The Alaska daily empire., 1916-10-24


 his argument when he said that the Alaska poll tax had given the road commission a million and a half dol lars. He first stated that three and a half million collars had come for roads from Congress and from the Territorial funds and he added chat the poll tax made it five millions. While on the road question Mir. Wickersham insinuated chat only a few miles Of road had been com struoted Six out of Seward seven out of Anchorage, and so on He evidently forgot the road between Valdez and Fairbanks, the fine roads at Nome, the road from Ruby to Long Creek, tho Panama road and an the rest all over every part of the Territory
 Speech Is Not Liked
 On the whole the speech did not leave a favorable impression.
 He told the same old story about the time they tried to keep him out of the committee room. He has told .it for many years
 He spoke Of Democratic National Committeeman c Donohoe as Thomas Jefferson Donohoe," and he declared that Secretary Lane had not an- swered Mir. Donohoes letter asking about the railroad. He did not say that the assistant secretary had an- swered for Mr. Lane But the Dele gate wept more tears Of sentiment than ever Colonel Dick could when he came to speak about the engin- eering commission. There are some people who think they could build the railroad better than the commis- sion, said he. "Aw so on" said a member Of the audience and the ex- pression seemed to hit off the feel ing Of the crowd.
 soft soap Stunt
 Then he went on 10 tell how Presl- dent Wilson and Secretary Lane had approved of the railroad after Mr. Wickersham and the others had shown them the way. But immed- lately after he tried the soft soap stunt on the two men named. l He tried to prove, indeed that the Republicans had as much to do with the railroad as the administration l or any other old Democrat, and the way he tried to prove this was Go l show that if the Republicans had voted against it the measure would | have been lost. But he admitted that 14S Democrats and only S2 Republ- ] cans voted for the bill He evidently 1 tried to prove his own recently adopted party should be credited and at the same time he tried to cloak his desire by pretending that he only wanted to show the railroad was not partisan.
 Throughout the speech he tried to show that Shackleford and Donohoe were Ion the payroll' and no one cheered because the audience prob ably came to the conclusion that those two had succeeded where he himself had failed He even said that George Grigsby was using the money of some capitalists when ey- cry friend of George Grigsby knows just exactly how much George has got and whose money he is spend ing. George is that kind of a man.
 Filthy Abuse
 He iusinuated that Thane Is look ing for the governorship and he and others are putting up the money Mir. Wickersham seems to be unable 10 understand fellows like George 5rigsby and Tom Donohoe and 1t makes man sick to listen to filthy abuse of men who are as sterling as gold. no matter what politics have to do with it.
 Mir. Wickersham called the Repub- ican convention at Seward a bunch ,f crooked politicians" He said it vas hard for an honest man to have , anything to do with any of them. They are getting paid for it." That s sample of the language used by he Delegate to Congress. It was though, to learn what he bought of the work of that con .ention. He said 1t wanted to nom ! nate him so that "they could get lis friends in."
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 He said Colonel Richardson wasn't F ,orth speaking about and then he n pent half an hour speaking about i'm. At the end of his speech, 1t is glad r 7 admitted. the Delegate was his old elf and spoke of the greatness Of fl laska. He said Seward was the ateway to the greatest naval coal on h he Pacific and that we will have aval station here. That was good1 r he didn't say the same about An- Al iorage. when he was over there here was a time though, when the nd of his speech sounded like the lowing periods of Henry Derr Key fl olds - It must be admitted that the q