The Seward gateway., 1917-01-11
TIE PROHIBITION QUESTION IN ALASKA
(Juneau Empire)

Delegate WickelSham'S answer to the vote ot the people of Alaska the prohibition question should be an earnest effort to secure for the Alaska Legislature the power to pass the necessary legislation to give expression to the popular will This could best be secured by the passage of full Territorial form of government meas ure So that school questions municipal questions, Shel- es questions questions of taxation and all other matters could be settled by the people, would be far more SatiS factory than the tranSference of SefgOyeent to the llitory 9ecemeal It would make that the people could regulate all the matters requiring regulation III such manner as to make legislation harmonious and CO., operative There are so many things involved III the set cleent of any one of these questions which ogamc act
 limitations have kept out of the hands of the people ot Alaska that power to act all of them IS needed m order properly to act on any one ot then
 For instance questions of revenue and taxation and governmental police powers and consequently, questions of schools and roads and other matters, which are effect ed by revenue and taxation problems are involved in the wet and dry question: All the activities and functions o government are so closely affiliated by sort of dove taiing process that all are involved greater or less extent in any one of them Properly to regulate all these matters and to make the regulations equitable would Ie- Quire all the powers of local SefgOyement that people of the States exercise and that those of other Territories have exercised
 It would be a lot better for the people of Alaska to prepare and enforce prohibition law than to have the Federal government do We are already cryng aloud against too much Federal government and not enough Territorial government in Alaska. If the Federal gov ernment should pass prohibition law and provide the machinery to enforce it. it would mean another Federal body interfering in local matters It would make matters worse rather than better
 Ths illustrates why The Empire believed that the prohibition question thrust into local matters too early It illustrates why The Empire believed that the people should have been granted the power to control local matters before any pepeXing problems were enforced tC the front The Empire has always favored Territorial control of the liquor question we'll as all other local questions It has only desired that people pro- teed about in logical and orderly manner It has urged that the power to act be secured before taking up the manner of action.
 However the fact that the people voted on the QueS- tiOn of prohibition first has not changed the situation eX cept to indicate the manner in which the people of the Territory would likely exercise power to control the h. Quor proposition if they had it. 1t is generally conceded that the election but straw ballot indicative of the conditions of public opinion It is also generally conceded that the Territorial Legislature has power to give force and effect to the expression of the popular will It is ad mitted that there is only of two ways proceed The one way would be for Congress pass prohibition law and provide for the manner of its enforcement and the other would be able to give the people of the Territory power to act The Empire favOrS the latter course and for the reasons stated 1t believes that should in full Territorial form of government bill that all the legislation with reference to this subject and the egisa ton that would be required because of the collateral eff fleets of such legislation other matters might be har