THE ALASKA FISHERMAN
Published the 15th of each month at Petersburg.
Alaska, by A. N. B. Publishing Co.
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Louis F. Paul - Editor and Manager
Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office
at Petersburg, Alaska.
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OUR PLATFORM
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ALASKA FOR ALASKANS.
FULL TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT.
COMPETENT CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP.
ABOLISHMENT OF ALL TRAPS.
EVADING THE SFIRIT OF THE LAW
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By devious ways and subterfuge, oft times the
law is evaded and violated—at times ignorantly
and unintentionally and at other times deliber
ately and with malice aforethought. We ma*so
specific mention of the recent conference of the
‘ First Division Campaign Club” and the Terri
torial Democratic Convention. The “First Division
Campaign Club” is composed of, men mere or less
branded as Republicans. The purpose of changing
from First Division Republican Club to First
Division Campaign Club is not yet apparent to
1he average voter but it is none the less clear to
students of territorial politics.
The Territorial Democratic Convention and
the First Division Campaign Club endorsed sev
eral candidates—thereby giving them either a
distinct lead over other candidates or a severe
handicap—which ever way you may wish to look
at it. The purpose of the conventions under the
present primary law is to adopt political plat
forms and to build up a complete and harmonious
political machine—NOT to endorse candidates.
The primary law, written upon the statue books
of Alaska intended that the voters shall choose
candidates of their own without having them
thrust upon them by any gang of political rack
eteers or organization. Else it would have provided
the manner in which political conventions would
endorse the several candidates. The speech of
Senator Dimond at the Democratic Territorial
convention recognized this fact for he declared;
‘It must be remembered, too, that the con
vention, although recognized by law for some
purposed such as the adoption of a platform, is
extra-legal with respect to the nomination of
candidates for office. This convention cannot
nominate candidates in any true sense of the
term.” And then, to cover the illegal action of the
National Committeeman, the Senator undertook
to defend the call of the convention expressly for
the purpose of endorsing candidates. To prevent
the “mis”—understanding through the Territory
that the Democratic convention was violating
tiie spirit and the letter of the law and throwing
the primary system into the discard, the Senator
urging that he be not endorsed for nomination at
the convention.
But he was nominated. He did accept the
nomination. And to cover that nomination and
acceptance he urged that George B. Grigsby and
A. H. Ziegler be invited to file for the same of
fice—LONG AFTER they had both declared their
intention to file.
Going back into the actions of the recent
convention of the “First Division Campaign Club”
we find them doing the same thing. Some were
urged not to permit their names to come before
the convention or to run for office for it was re
cognized that back of the convention was the
dissatisfaction with the law which gives to the
voter the power to use his own discretion as to
who shall and who shall not be nominated.. But,
the “First Division Campaign Club” did nominate
and did endorse a group of candidates—and they
are working not only to elect that group, but
underhandedly they are not supporting other
Territorial candidates on the same ticket. Which
perhaps explains the reason why the organiza
tion was not named as in other Divisions, a “Re
publican Club.”
inis is i\ot The rirst Evasion
The Republicans of the First Division ancl
the Territorial Democrats are not the first to
make effort to evade the primary laws. We quote
from a Seattle daily the following:
“At a meeting of the executive committee of
ihe King County central committee with Chair
man Charles L. Smith at the Frye Hotel, it was
unanimously voted to omit from the forthcoming
county contention call, all reference to endorsing
candidates. The committee members were told
that such a course would be contrary to the spirit
and purpose of the direct primary law—something
evidently ignored two years ago when the surge
toward the old convention nominating spirit had
more force than now.” * * *
We quote the following from a Seattle daily,
submitted by an Alaskan Republican:
“The failure of the primary system to pro
vide the best timber for public offices is admitted
by both the Republicans and the Democrats, the
latter party having selected its candidates by un
official conventions for the past decade.
“The Republican leaders of the territory re
cognize, however, that the Democratic threat will
be more potent this year than in the past, and