The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-10-31

Act of August. 1912, and obtained
 its enactment by Congress. This lis
 the law that gave to Alaska her
 Legislature and her present form bf
 Territorial government. It is sub-
 ject to improvement, but 1t prp-
 vides as large a measure of home
 rule as could be secured at the
 time. It is stepping stone to state
 hood, which we shall attain whh
 increased population.
 1 This Organic Act established
 the capital of the Territory at Ju-
 neau by law, instead of at the will
 or discretion of the Secretary of the
 Interior. The liquor, gambling, di-
 vorce and voters qualification
 clauses of the Organic Act were
 made the subjects of MT. Grigsby's
 satire in his campaign speech here
 recently.
 Contained in Sulzer Bill
 Well, they were copied virtually
 verbatim in the so-called home rule bill, which was subsequently, intro lduced by Delegate Charles A. Sul- ger, Democrat, and which was sup ported by him and John w. Troy, I Democratic leader, before a Con- )gressional committee.
 T am proud of the Organic Act.
 With a Democratic President,
 Democratic Congress and a Demo
 cratic Delegate, 1t stood the test
 of opposition. should like no bet
 ter epitaph than that I am its author.
 ! "Mr. Grigsby found fault with me for introducing the Alaska bone
 dry law in Congress did. A Teirl- torial Legislature by the unanimous
 vote of it's Senate, which contained three Democrats, and with only two opposing votes in it's House author ized the referendum on the issue. Two thirds of the voters of the Territory balloted in favor of put ting it dry January 1, 1918. That was my mandate I had not voted for the dry cause on the referen- dunn, but my duty as a represen- tative of the people was to put their will into effect.
 Oppose Jones Bill T opposed the Jones Bill which is legislation affecting the merchant marine, because it was inimical to Alaska. Briefly, clause of this , bill provides that shipments of goods originating in American ter
 ritory and destined by rail and
 water to American ports must be carried in American bottoms. The effect is that goods transported from the East oyer a Canadian rail- road to Prince Rupert cannot be brought in Canadian vessel to Alaska. If such means of transpor-
 tation over such route could be followed, freight from the East would arrive in Alaska two days sooner and $5 a ton cheaper than it does by way of Seattle in Ameri-
 can vessels.
 MT. Grigsby's Brief l MT. Grigsby said that in oppo-
 sition to the bill he had written a brief which was published in The Empire. found an article which referred to the general terms of the Jones Bill, but there was no reference to the particular clause (which affects Alaska. The Empire in crediting MT. Grigsby with such brief was led into error. That there might be no doubt of my position, cabled Senator Wesley L. Jones of Washington, author of the lbill, asking him if he remembered my attitude when I appeared be- fore his committee at the hearing on the measure"
 Judge Wickersham then read a
 cablegram from Senator Jones, 7 which said:
 l T certainly do remember dis tinctly your position on the Jones a Bill. You did everything you could against it."
 Two Other Criticisms Judge Wickersham alluded to ! criticisms of his opposition to the Beveridge Bill, which proposed a
 legislative commission for Alaska, ] and to the Alexander Bill which contemplated taking from the Ter ritory the right to tax fisheries and
 canneries.
 ! The Beveridge Bill" Judge Wick : ersham said, would have vested the power of legislation in com
 mission of nine to be appointed by the President. It was the anti- thesis of home rule. It was favored ! by President Taft and by Gen. w. ~ P Richardson. was sorry then and am sorry now that I had to T oppose General Richardson, but I could not do otherwise then and (COntinued on paoa Eight