The Alaska daily empire., 1914-10-31
FAVORED RAILROAD
 AND HOME RULE

In his speech at Valdez, attacking Col. w. P. Richardson, Delegate Wick.l ersham aid that he had opposed al railroad for Alaska and that he had opposed Territorial government for the Territory.
 The Valdez Miner of october 70 prints copies of letters in which Col. Richardson, then Major Richardson, writing to the Secretary of War, urg- ed government aid to railroads in Al aska as long ago as January 24, 1906; that he urged government railroad January 30, 1908, and that he support ed the railroad bill that was passed last spring.
 Why a Government Railroad.
 In his letter of January 30, 1908, to Secretary of War Taft, in support of government railroad for Alaska, Major Richardson said:
 Not only am I convinced of tho futility of dependence upon private enterprise and capital to accomplish what is needed for Alaska's develop ment, but every day emphasizes to my mind the necessity for making more readily available at an early date the resources of that region, and moro particularly it's extensive coal deposits, with the establishment of suitable coalirg station and with im- proved communication by land, to the end that the Territory may become what, by It's geographical position, 1t is entitled to be. valuable strategic base, in case of necesrity for opera tions in the Far East"
 The Valdez Miner continues its story of Col. Richn~dcon's support of Territorial government for Alaska and his opposition to the commission form of government, saying:
 'Tn September, 1909, President Taft made his Seattle speech in which he foreshadowed tho Beveridge plan for a commission government for Alaska. Before leaving Alaska that fall Col. Richardson wrote and mailed a mem' orandum to the President October 26) respectfully suggesting that the commission project would be very un. welcome in Alaska. In this memo randum he stated that bitter antago- nism to home rule by officials and politicians in Alaska had driven near ly everybody else to favor 1t. The letter proceeds:
 States Strong Objections.
 "'For three or four years this out spoken opposition to the mere idea has been the cause of continual tur- moil in the Territory, and has been the principal factor in giving strength and cohesion to the extreme element in it's favor. A free admission of the principle, with assurance of favorable action as soon as the developments and evidence of stable communities shall seem to justify, will so far to allay the agitation and turn the thoughts of the people into other channels.
 People splendldIy Qualified.
 "Tn respect to the natural qualifi- cations for self-government no citi- zens of our country are better equip ped as a whole than those in Alaska. The majority are intelligent self-re- liant, full of the spirit of independence, and we have never had more law abiding frontier
 "The memorandum closed with a paragraph urging the government aid to railroad construction in Alaska.
 "When he went to Washington a little later Col. Richardson quietly stated his objections to the commis- sion project, wherever he could legi- timately. He discussed the matter with Judge Wickergham, telling him that the bill would be a mistake. At that time the two had been personal friends for years. Suddenly the Dele gate came out with the charge that Col. Richardson was urging the bill' The charge was in brazen defiance of truth and Wickersham knew It, but evidently thought he could make capital for himself by fighting Rich ardson."