The largest eircnlatlor.
of any newspaper In the
2ml, 3rd, 4th Divisions of
Alaska
The Seward Weekly Gate
way Is the bent 1G-p«8»
Weekly in the Territory
of Ataska
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOLUME XXVII. NUMBER 258.
SEWARD, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1931.
PRICE TEN CENTS
it:***********
Democrats Instruct
Forces from Third
to Vote as a Unit
JIMMY CAMPBELL CHOICE TO SUCCEED DIMOND
IN TERRITORIAL SENATE — REPRESENTA
TIVES BE CHOSEN BY COMMITTEE — PER
FECT HARMONY AND ENTHUSIASM MARKS
NEW SPIRIT OF ALASKA DEMOCRACY—MANY
DELEGATES ATTEND CONVENTION
When the delegates of the Third Divisional Demo
cratic Convention go to the Territorial Convention, to be
held in Fairbanks "January 22, 1932, they will go with a
mandate to vote as a unit for the nomination of Senator
“Tony” Dimond as Delegate to Congress.
j. P. Campbell of Anchorage was chosen to make the
race for Territorial Senator.
The only dissenting vote on the motion to instruct
for Senator Dimond came from himself, and stood 18 to 1.
JAS. S. TRUITT, PRESIDED j
The convention opened on a call j
10 order by C. J. Todd, chairman j
vt the Territorial Divisional Com
* mittee, who read the call tor thej
convention; J. S. Hof man acting
as temporary secretary. He ap
pointed the following a committee
on credentials: Wayne Blue, P. C.
McMullen and A. A. Shon'oeck.
Upon the report of the commit
tee that credentials were in order,
the delegates were ordered seated
and nominations for a temporary,
•hairman and temporary secretary!
called for. Jas. S. Truitt, Anchor- j
age,and J. S. Hofman, Seward, were
> unanimously chosen. On motion;
that a permanent chairman and
secretary be chosen, the selection
of Truitt and Hofman was made
by unanimous vote.
Chairman Truitt named the fol
lowing as a committee on Order
♦ of Business: J. R. Campbell, P. C.
McMullen, C. J. Todd.
The chairman pointed out that
the division was entitled to 15
delegates to the Territorial conven
tion, to be held in Fairbanks Jan
aary 22, 1932, when nominations
for Delegate to Congress and dele
gate to the National Democratic
Convention will be made and the
* Territorial platform drawn.
HARMONY PREVAILED
Throughout the entire proceed-1
mgs, the convention was marked
by a total absence of the merest
semblance of friction, although
there was much debate on many
important questions, with each
question decided by topheavy ma
jorities.
The most extended debate was on
a motion by Delegate Joe Hofman
of Seward on the mode to the em
ployed in selecting candidates to
fill the four offices of Representa
* lives in the lower House and one
Senator, to succeed Senator Di
mond, whose term expired with the
last session of the Legislature.
This motion, as finally accepted,
provides for the precinct commit
tee of each town to act as a com
mittee of selection of candidates for
Representatives, and where they
^ are unable to supply a candidate,
the district? committee of seven
shall fill the place on the ticket by
their own selection.
DIVISIONAL COMMITTEES
These divisional committees as
they now stand are as follows:
Seward —J. S. Hofman. E. L
Sweek.
Anchorage — H. H. McCutcheon
J. P. Campbell, A. A. Shonbeck. Jas.
S. Truitt.
Valdez—C. J. Todd, Senator Di
mond.
Cordova—M. E. S. Brunnelle, Fred
Long, W. A. Taylor.
Latouche—James Cusick.
Kodiak—John F. Coffey.
Talkeetna—H. L. Smith.
Tlie following committee was
named by Chairman Truitt to se
lect the Divisional committee oi
seven: A. A. Shonbeck, H. H. Mc
Cutcheon, A. J. Dimond and C. J
Todd- The committee reported bacl<
as follows:
Precinct Committees—P. C. Mc
Mullen, Seward; A. A. Shonbeck
H. F. Morton, Anchorage; C. J. Todd
Valdez; W. E. Tibhs Chitina; M. E
S. Brunnelle, Cordova; John Cof
fey, Kodiak.
