The Wrangell sentinel., 1951-11-09
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERISCOPE
Any Socialists" on the Roll?
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 With the Democratic Divisional convention set by Territorial sen- ator James Nolan of Wrangeu this week for December I2. in Sit ka. it's a bit amusing to note from Juneau that the so-called Jackson Jefferson club of that eity, promoted by Californian Mike Haas. has decided to call a meet ing 10 work up interest in dele gates 10 the Sitka conclave.
 It wasn't so long ago that Mike, who hasn't been back in the Terri tory long enough. after some four years in California, to establish voting residence, announced that the Juneau JacksOn-Jefferson club wasn't a party organization. but. rather. its membership was open to Socialists Republicans. Demo- crats,r and, in fact, anyone who believes in Jackson Jefferson ideals But now, with the Sitka convention in the offing Mike. with the behind-the-scenes en- couragement. if not outright in structions of Gov. Ernest Gruening. proposes to move in and take over the Democratic convention in Sit ka.
 We doubt if he'll get the sup port of the Republican members of his organization, if any. but he'll probably have the support of those Socialists to whom he left the doors open. Of course, Ernest labeled himself a Republican back in 1916 so he might qualify.
 But to get back to the Sitka convention called by Senator Nol- an, We are reminded of the effort ii get Jim last year. Up and down the First Division went the lefty word, Nolan has sold out to the Republicans. Of course, the fact was and is that Jim was Democrat of the old Bostonian schoil when Ernest was self admitted Republican and the Lord knows what Haas and some of the other Gruening boys were.
 At any rate, the knife was out
  did everything in their power to defeat him. The result of this left-wing propaganda was that Jim boiled a neat AIS votes, the largest vote cast for any legisla- tive candidate in the First Diyi- sion. In fact, it was within some 500 votes of Delegate Bartlett and it makes us pause to wonder if Jim couldn't pick up the other 500-plus if he should happen to compete with i've can't afford-to-break- with-Gruening" Bartlett.
 The Purge Technique
 While the attempted purge of Nolan back-fired giving Jim a handsome vote, there have been, over the years, others more success ful. On the Governors political blacklist since he assumed the throne" in Alaska Il years ago, have been such typical and able Alaskans as Frank Whaley and Bill Munz of the Second Division, Gren Collins of the Third, Jim Davis of the First, Leo Rogge of the Fourth and a score or more of others, not to overlook the late Senator Nor man Walker of Ketlhikan and o. D. Cochrane of Nome. To get on the list, it was only necessary to vote ones own convictions. and particularly against some bill Ern- est was backing
 The technique followed then was to look up the legislative re- cord and determine how the law makers cast their votes. If there was the slightest indication that a mo" vote, no matter how sincere. might have some bearing on wei fare, health or education, the trick was to get out propaganda in the legislators home division labelling the "out-of-line' lawmakers as op- posed to aiding the needy, an en- emy of the unfortunate. who might need health public service, and of ten a downright traitor to educa- tion. As a typical example, Mike Walsh of Nome who served for years on the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska and sent his nine children through that in stitution at his own expense, was labeled "reactionary' and foe of education.
 Incidentally, George sundborg, now the general manager of the Alaska Development Board, was 2 master hand at getting out this sort of political propaganda in the years when he was paid by the Interior Department and did most of his work for the ADS as a "con- sultant."
 As long-range observation with an election coming up rext year. it is natural to assume the same thing Twill be goins on in 1852.
 If you see some candidate vigor- ously attacked by the Gruening forces, it might be a good idea to