speaker, and tue powerful political and corporate influences which SUD- ported him, Mir. COrsOn received only twenty.two per cent of all the votes