The Alaska daily empire., 1915-04-08
DELEGATE wcIERsHAM's ATTACKS

a
 has devoted It's columns solely to those things which
 those who make 1t conceive to be of public interest
 But Delegate wickeTsham made some charges last night
 chat feel warrant me in asking for the indulgence of
 Empire readers for the personal of few inches of
 space.
 am taliy aware that the cause for the abuse and
 epithets that the Delegate hurled at The Empire and
 ,s editor for two hours last night that The Empire
 had disagreed gith his position some matters and has said so. ane therefore not concerned about them The Empire has been in existence for more than two years and under the sole control of its present management for more than year. and its editor has
 lived in Juneau for more than years. and in Alaska for more than eleven years. What even the Delegate from Alaska says about them cannot add to or take away from what they have done or not done in that time nor deprive Empire readers of the privilege of judging for themselves.
 When Delegate wicSersham by implication at least charged that The Empire its editor are supported by the sheries interests he deliberately attempted to convey an impression that is false The sole support that The Empire has ever received from the fisheries interes,s- or any one connected with them is few subscriptions for the newspaper at the regular rate An examination of che subscription books last night dis closed that Robert Forbes Philip Funcke. c. j. Alex ander Ed Sims. J. IT. Barron and Robert Bell have The Empire mailed 60 them There may be two or three other subscriptions among the cannerymen but it so' they were missed in che search.
 When Delegate wickersham said that the editor Of The Empire is blood brother and political bed fellow" of Dr. F. Lester Jones' he again deliberately bore false witness The sole acquaintance of the editor of The Empire with Dr. Jones is based upon meeting of two or three minutes in his office during which time Dr. Jones assaned the fisheries interests for law violation but asked chat his oral statement be not printed He asked however. that The Empire secure
 transcript of the stenographic notes of his testimony before the grand jury given that day. and make story from them The foreman of the grand jury of course refused to permit Che suggestion to be followed When Deierate wickersham and Dr. Jones had dis cussou before Congressional committee The Empire was among the first papers in Alaska take the Dele gates side of the controversy over the question of wheth or the Territory or the Department of Commerce should have control over the furbearng animal farming in- dustry or the North. Further The Empire has been the only Juneau paper which has published Delegate Netherlands recommendations to the President with reference to the fisheries Alaska. and his criticism of Dr. Jones.
 Delegate Wickersbam says that the Editor of The Empire is "reactionary" Democrat The Delegate pro fesses to be supporter of President Wilson The edi tor of The Empire was one Of the organizers Of the preconveuton campaign in Washington State for Wood TOW Wilson The Seattle Times which supported Taft for President said of ,he original meeting of the Wi son forces of the State of Washington that "the Troy family and few other Democrats met at the Butler hotel and organized a Woodrow Wilson State League It enumerated Che ~Troy family" by referring to John w. of Seattle P AI of Olympia and David s. of Port Townsend~ The editor of The Empire was named as secrear, of the Washington State Democratic Central committee when the Wilson secured control of that organization He and The Empire have constantly sup ported the principles and policies of Wilson and Bryan
 Delegate wicsershan said that the editor of The Fnire had never done anything but talk for Terri torial government Alaska while he had secured the pasare of the organic act without any assistance from anybody Delegate wlcSersham has admitted many times that the editor of The Empire Judge Jennings chom he also characterzes as reaetionaryl and 0'n or Democrats of Alaska and Washington had rendered invaluable service to him in securing the support of the Democratic Congress for the measure.
 Delegate wickersham said that The Empire had never done anything but to complain about the organic act since its passage The fact is that The Empire new CT criticised the organic act of Alaska until President Wilson in his first message to the first regular session of Congress Go convene after his inauguration said that the time had arrived for the extension to Alaska of a full Territorial form of government" and thus aroused hope for Improvement. It then. as t ire quently has done since pointed out the limitations in the government which have that make it less than ~Asl Territorial form of government" From that time and for many weeks the editor of The Empire fully expected Delegate Wickersham would introduce bill in Congress repeating the obnoxious limitations that are in the organic act of the Territory and that hope was based upon the Delegates frequently reiterated state mea chat the original bill did not confer as much au thory upon che people of Alaska as he would like to have but that 1t was start in the right direction
 The Empire never criticised the Delegate in com necton with this act in any other connection until after the publication of the platform which he proposed to make she race for Delegate to Congress It then expressed It's disappoinment and the editor of The Empire went to the skagway convention for the purpose Of attempting aid in the work of preparing progressive Democratic platform that would contain demand for the full Territorial form of government ihaf pragiden Wilson had suggested and such other