THWMAS M, GAFFNEY
(Alaska’s Sir Edward Carson, with apologies to
Thomas Moore the Irish Poet.)
“The Harp that once through labor’s halls,
The cause of labor plead,
Is now as deaf to labor’s call,
As though that cause were dead.
So sleep the pride of former days,
So glory’s thrill is o’er,
And hearts that once beat high for praise,
Now feel that pulse no more.”
“The Harp who love of freedom boasts
Has wandered far away,
And joined the plutocratic hosts,
To get what ’ere he may.
No more along Nome’s golden beach,
Will labor’s woes be told
Nor Federation doctrine preach,
Its standards to uphold.”
“The Harp who once sang loud for Strong,
Now wears the brand of Troy,
Now sings the plutocratic song,
But not in notes of joy,
Farewell and once again farewell,
The Harp of Halcyon days,
The bureaucratic chorus swell,
With autocratic lays.”
Editor’s note:—Sir Edward Carson was one of
the strongest opponents of Home Rule for Ireland.
He represented in parliament what is known in
England as a “rotten borough” or a very small
constituency usually controlled by some lord or
squire, quite similar to Lomen’s control of Nome.
It is reasonable to believe that Gaffney’s change
of heart on the home rule question was brought
about by the Lomen influence to which he owed
his election to the legislature.
-x
THE LAST OF THE TRAINED SEALS
-x
Bobby Sheldon was a somewhat subdued seal
at the last session which he attended. His master
was absent and although he had shipped Bobby
through to his chief lieutenant, whose orders he
implicitly obeyed, Bobby seemed to lack the enter
taining qualities he possessed at the previous ses
sion. The lobbyists for the cannery and transpor
tation interests just dotes on Bobby as he performs
so many cute tricks and acrobatic stunts. The la
dies aid not seem to uuui uif suwu mieiesvw uwn
by that they did at the last session. This lack of
interest in Bobby’s antics on the part of the ladies
seemed to hurt his feelings. One waitress adressed
him as B. S. and his former tank mate Watson,
later holding official position in Juneau, was a
most interesting sight to faunal naturalists. The
little lads scratched each other’s flippers all thru
the session. It is quite approprate that these two
specimens should be exempt from the new bounty
on seals act. Bobby is really immune from the ef
fects of gas with which it is proposed to destroy
6eals.
-x
HE LACKED THE COURAGE
--X
In the 1927 legislature a bill to aid and encour
age prospectors was introduced in the senate by
Senators Dunn and Brown.
In the debate on that bill in the House, Repre
sentative Tom Gaffney, “friend of labor,” said: “I
am absolutely opposed to this bill.” He said as
much three times and in many ways tried to de
feat it without going on record but at each turn
and twist he was met by Richard Sundquist of
Nome, in charge of the bill in the House at the re
quest of Senator Brown. Finally a vote was taken
and the “friend of labor” voted for the bill against
which he had spoken three times.
One might vision Tom, “the friend of labor,”
in the office of auditor talking one thing and do
ing another when pressure is put upon him by the
Tories.
-x
THE MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY
-x
The responsibility of the citizen or a republic
actively to participate in government was upheld
before Missouri members of the Masonic Grand
Lodge, not long since, by retiring Grand Master
Mitchell at the one-hundred-and fifth annual
convocation of the lodge held at St. Joseph, Mo.
“The conscience of the American people must a
gain be aroused to the duties of citizenship,” he
told them. “This will insure the perpetuity of our
present form of government, which has given to
us the greatest liberties of any people on earth.
The American citizen who neglects to qualify tc
cast an intelligent vote or who fails to cast his bal
lot ceases to govern himself and becomes a serf,
a man without a country.”
-x
SHEDDING HIS COAT?
-*- I
We are quite willing to concede Goo-**
Grigsby, Democratic candidate for Delegate t<