REPEAL BONE DRY LAW
The spirit of the convention was
displayed in the debate on the mo
tions to instruct the delegation for
Dimond for Delegate to Congress
and on a resolution calling for the
repeal of the Alaska Bone Dry Law
Several delegates were apprehen
sive that such action would react to
the detriment of the Democratic
party, but a vote of 16 to 3 car
ried the resolution, under a de
mand for opponents of the action
that it was time for men of prin
ciples and courage to speak out
and make their positions known.
PLATFORM SUGGESTIONS
The platform stressed the need
for change in the system of road
building in the Territory, whereby
a greater measure of home rule
would be given; Territorial admin
istration of fisheries and furs; di
vision of receipts from sealing on
the Pribilofs; consolidation of Fed
eral bureaus; coal bunkers at Sew
ard or Anchorage; greater discrim
ination by bureaus in purchasing
. Alaska coal; equitable taxation; I
j repeal of the primary law; correc-;
' tion of abuses of probate law.
DIMOND FOR DELEGATE
i On motion of C. J. Todd of Val
; dez the delegates to the Territor
; ial Convention from the Third Di
vision were instructed to work and
I vote for Mr. A. J Dimond as Dele
igate to Congress.
CAMPBELL FOR SENATOR
Under nominations for Senator
from the Third Division, the names
of Jas. H. Patterson, Valdez; J. P.
I Campbell, Anchorage, and P. C.
j McMullen, Seward, were offered.
(Mr. McMullen declined, leaving
I Patterson and Campbell in the
j race. In supporting Patterson,
i Todd explained that his candidate
! had enjoyed previous experience in
! the Legislature as a member of the
| House, but had steadfastly refused
to make the race for Senator or
any other office. His object in
pressing the name was to secure a
more equal division of the candi
dates with respect to geographical
boundaries; that Anchorage al
ready possessed one Senator.
Supporters of Campbell were
equally firm in their advocacy,
pointing out the strength he would
bring to Dimond’s candidacy for
Delegate to Congress.
DELEGATIONS SOLID
i The debate found the Seward
and Anchorage delegations solidly
behind “Jimmy” Campbell. It was
pointed out by Delegate Shonbeck,
Dimond and others that one of the
most discouraging experiences of
j the party was get men to come
out for office and stand flat-foot
ed upon a platform of principles,
and that now was the time for men
to show their loyalty by responding
to the call of the party for the best
pen in the Territory.
Shonbeck: “We know that Jimmy
Campbell will run, and we are not
so certain regarding Patterson.”
Todd: “I believe it is the spirit
of the convention that honors
should be divided.”
Hofman: “Mr. Campbell will bring
great strength to Mr. Dimond and
| is willing to make a fight for the
office.”
•; Lindsay: “Campbell has signified
he will run. If he goes to the Sen
j ate, we will know that he is on the
| job.”
On vote, Campbell received 19 to
11 for Patterson. On motion of
Todd, the nomination was made
unanimous.
FULL REPRESENTATION
Delegates present at the conven
tion were as follows:
Seward—Wayne Blue, H. Hcnrik
son, P. C. McMullen, J. S. Hofman,
Capt. Heinie Berger, Aaron Ericson.
Anchorage—A. A. Shonbeck, J. R.
Campbell, J. R. Sherwood, Jack
Lindsay, Jas. S. Truitt, Bob Albrit
ton, Everett McPhee, H. H. McCut
cheon, Jack Courtney, Frank Lang,
George Johnson.
Valdez—C. J. Todd, Senator Tony
Dimond. iMr. Todd also carried
proxies from Cordova and Valdez.
A resolution of thanks to H. V.
Hoben was unanimously passed at
Tuesday’s Democratic Divisional
Convention in appreciation of the
use of the Arcade clubrooms to the
delegates.
