The Alaska daily empire., 1913-03-11

interests, who lear the rue ol Lue PSO ple and by some others providing TOT railway commission and the publi- cation of the Alaska code, written by
 Ordinarily a legislator, who has succeeded in enacting an important law should accept criticisms of the law with patience and silence waiting until time and fair trial shall yindicate his judgment or show that he erred therein. When, however, before any time or experience has demonstrated that the enactment is either good or had. the representatives chosen to act under the law put forward keynote speaker to denouce the act with un- measured and hostile criticism, dit- ferent situation is presented. when the effect of that harsh and hostiie criticism tends to prevent the people from having relief from burdens which have long oppressed them, and comes with official weight and dignity, 1t must be fair and well sustained, else the critic is himself open to inquiry touching his motive and purpose.
 Delegate Defends Organic Act,
 When the House of Representatives met on March 3rd. to begin it's tenn porary organization, the gentleman l from Ketchikan, a lawyer of wide re- Ipute and varied attachments, was made | temporary chairman. Upon taking the Ichair he delivered and eloquent and Inoteworthy address, at the beginning of which. in forceful phrase, he con- idemned the Act of Congress creating the legislative body, and declared: After carefully analyzing the
 enabling act which defines the
 powers of this legislature, one is
 obliged to ask himself, outside of
 gracing the halls of some social
 function or of drawing down the
 generous emouments of officers,
 what in the world we are here for.
 This instrument is paradox or
 hopeless inconsistencies. Resplen'
 dent in promise, we find from one
 end to the other an innocuous
 dearth of hoped-for privileges
 Looking for the substance we
 find the shadow. Asking TOT
 bread, we get stone. In the
 words of the immortal bard, 1t
 may be characterized as a mad.
 ness most discreet, choking gall
 and a sickening sweet
 A denunciation of such a character, from so influential a source, at such a moment, and under such circumstan- ces. is remarkable, to say the least or I if. The legislature had not yet or ganized. had not passed a single act' the committees had not yet been ap- pointed: yet the public is informed by fhe presiding officer that the act ere Iating the body is so grossly inadequate that the legislature will have no pow .r to pass legislation in aid of the ter ritory, and can do little else than idle away sixty days while the members gracefully grace social functions ana draw emOluments.
 When the bill criticized was intro , duced mCongress in practically US nrcsent form, several thousand copies , were sent to the citizens of Alaska from Ketchikan to Kougarok. A copy was sent to the gentleman from ket- chikan. with a letter asking him 10 , examine and criticise it, He approved it. Because the Delegate from Alaska introduced it and fought the most pow , erful influences in its behalf including President Taft, the Alaska Syndicate ; and their followers and friends in Washington and in Alaska, every eff fort was made to condemn the bill be- fore the Alaska voters and to defeat the delegate for reelection. The gen. , tleman from Ketchikan then favored . the bill: and Loyalty supported the delegate for reelection. A conven- ton was called to meet in Juneau on June 30, 1910, to nominate candidate for Delegate to Congress. The gentle man from from Ketchikan. holding the proxies of all the Ketchikan delegates, attended that convention. Ills did me the honor to nominate me for re-elec- tion in a most eloquent speech, prais, ing my services to the territory and , approving my fight for the legislative hill in language worthy of Patrick Henry He did more-he served as the chairman of the Committee on Platform. and I hold in my hand the original report signed by him, in which he approved the bill in question in the following language:
 "Forty-five thousand Americans
 of such value are worthy of an
 elective legislative assembly in
 in furtherance of their efforts to
 extend the development of the un-
 limited resources of this great ter
 ritory, and we, therefore, favor
 the creation by Congress of an
 elective legislative assembly in Al.
 aska: we approve the general
 scope and plan of the bill intro
 duced by our Delegate in Con-
 gress, the Honorable James Wick
 ersham."
 Aided by this vigorous endorsement, the Delegate from Alaska was re-elect- ed to Congress, strengthened by it the struggle for the Home Rule bill was renewed, and the bill triumphant ly enacted into law. It is now yiol- ently attacked in spectacular keynote speech. Why?
 Pays Respects to Governor Clark
 In his message to the legislature, the Governor of Alaska, with an oleag- inous hyprocicy worthy of Uriah Heep, bewails the lack of power in the legis- lative organic act in this choice phrase:
 unfortunate as it is that rath-
 CT large scope of authority was not
 granted to the first legislature, en-
 abling it to pass laws relative to
 all ordinary subjects of territorial
 legislation, etc"
 The people of Alaska do not need to be reminded that it was President Taft and Governor Clark who sought by every means in their power toI prevent us from having any law to| create an elective legislature in Alas ka with any power whatever. It was they who drew, introduced, and sous It