The Alaska daily empire., 1918-04-15
coy. STRONG
 WANTED MACHINE
 TO ENDORSE HIM
He Offered to Work with the Organization and Then Resign Place
 Within Year.

There has been a lot of fine talk about the bravery" of Gov. J. F. A. Strong for standing erect and fighting the Democratic machine" and sac rificing his political career thereby.
 This is simply another masquar- ade costume. Let the facts expose it.
 When it became apparent that there was opposition to the reap pointment of Gov. Strong, opposition originating among the rank and file of the Democratic party in Alaska which those who had been chosen tC represent that party in the organi zation felt that they could not longer resist, Gov Strong sent word to the organization that if his reappoint ment were opposed he would destroy the party in Alaska. "I will show them that I can tear down as much of the party as any one man." he declared. But this threat only made more determined the opposition, be cause it but illustrated the "person al' nature of his conception of his official and party position.
 Then what did Gov. Strong do?
 He tried to make peace with the organization. He sent word to the men who constituted the Democratic organization that he was becoming tired of being Governor of Alaska if tho 1pQ6nrS would endorse him for reappointmenl he would work with the Organiza ton and would resign within less than a year from the date of his re appointment" He said, further, that his choice for successor would be Judge Jennings. THIS WAS AZ TER JUDGE JENNINGS HAD DI RECTED THAT THE CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION IN THE DELEGATE SHIP CONTEST SHOULD BE IS SUED TO CHARLES A. SULZER.
 Let it be said to the credit of National Committeeman T. J. Dono hoe and the others of the Democrat ic organization that they decided they could not agree to the recon mendation of a man for high office "who had only a promise to resign within less than year to commend him." We want to recommend a man whom we do not want to re sign, said Mir. Donohoe and the oth CTS.
 At this time, it is also fair tc say, the Democratic organization did not believe that it would be strong enough to encompass the defeat o1 Gov. Strong for reappointment. While it was believed that he was a for eigner, masquerading as an Ameri can, it was believed the facts were probably so well covered that Il would be impossible to produce tht truth. However, so thoroughly i'm pressed were the National Commit teeman and the majority of the Ter ritorial Central Committee of tho fact that Gov Strong had completely failed to measure up to the standart of efficiency and courage and capac ity to lead that should be that of th' Governor of the Territory, and SC completely convinced were they tha he was hopelessly under the power O Wickersham and utterly unfit for th' position, that it was agreed tha they could not in conscience rec ommend him for reappointment. The! expected that he would be reappoint ed in spite of them, but they felt tha it were better to lose battle fight ing for the good of Alaska than t seem to win one in an unjustifiabl' compromise.
 The organization stood faithful! by principle and the people Of Al aska rather than to surrender t' expediency.