The Seward gateway., 1917-01-13
THE PROHIBITION QUESTION IN ALASKA
(Juneau Empire)

Delegate WickerShamS answer to the vote ol Ile 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, fisher ies uuestions questions of taxation and all other matters could be settled by the people, would be lar more SaIS factory than the tranSferenca of SetgOVeeht to the IIitory Decemeal It would make 1t so that the people could regulate all the matters requiring regulation III such manner as to make legislation harmonious and CO., operative There are many things involved m the Set tenent of any of these questions, winch Ogac ac limitations have kept out of the hands ot the people o Alaska that power to act over all oL them IS heeoeo Ill order properly to act on any one Ot them.
 For instance, questions of and taxation and governmental police powers and consequently, questions of schools and roads and other matter which are effect ed by revenue and taxation problems, are involved m the wet and dry question: All the activities and functions oI government are so closely affiliated by sort ot dove taing process that all are involved to greater or less extent in any one of them Properly to regulate all these matters and to make the regulations equitable would re Oure all the powers of local Setgoyernnent that people of the States exercise and that those o other Territories have exercised.
 It would be lot better for the people ot Alaska to preDare and enforce prohibition law than to have the  against too much Federal government and not enough Territorial government in Alaska. If the Federal gov ernmcnt should pass prohibition law and provide the machinery to enforce it. it would mean another Federal body interfering in local matters. would make matters worse rather than better.
 This illustrates why The Empire believed that the r-~l-I.I.,--- r.~~.Iv.. 'oV early 1t illustrates why The Empire believed that the people should have been granted the power to control olSl matters before any perpeXing problems were enforced t. the front. The Empire has always favored Territorial control of the liquor question well as all other local questions It has only desired that people pro- reed about it in logical and orderly manner 1t 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- on 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. uuor proposition if they had it. It generally conceded that the election was 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 &d mtted that there only of two ways proceed The one way would be for Congress to pass prohibition law and provide for the 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 believes that should come in an full Territorial form of government bill so that all the legislation with reference this subject and the legsa ton that would be required because of the collateral eff fleets of such legislation other matters might be har moniouS.