The Cordova daily times., 1920-02-24
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY "A, 1920
POLITICS AND THE FUTURE

Nothing could have brought home
 to the average American and Alaskan more forcefully the importance of ex- ercising the rights and privileges of citizenship than did the war Boiling and bubbling underneath the serenity of the national existence was a sea of radicalism and disloyalty, and the only reason that such a state of affairs could exist was because of the disin- terestedness of the American citizen in the management of the government, the disregard of issues and the men being placed in power.
 For years in Alaska, ever since the law first moved north of 53, there has been criticism of public officials; much bitter and severe fault-inding at times. There have been and are charges of gang rule and inner circle politics, sometimes justifably and other times without reason And that state of affairs probably will continue for many years to come, but there is now presented an opportunity to change a condition that has always existed in the North, for the selection of officers to enforce the law and ad- minister the affairs of the territory I0 Yrfy 1o0 1vy in, people. Through the enactment of the primary law and by placing the national committeeman of the parties in the status of elective officers, the legislature gave to the people indi- reetly the choice of the administra- tive and judicial officials of Alaska.
 It is a matter of common knowledge and fact that the national commit teeman of any state or territory prac- tically has the naming of all federal appointees, or that his recommends tions go far with the party in power. The national committeeman was by the party convention in the territory, which was made up usually of delegates the greater part of whom were professional politicians, men who had sufficient interest to attend the conventions. It therefore was in the hands of few to name the national committeeman, who in turn named the federal appointees.
 This order has now changed. h. stead of being responsible to the few who placed him in power and in a position where he could care little for the rank and file of the party and the good of the country in general, the national committeeman who is now to be chosen by the voters them selves must answer to them. For the first time in the history of Alaska national committeeman, or prospec- tive national committeeman, are prom ising publicly, openly, what they in- tend to do if elected, and those prom ises sound we'll. They are that the committeeman will recommend for ap- pointment to office whoever the rank and file select in the particular sec tion for which the appointment is to be made.
 J. c. Mcbride, known all over South eastern Alaska and parts to the north ward as Jack" Mcbride, has filed his candidacy for national committeeman of the Republican party. He comes out with the announcement that the party shall rule in appointments, and not the national committeeman, if he is chosen and if the Republicans are victorious in the national election.
 For twenty years or more he has been a prominent business man of the territory. Sourdough that he is, he has worked long years to build up Alaska, and after his life of square and conscientious dealing, he is strong at home and abroad, holding the con- tdence and respect of his neighbors, friends and business associates, and even his opponents. None of them but will say that if Jack Mcbride says he'll do thing he will do it. And this being the case, his announcement of intention to serve and not domineer