The Democratic Divisional Con
vention unanimously passed a mo
tion extending “Merry Christmas
to George Phelps, long a resident
of Seward and one of the staunch
“wheel-horses” of the Territory
DEMOCRATIC HARMONY
Rising like a phoenix from the ashes of disunity and
lethargy, the Democratic party will enter the lists in the
forthcoming Territorial elections prepared to present a
solid front and to contest every step of the battle.
This was indicated by the spirit and harmony dis
played Tuesday evening when the delegates to the Third
Divisional Convention got down to business and selected
its standard bearers for next November.
Encouraged by the success of the party nationally,
and envisioning the opportunity presenting itself, what
was the mere remnant of an organization, emerged from
the convention filled with enthusiasm and determination
to win.
That the party will gain additional strength was dis
played by the indicated determination of the loyal stal
warts to hand-pick its candidates and throw full party
resources behind them, thus insuring the bringing out of
men who will appeal to the voters, both thru their indi
viduality, platform harmonizing with Territorial aspira
tions and the tenets of the party nationally.
No one may say that the doors are not thrown wide
open and that every man who cares to step out into the
open and declare his adherence to the principles of the
party will have an opportunity to do so. This wTas shown
by the manner in which candidates are to be selected for
the Territorial House. The convention refused to adopt
a slate, but rather delegates the responsibility of bringing
out the strongest men in each precinct to the precinct
committeemen whose duties it will be, not only to secure
strong candidates, but to offer the added inducement of
party solidarity rather than individual effort in gaining
success.
Among rne Keynotes sounctea at tne convention was
the demanding that candidates for Territorial honors ar
ray themselves under party standards and rise or fall
with the party. It was pointed out that little, if any, pro
gress had been made under the old method of obscurity
of party alignment and that the time had arrived when,
if the Democrats desired to merit the confidence of the
voters, the party should keep its banner flying at the mast
head where all could see.
It is believed Senator Dimond will have no difficulty
in securing the Territorial endorsation at the Fairbanks
convention in January. He has been saved by the party
as its most logical contender against Judge Wickersham,
only awaiting the propitous moment to guarantee his suc
cess as Wickersham’s successor at Washington.
In choosing J. P. Campbell as Dimond's successor in
the Territorial Senate, the party feels that it has further
cemented his chances through the strength Campbell may
I bring via his fighting popularity and intense party loy
; alty.
Democrats but who has been resid
ing in San Francisco for the past
[few years.
Sine Die.
—
PLATFORM SUGGESTIONS
FIRST: With unlimited apprecia
tion and due respect to the road
building and road work accomplish
ed, and being accomplished, in Al
aska, by the Alaska Road Commis
sion, the Democrats of Anchorage
feel that a much more effective and
efficient manner and way of road
construction and road maintenance
in Alaska can be accomplished by
a division of authority in building
and maintaining roads in Alaska,
that is to say, that the Alaska Road
Commission, which is a Federal
commission, and the Territorial
Board of Highways in Alaska,
which is a strictly Territorial board,
be by an Act of the Territorial Leg
islature seggregated, by a repeal of
the provision of Chapter II, Ses
sion Laws of Alaska of 1919, and a
memorial to the Congress of the
United States to amend the Act of
Congress of May 4, 1906, to the end
that the proceeds of the Alaska
funds available by Territorial ap
propriation for road building and
road maintenance shall be collect
ed by and through the officers and
offices of the Territory as the road
fund to be used and expended by
the Highway Board in the construc
tion and maintenance of roads,
trails and highways in the Terri
tory. That all Territorial road work
done by the Territorial Highway
Board shall be done upon contract
to be let to the lowest and best
responsible bidder, and no con
tracts let to other than Alaskans
and all labor performed under said
contract by bona fide Alaskans.
SECOND: International Highway.
Inat the Democrats and all other
Alaskans should put forth their best
efforts to speed the construction of
the International Highway con
necting Fairbanks and other Alas
kan towns with the States as un
questionably the benefits to be de
rived from such highway are in
calculable.
THIRD: Full Territorial govern
ment for Alaska with complete con
trol over its game, fur, fisheries
and other natural resources.
FOURTH: That the Democratic
platform of Alaska call on the Con
gress of the United States for the
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