The Alaska daily empire., 1919-05-13
THEN AND NOW.

Two wears ago some Aleuts and others disregardeo the Australian ballot law, law designed to protect the sanctity of the ballot and under Judge Jennings decision their votes were counted The result was that few alleged voters most or Whom coulu not read write speak English, were deprNeu o their claimed right of sovereignty in Alaska All apparent Wickersham plurality Of 3l was chahsee to Sulzer plurality of 19 The total vote was over IA 900. Forthwith Wickersham and ms hench men, including renegade Republicans and dlscardei Democrats made indignant protest in the name or an outraged plurality of the Alaskan voters against this disfranchsement." It was admitted that these '.disfranchsed" voters could not read or write or speak English Russian, that they recognized the authority grunting tribal chiefs, that they did not know and their ignorance dense that they could not be told what was the office Of Attor- ney General" or what meant by the terms Sen ator or Representative in the Territorial Legisla- ture fill which positions they voted for men to them unknown undreamed of.
 That was two short years ago Mark the change few months have witnessed! We now have pre- sented to the spectacle of Judge Wickersham s raking the Territory with fine tooth comb for tech nicalities upon which base request to disfran- chise sufficient number of Alasktns, who read write and speak English and who have a broad com prehension of the American Government and what Americanism means to overcome an adverse plurality of 33 votes. He is confessedly trying to make plurality of admitted minority
 And that is not all. There were only $500 votes cast last fall owing the circumstance that some 250O Aaskans then in the service of their country giving their time and risking their lives in the 'war to save their country from the menace oi Iohenzoern absolutism and purpose to rule the world With them were other hundreds of Alaskans engaged in essential work on the outside These men were Americans and Alaskan voters They were deprived of the opportunity to vote on account of absence the Territory in response to the call of patriotism.
 These men coming back Every vessel that arrives at Alaskan port brings its quota Just the other day 150 of them in the uniforms of soldiers their country marched in Juneau parade. recent telegram says hundred more in Seattle seeking to get transportation to Alaska. There is not town settlement in Alaska to which oi them have not returned, and to which others not returning.
 called the regularly elected Delegate to Con gress, and Coy. Riggs acting under the authority of law called special election fill the vacancy This gave Judge Wickersham an opportunity to aban- con his nefarious scheme to wire-pu seat in Congress of minority vote, and to permit these returning patriots have voice in the selection oi the who will represent them in Congress There from 1,5oo to 2,0oo of these men here who did not in November.
 Judge Wckersham has declined the opportunity to which fair play the spirit of Amercanism, common decency, and ordinary honesty suggest a welcome He purposes disranchse these hundreds of country serving AGskars if he get Republican majority in Congress to endorse his scheme grab the priv iege of representing people whether they hin, 
 How hollow and vacant and hypocritical this stua tion makes the mouthings of two years ago! Inn agine. if you can. Aiaska's dead the kindly, fair patriotic Suzer playing the roll that Wickersham has cast for himself. It is unthinkable.
 There is way, and one way only, for Alaskans to thwart this diaboiical scheme rob them of livery in which misrepresent them and that is for every of fair play. every true Alaskan, ever, patriotic American in the Territory to the polls on June and register his protest by voting for George B. Grgsby for Delegate to Congress Let them do that and forever the seal of their disapproval upon and selfish political greed! Let