The Alaska daily empire., 1916-11-01
DEMOCRATS HAVE GOOD RALLY ON
 DOUGLAS ISLAND

DOUGLAS. Nov. l.-There Was -, large crowd at the Democratic rally
 held in the Lyric Theatre here last night, the Islanders apparently hav- ing lost interest in politics since, as one man was heard to say, everybody had decided to vote the Democratic ticket and considered the campaign a closed incident.
 Monte Snow acted in the capacity Of chairman and the first speaker introduced was United States Com missioner John B. Marshall of Ju- neau. who made a very logical talk on National and Territorial issues, speaking for about fifteen minutes.
 Nels Anderson of Treadwell, can. didate for the lower house of the Territorial Legislature, enuncited the platform on which ne stands and on which he asks the support, not only Iof Democrats but of the laboring classes regardless of party. He de- clared in favor of the eight hour law, lespecially for underground workers paid a glowing tribute to the first legislature for having passed the Woman Suffrage clause. favored law practicing the community prop erty rights Of wives and went at llength into the greatest. of Alaska's
 industries. that of fish He fayors tax on the cannery packs commen- surate with the profits derived and would have more hatcheries operat- ed to perpetuate the stock of fish which the present system of traps and other wanton and destructive means are rapidly depicting. Mir. anderson is clearly tavorite with the voters of the Island.
 Messrs. Bayless, Connors and Cas-. ey. the other Democratic candidates for the Territorial House were all present and all made short talks, leaving excellent impressions on their hearers.
 Senator J. NJ. Tanner oI Skagway, candidate for reelection, spoke for fifty minutes and gave a splendid accounting of his stewardship as a member of the previous legislatures. He launched into the fisheries Ques- ,ion and not only clearly defined his position on the question, but all so that of his opponent, Mir. Heck man. who is not only an extensive fish packer himself. but who is al lied with the Alaska Packers Asso- ciation as agent and right bower
 Senator Tanner gave his hearers a clearer insight of the forestry Ques- tion than they had previously had, and apolcgised for having, at one time supported the present Delegate even though the latter was then posing as an independent On the whole the speaker made a straight forward address which left no doubt in the minds of those present just where he stands and just what may be expected of him in the event of his election
 At the conclusion of Senator Tan ner's address, the chairman chanced ] to see Col. W. P. Richardson. presi- 1 dent of the Alaska Board of Road | Commissioners, in the audience and | called upon him to come forward | to the platform. The Colonel reluc- | tantly compiled and was given the most enthusiastic reception of the | evening.
 Col Richardson is not an orator, but he is a mighty pointed speaker. ] He explained that the army es- chews politics but that he consented to speak only in defense of the army | and of himself. both of whom would | have been abused and vilified by Delegate Wickersham. The speaker told of the long.standing bitterness entertained by the Delegate for the Road Commission and for its presi- dent personally-to of how the Delegate had endeavored to discred- it the speaker at Washington by un- derhand methods and of how he had slandered him in speeches de- liyered in Alaska, how the commis- sion had been handicapped owing to the attitude of the Delegate and clearly showed how great advantage would accrue to Alaska by having a Delegate in Congress who wuold work hand in hand with the road commission.
 The greatest outburst of applause during the evening occurred when Col. Richardson announced that he had a telegram in his pocket from the War Department endorsing his request for S5OO,OOO for roads and approving the project to construct bridge over Gastineau Channel between Douglas and Juneau. which construction he ventured to assert, will begin next spring. There were