The Alaska daily empire., 1916-09-27
iiWICK" NOT
 ENTITLED TO
 ALL CREDIT
Private Parties Helped on
 Organic Act.
MADE HIM CHANGE BILL
Wanted Less Home Rule Than in
 MakeShift Bill.

The history or the light Tor the passage of Delegate James Wicker sham's organic act discloses that he is not entitled to sole credit for se- curing that measure-and it also shows that the bill was greatly im- proved by the Delegate in order to get Democratic support that was needed for 1t.
 Delegate Wickersham's Territorial government bill which he introduced in the 61st Congress provided for the merest shadow Of selfgovernment. It provided that nc act of the Leg islature should nave force and effect until it had first been approved by Congress. and contained other limi- tations that were later removed un- der pressure and many that he prom ised to remove but did not It also provided for giving the Indians of Alaska the franchise.
 Seeks Democratic Aid
 The elections Of 1910 went strongly to the Democrats and that party took over the control of the House of Representatives in the 62nd Con- gross. Democrats in Alaska had attacked the milk-and-watcr organic act that had been introduced in the 61st Congress by Delegate Wicker sham. R. F. Roth. now United States District Attorney al Fairbanks, and Delegate Wickcrsham had a joint debate over the merits of the meas. ure at Fairbanks, and the consensus of opinion was that Roth pretty thoroughly riddlei the bill
 When Delegate Wickersham start ed to make his line up for the fight for his Alaska Territorial govern ment bin for the 62nd Congress. he sought the aid of Alaska and Seat tie Democrats in order to reach the Democratic organization in Congress. He appealed to the writer to get them together and 10 back him up. Those approached went over his bill carefully, and decided that lt was not acceptable Special objection was made to the clause which required the approval of Congress before a legislative act would be effective. and to that which conferred the franchise on the Indians. Many of the limitations that are still in the bill were objected to also.
 Changed Under Protest
 Delegate Wickersham was very re- mctant to change his bill, but fi- nally, when he discovered that only by changing 1t could he get Demo cratic support, he exclaimed: "Yes, rll change 1t. I'll humiliate myself ru let the people think that Roth is the great lawyer of Alaska. I'll | do anything to get Democratic sup port. because l must have it." Promises Never to Run For Dele
 gate Again
 So anxious was Delegate Wicker sham to get Democratic support for his measure that he said time after time and to more than one Demo crat that if the Democrats would help him get his bill through Con gress he would not run for Delegate 10 Congress. but he would stump the Territory for the Democratic nom lnee.
 Democrats Go to Washington
 The Democrats did not try to hold the Delegate to this promise to get his friends to aid the Democrats. They agreed that he would not keep the promise anyway But, with the changes he made in the bill-while ! they were not wholly satisfactory they improved the measure immense ly-A. J. Daly, Democratic National committeeman from Alaska, William Pigott and Charles c. Heifner, of Seattle. both of whom took a lively 1 and broad-minded interest in Alaska, went to Washington and interceded | with the Democratic leaders for the Wickersham Territorial government bill. They secured the cooperation | of Speaker Champ Clark, Chairman | Henry D. Flood of the committee on Territories. Democratic Leader 1 Oscar W. Underwood, and other Democratic leaders for the Wicker sham bill, and with that backing the | bill went through the House of Rep | resentatiyes. Frequently Delegate l Wickersham thanked the writer and | other Democrats flor what they had done.
 Only First Step
 The Democrats of Alaska and Seat ! tie referred to accepted the Dele gates Organic Act upon his specific | promise that it would be only a first step toward self-government, and that the other steps would be taken promptly and in regular order They all had full Territorial form of gov ernment in mind when they under took the work in behalf of his meas ure.
 That is a large part of the history | of the passage of this bill. for which Delegate Wickersham takes all the credit.
 These Democrats parted company with the Delegate on this question when he refused to take further step toward self-government.
 Skeptical About Further Promises