The Cordova daily times., 1919-02-06
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1913.
DEPl lORABLE POLITICAL PRAC TlCES IN SHORTY STOF-
 FER'S CABIN.
(FrOm New York Sun.

We find with certain sorrow that the machinery of practical politics turns true whatever may be the eth nic atmosphere enveloping it. This discovery is made by reading reports of hearings in the election contest case of Wickersham against Sulzer for the seat of delegate from Alaska in the house of representatives.
 In the Alaska island of Afognak, wkere Gregori Yakanak rules as chief of the Aleut Indians, much enterprise was shown by John Taushivak and Mike Doichok, Aleuts who speak and read English, in the 1916 election of a delegate. Those upon whom they op- erated the machinery of practical pol itics were fellow Aleuts who speak their tribal language only speech which cannot be written and which has but few guttura1 sounds for the expression of even the most passion ato political predilections, yet which
 
 practical purposes.
 Consider, for example, the testi- mony of Anton Dolchok, Aleut, tes- t.fying through an interpreter:
 e. How came you to go to Shorty Stoffer's cabin on the morning of cleo tion? A. The fellows told me to go down there and he would show me how to vote for Wickersham.
 @ You, then, were down at Shorty Stoffer's cabin? A. Yes.
 @. What did Shorty do? A. He showed me how to vote for Wicker sham.
 @. Die he give you anything at the time-I ,ean any coffee and cake? A. Yes; he gave me coffee and cake.
 @. Where did you go after you left the polls A. went back to Shorty Stoffer's cabin, and had some more Coffe' and cake'
 Anton, it will be observed, was repea CT, not at the polling place, but where the coffee and cakes were serve, as incentive and reward for early oting. Gregori Foxy was more explicit in revealing the purposes of the sweet offerings in Shorty Stof- fer's cabin. Gregori testified through Mrs. nnie Christianson, who served as ini rpreter:
 @. What did Mike Dolchok tell you about who to vote for? A. He told me to pr in ballot like he marked.
 @ Did he tell you to vote for Wicliersham? A. Yes.
 @. Did Mike Dolchok go with you to the polls where they were voting? A. Yes; Mike went with me over there.
 @. Did Mike mark your ballot? A. Mike showed me where to vote.
 @. Shorty Stoffer is not a native, is he? A. No; he is white man.
 @. You never had visited Shorty Stoffer's house before elction day, had you? A. No.
 @. Did you on the morning of the election of the seventh of November, 1916, go to Shorty Stoffer's cabin? A. Yes.
 @. Who told you to go up there? A. Mike Dolchok.
 70. What did Mike Dolchok tell you to do? A. He told me I must come up here to the election and vote
 @. Are you native? A. Yes.
 @. What did you do on the morn ing of election when you reached Shorty stoffers cabin. A. I didn't do anything.
 @. Did you have coffee and cake at Shorty Stoffer's cabin? A. Yes.
 70. What did Shorty Stoffer say to you about voting? A. He told me to have some coffee?
 Did the arguments in support ot Afognak's favorite son run low as the procession of sovereign citizens were conducted through Shorty Stoffer'1 estaminet and thence to the pollsf II seems 50 from testimony Of honest