Valdez daily prospector., 1912-06-21
WHEN POLITICS BECOME BUS
 MESS.

The publication by inc Pros pcctnr. of the letter of Col Rich ardson tu the town council. call ing attention to the fact that Delegate James WickcrSham was doing all in his power tn stop further appropriations for gov crnmcnt roads in Alaska, has made a deep impression upon those who have their all invest ed in lhiS community. The vic iOus attack made upon the road commission and the character of their work, made in a twcnly- four page letter addressed tO the Secretary of War, could have but one purpose in view, and that was t0 kill any further apprupria- lions for road work in this nor thern country.
 We are not prepared 10 believe that Judge Wick-rsham is op- posed to road building in the ab- stract, neither are We of the opin- ion that he is seeking to econ- OniZe on behalf of the general government. There can be but one reason for his assault and that is his hatred of Inc person. mel of the commission. t is w'll known that Col. Richardson has. through his own efforts, secured whatever appropriations were made for road building in Alaska and that inc defeat of this ap- ITOpriatiOn would mean the re- ::SSlgnmcnt of the president of Inc commission tO his regiment. This, then, is the motive imprll- ing the delegate in his attacks on Alaska roads and thO.e re- SpOnSiblr for their construction. To satisfy his thirst for revenge. he is ready and willing Io sacri- flee those friends who have sup ported him in the past. He know inGly works an frrrparablr in Jury upon every property OWL CT in Valdez in order to satisfy a petty spii.' he holds against one man.
 We charge him with know ingly and wiIlfully doing this, becaus" during his last visit tO thjs city he was repeatedly told that his fight nn the road com mission was a direct slap al not only ihis city, hui at other cen iers of population whose buSi- ness and prosperity drprnd'd SD much on the opening up of means Df communication. To all these appeals hr maintained d complete Sil"nr" and absolutely refused io cOInlnil himself as iO his future course in Ihir important matter.
 II is under such cirrunISlanc as IlliS That tn" ProSpccIOr says that the delegate campaign has bccOmc business proposition tO those who 0wn property in this community. w, conceive il iO be a business proposition to vote for the, rclcriion uf inc road com mission here; it. is q business proposition iO Srr iO it that more appropriations. are secured until such tinlr as We have. perfect thoroughfarc between this city and inc metropolis of the inter- ior--Fairbanks. It is well enough for those who have no interest in the community to fight against it's development, but to those who have by years of honest toll, hardship and rigid economy, sc- cured moro or less property here, il becomes a matter of business lo vote lo protect those earn- ingj as earnestly as they would save them from tho devastation of fire and flood, A vote " for Janfcs Wickcfsham on election day means an abandonment of further road work with the close of tlfis season; il means' tic re- mopal of the Headquarters of Inc cable and telegraph system to our neighbSping :cily- "H .Yiil. lake from us Fort Liscum and Inc seal .':! ,. = p-T.[ ..ss-I:. z '. Y