THE 1925 LEGISLATURE
Continued from paste Three
this vacation, but it should be a case
of “once is once too much.” It might
be all right for Fairbanks but it is
tough on the Legislature.
WM. A. SHERMAN—Bill also had
a pleasant time and wasn’t so busy
otherwise but that he could occasion
ally introduce a bill that was given
him, second a motion and even move
to adjourn. And at all times he re
mained placid, was good-natured, and
never kicked on orders. As a good
Democrat he worshipped Joe, and felt
rather complimented that he was re
lieved of figuring things out for him
self. He appreciated the outing and
undoubtedlv would like to return for
another session, if the Third division
would again be content with a partial
delegation.
R. N. SUNDQUIST—'The youngest
man in the House gave much eftoit
to learning the ways of Legislator
and to analyzing the measures up for
consideration. His efforts to do the
right thing at the right time were
more than reasonably successful. Al
ways alert to help along needed leg
islation for his division, Dick wi.
usually keen in shying off from meas
ures that would tend to annul the pro
gressive bills now on our statute
books and to give political tricksters
a throttle hold on Territorial affairs.
HARRY WATSON — Ruskin has
said that “All people are more or less
transparent, though few be genuine.”
And it can scarcely be said that Harry
is one of the latter class. Harry ap
peared to want to do the right thing
in Legislative matters, usually sought
information and apparently gave con
scientious thought to important meas
ures, but almost invariably voted with
the political junkers. As an employe
of the Interior Department, in con
nection with the Alaska Railroad, he
was even prevailed upon to criticize
a former Attorney General and our
present Delegate to Congress, because
it might tend to make a little political
capital for the enemies of the voters
who elected Harry. The thing that
matters is what a man really is, and
from a perusal of Harry’s Legislative
record it may readily be seen that he
IS NOT. But he is just as Independ
ent as Little Bobby proudly boasts
he is.
CHAS. H. WILCOX—A Democratic
Speaker in a Republican House, byr
the grace of Joe’s combination, the
session didn’t last long erough for
Charley to make an ordinarily good
presiding officer. When he was mak
ing unparliamentary rulings or hurl
ing a few sarcastic asides at a mem
ber he should have been studying the
rules. But then the combination
could readily forgive that, for the
Speaker was a faithful voter and
didn’t he himself introduce the vicious
measure that would abolish the pri
maries and throw nominations to the
old and discredited system of proxy
conventions. As a newspaper man
some progressive ideas were expected
from Charley, but he was possibly
the most reactionary figure in the en
tire Legislature. His head was turned
by contact with the Head Executioner
and the prominence given him by the
Organ. But then Charley wrote his
own political obituary.
THE BASTARD BILL;
H. R. NUMBER ,78
The bill is above named because it
sneaked into the House of Represen
tatives and was assigned number 78,
but while it carried the name of
George Moody, of Fairbanks, he dis
owned it.
The bill is otherwise known as the
“Rotating Ballot Bill,” and designat
ed by the Juneau Empire as being
one of the measures designed to
“purify the ballot.”
It was a most difficult bill to un
derstand. Representative Jensen
of Nome declared on the floor of the
House that it would take a “Phila
delphia lawyer” to explain the bill.
Mr. Moody, until then the legitimate
father of the bill, rose to his feet
and declared that the bill was a good
bill, but later said he could not give
Mr. Jensen the explanation asked for
because the bill was not his any
way.
Representative William L. Paul
then addressed the Speaker, and said
that he of course supposed that the
father of the bill was Mr. Moody
since it carried his name, but since
he had disclaimed it, he thought the
House had the right to ask Mr.
Moody who was the father.
Mr. Moody then replied, “The bill
was handed to me, and I consider
that this is a personal matter, and
I do not care to answer your ques
tion.”
The bill was “born in the woods,”
without a known father, and this be
ing so, the House of Representatives
refused to mother the bill and de
feated it by the vote of 8 to 8. So
the bill, No. 78, became not only
fatherless but motherless.
It is thought that the idea, “Ro
tating,” came to Mr. Moody shortly
after he began buying it by the
case because it was so much cheaper
that way. No more of that, how
ever, for we have heard that the
boss of the family is a strong work
er in the Fairbanks W. C. T. U. and
so George will have to be satisfied
with nothing stronger than water.
Subscribe Now for the Alaskan
Fisherman.
MARQUAM’S TRAINED
SEALS
When Tom Marquam came to
Juneau to exhibit his three trained
seals, Harry, George and Bobby, the
seals were there ahead of him, Tom
having checked them through before
his own departure from Fairbanks.
During the first days of the session
the seals were the most woe-begone
and disconsolate little fellows ever
seen at Juneau. They could not per
form one little stunt until the arrival
of their trainer. With Tom’s arrival
a complete change in demeanor took
place, and the little fellows at once
became animated and would perform
any little trick that was suggested
to their trainer. It was a marvelous
sight to Juneau spectators to see the
little fellows in action on the floor of
the House with their trainer in the
audience. They recognized no voice
except that of their master, and the
select social set of Juneau really im
posed on Marquam in their insistence
that the seals should keep up a con
tinuous performance. Some of the
stunts Marquam made them try at the
request of Troy, Bone, et al, were
very difficult ones, but they seemed
very willing to try, even though it
distorted them mentally and physi
cally. They were fed regularly at the
mansion and with the elite of Juneau
as a reward for their performances,
very much as the trained seals of the
circus are rewarded with fish after
each performance.
It seemed at times as if George and
Harry were jealous of the attention
shown to Bobby, the short flippered
one of the trio, but he was the cutest
of them all.
The matrons of the high social set
of Juneau besieged Marquam all
through the session with invitations
to dinners and social functions in or
der that he might bring Bobby along
for their entertainment. This was the
cause of the jealousy of Harry and
George, who could not seem to com
prehend the reason for this favorit
ism, and attributed it to Toms’ affec
tion for Bobby. The reason was that
they were long flippered fellows and
too clumsy for the requirements of
etiquette. The devotion of Bobby to
his master was the subject of con
versation at all social functions they
attended. All three seals seemed lost
and incapable of action if Marquam
was out of sight for a minute, but
Bobby at such time^ wore a mournful
expression that aroused the pity of
all beholders.
The attachment of seals to their
masters has become symbolic of all
that can be expressed in animal devo
tion. It is doubtful if its intenseness
is equaled in any human relations un
less it might be in Isadore Goldstein’s
love for halibut fishermen.