The Alaska daily empire., 1915-05-24
THE LESSON IT TEACHES

The campaign on the liquor license question that has been waged in many sections Of Alaska has had the effect Of opening the eyes of people to the need for wider measure of setgovernment in Alaska It has shown that the people ot Alaska bound hand and foot in dealing with the liquor traffic as they are bound when dealing with nearly every phase of govern ment by the limitations on their powers contained in the organic act.
 The liquor license law that has been in force in Alaska for sixteen years enacted by Congress and the Territorial organic act provides in specific terms that the people of Alaska cannot change 1t As with most laws that are made the government of others by Congress the Alaska liquor license law is filled with imperteetions It is mist and Is satisfactory to no- body It pretends to be local option law. but it falls short of that For let us assume for argu ments sake. that Juneau Douglas or both of the places should vote ~dry" today Then let us assume that war against blind pigs and kindred evils the struggles of city council and school board to maintain government and schools without adequate revenues and other vexaous problems that always rise when radical changes In governmental systems are adopted should cause reaction Of public sentiment, and that thirty or ninety days from now should desire saloon license in Juneau and would go and secure the sig nature of a majority of the white male and female citizens within two miles" of his proposed place of business asking in good faith that the license be grant ed We would have the license system established again with hardly break.
 In other words the law provides simply thai Q man applying for license sell liquor must secure the good faith consent of majority of tho citizens 2l years of age It does provide for elections at stip ulated periods It does not provide that when town votes dry it shall remain dry any definite length of time In order to keep town dry" in Alaska al
 ,to;,a 5 all of the time Under the law as it is town may vote "dry today and wet" next week
 Further. there has never been an adequate system established for policing Alaska outside the towns In the Fairbanks district on more than one occasion when the whole country was wrought up over suce box rob berries it was stated that the United States marshas office was not supposed to ferret out criminals and had no force for that purpose It was thing when that section was stirred up by the of the blue parka man." It was stated that when grand juries bring in indictments marshals office is authorized to entail expense to warrants for arrest but that it is not authorized incur expenses for preventing crime or running down suspects.
 The Empire has pointed out many times and this license campaign has again emphasized it. that the great question before the people of Alaska is to secure the powers of government Until the people of Alaska get full Territorial form of government" it is as futile to attempt to settle problems of government as would be to attempt to dig Panama canal with scoop shovel or to build Alaska railroad with pick and shovel and hammer and saw. If Alaska is to eSer else the powers of government she must have the gov ernmental tools Those who advocating this and that reform should join in demand to get the power to enact the reforms law and to enforce the laws This is one of the lessons taught by the campaign that closes in the First Division today.