The Alaska citizen., 1916-10-30
AN OPEN LETTER.


 been delivered by you in Congress and published July 25. 1916, (no doubt free of charge under the unani. | nous consent Of leave to print privi- | lege.) l admit, as campaign docu- ment. in your own behalf. il is a | masterly effort on your part. but as to the truth and veracity of the assertions made therein by you. I have my doubts. Hence, l am writ | ing this open letter to you in the hope that you may enlighten me | on some of the assertions you made In that speech in respect of Bill en- titled to The Full Territorial form 1 of Government for Alaska you intro duced In Congress January {, 1916. l In your speech you claim that the opposing your efforts to secure Full l Territorial form of government for Alaska To say the least. that state ment dumbfounded me. Do you mean to say, and admit, now that your Home Rule Bill for Alaska, proposed. 1 introduced by you and passed by | Congress August 24, 1912. is defec- tive? When did you change your mind? l can recall the time when l your Alaska Home Rule Bill was be- fore Congress as introduced by you and when you sent the Bill, with a l circular letter. to all your constitu- 1 encies and asked them to make 8ug- gestions about it. Some Of us. who believed In Home Rule. und thought | that Alaska was entitled 10 Home Rule. studied the Bin as introduced 1 by you, but came to the conclusion that your Home Rule was no Home Rule at all, BUT A DELUSION AND A SNARE d joker Home Rule Bill, as it were-and so expressed our selves, and pointed out the det- ciencies in your Bill. can recall l distinctly your speech delivered in 1 Fairbanks on October IS. 1911. where you denounced everyone who dis agreed with you as enemies of Al aska, undesirable citizens. ignoram- usses and Guggenheim agents. etc. You made the assertion at that time that your Home Rule Bill, as drawn by you would grant to Alaska as liberal. complete and full Territorial form of Government as Congress ever before extended to any other Terri tory Dc you now admit that in 1911 you yourself were ignorant Of the fact that your Home Rule Bill was not Home Rule Bill al all. BUT SIMPLY A JOKE? Or did you simply fool and bluff your constitu- have done one thing or the other, then. because in the pamphlet above | referred to which you have sent broadcast all over Alaska Gree Of charge,) there Is another Home Rule Bill which you call the Full Ter rtoral Form of Government for Al. aska"
 Besides your own acknowledgment. time has proven to the people of Alaska that at least you either did not know how to draw Home Rule Bill in 1911, did not understand the principles of local self Government. OR YOU THOUGHT THAT YOU COULD BLUFF AND FOOL US FOR EVERMORE. Time has proven to the satisfaction of most people of Alaska that the Alaska Legislature, under your Home Rule, IS not. nor can 1t be, legislative bodH as far as any beneficial legislation is con cerned but only a debating society. or body of petitioners. Time. to- gether with your own action of intro duciug another Home Rule Bill. has proven that your invectives which you hurled upon those who disagreed with you in 1911. like chickens. have come home to rooRt.
 To make distinction between your two Home Rule Bills. allow me to call your first the full Terri torial form of Government; the sec ond the super-full Territorial form of Government Sir, you have intro iuced your super-full Territorial form of Government for Alaska. pub lished 1t in a pamphlet. together with your campaign arguments for re-elec- tion. and sent 1t throughout Alas ka, denouncing the friendly Wilson Democratic Administration as enc mics of Alaska (echo from 19lD and why? Just because someone has disagreed with you In respect to that super-full Territorial Bill of yours. have honestly endeavored to con- pare your two bills. have tried to see wherein your super-full bill is superior to your full bill. have l suoa .o ,.. ,ry n,atorial diYYerance