The Alaska daily empire., 1919-05-05
''W|CK" WILL NOT TRUST PEOPLE
 TO DECIDE II
Former Delegate Refuses to Submit Claims to Peo- pie Whom He Would
 Represent.

Former Delegate James Wicker sham was in Juneau Saturday night on his way to Valdez to procure | testimony to use in his contest of the election results of 1918, and it was announced while he was here that he had definitely decided not to or ter his name as candidate for cleo ton as ;,elegate to Congf 5ss at the specia election that is to be held June He will rely upon what he regards as chance to contest successfully the election held | last November.
 It is said that Wickersham has de- cided that he stands better chance to win a contested election case than to gain the favor of the Alas kan voters. Since the end of the war hundreds of Alaskans have re turned from the war-men who had entered the services of the country and were willing to offer their lives | in the life and death struggle against German autocracy These men were not in Alaska to vote at the last election, and Judge Wickersham is afraid that so many of them would vote against him, and that he would lose so many of the votes because of the assaults he made against Al askan development during the two months that he held a seat in the 1o oct CnnOrocc that thnrQ iC 1hGO- lutely no chance for him to be elect cd by the people, therefore he will make a fight on technical grounds for the seat in Congress and place on the payroll Not only will he refuse to run again, but he and his political associates are doing all within their power to prevent the Republicans from putting a candi- date in the field against George B Grigsby.
 Circumstances Favor Wick Judge Wickersham has arrived at his decision not to let the people of Alaska decide the question as to whom they want for Delegate, if he can prevent it, notwithstanding that all the advantage in the fact of a short campaign and the liklihood of not reaching some of the outlying precincts with election supplies and notices, is in his favor. He has been a candidate before the people of Alaska in Congressional elections six times, and has only recently com pleted the most thorough campaign of the Territory that any man ever made. For more than four months he toured up and down Alaska s areas, visiting most of the precincts of all four of the Territorial Divis- ions. He is probably the most wide ly known man in the Territory, and is known by many times as many voters as know MT. Grigsby.
 Further than that the remote pre- cincts of the Koyukuk, Fortymile, Chandlar, Kantishna, Bristol Bay and elsewhere where there may not be elections, gave majorities against him in the late elections. The pre- cincts which will hold elections in June gave him a plurality in the November election.
 People Should Decide
 In the election last Fall it is con- ceded that the late Delegate Sulzer received more votes than Judge Wickersham. The latter, however has concluded, upon the advice of Juneau politicians, and, it is said depending upon his ability, as wire puller at Washington, to upset the result of that election and have enough votes thrown out to leave him with a small plurality. Ever if he should win in his efforts ht
 would have to admit that, counted at its best from his standpoint, las
 years election would be practicall!
 a stand-off-a tie. Yet, notwith
 standing the advantage a short cam
 paign would give him, he is unwill
 ing to permit a participation in decision as to whom will be thei
 representative by the returned sol
 diers and war workers-there wil
 probably be from 1,500 to 2.OOo nor voters in Alaska June than ther
 were last November, and all Of then
 are and will be constituents Of tn
 Delegate to Congress.
 Il LABOR PAPER