WHO ARE REPUBLICANS?
How the Machine Works and
Who They Are
Alaska is the most flagrant ex
ample of the evils of our American
system of government that we have
because Alaska is defenseless. It is
defenseless because we have no rep
lesentation in our Congress of equal
rank with States. As a result, cer
tain Senators and Representatives
are gradually acquiring the right in
Congress to “represent” us. Among
these men are Senator Wesley L.
Jones, Congressman Hadley, of Bell
ingham, the Portland Oregon repre
sentative, Watkins, and the Cali
fornia Congressmen, among whom
is Arthur Free of Fresno.
These men occupy the command
ing positions in Congress and while
they allege that they are trying to
save our fisheries, they arc trying
to save them for their own consti
tuents.
Working hand in hand with these
despoilers of Alaska is the federal
machine and their henchmen. As the
willing tool of these foreign despoil
ers we find Scott C. Bone, that
smooth, suave, educated, cultured
gentleman placed in Alaska to put
the touch of “respectability” on
their work here. From the moment
this man arrived in Alaska he has
been trying to “carry water on both
shoulders,” but without success for
the simple reason that “actions
speak louder than words.”
His first act was to insult all
fishermen and those dependent upon
our 'fisheries for their living. It
was in the matter of the Territorial
Fish Commission. This commission
today is serving under recess ap
pointment.
On this commission there are serv
ing none but well known friends of
the cannery system, with the excep
tion of Calvin Hazlett, son of George
Hazlett. If Calvin knew the dif
ference between a humpback and a
bull-head, he would be an excellent
fish commissioner, but his trouble
is, to use his own words, “Heckman
knows enough for all of us, and what
he says goes.”
As a part of the federal machine,
there is Karl Thiele, a very smooth,
“friend of everybody,” but a sub
servient creature of the governor’s.
Mr. Thiele is the political adviser
and agent of Governor Bone’s. Pei
haps this relation between these two
men cannot be helped for Thiele
owes his job directly to the Gover
nor. At any rate, he is an import
ant part of the machine. It should
be remembered that Thiele is the
Republican organizer appointed by
the National Republican Committee.
The third cog in the federal ma
chine is Walstein G. Smith, the Ter
ritorial Treasurer. This man is ap
pointed /by the combined votes of
Governor Bone and Karl Thiele, Sur
vc j or-General and Secretary of Alas
ka. His selection from their stand
point is very wise indeed for by his
acts he has shown himself to be but
a piece of putty in the hands of his
manipulators. He was a Democrat
ii the last administration, but since
a Republican sun is shining, the
chemeleon has changed his color.
Smith is now a Republican.
These three men today dominate
Republican politics.
Their first appointment was the
Secretary of the Territorial Fish
Commission, Barney Roselle, an ar
dent and life long Democrat.
Their second appointment was E.
M. Polley, our $250 a month tax col
lector. This man was elected to the
1923 legislature as a Progressive. He
got this reward for leaving the ranks
of the friends who elected him but
could not reward him further, and
going over to the Governor.
The third appointment of this fed
eral trio was that of Senator Cham
berlain as school tax collector in the
third divsiion. His ‘‘commission” for
doing this work covering about two
months amounted to nearly $3,000.00.
Aside from the fact that the ap
pointment was a reward for his sub
serviency to this federal machine, the
public should consider the fact that
this appointment was a public re
cognition that Senatorial drunks were
in one class and as such were hon
ored citizens to be rewarded by lu
cretive jobs, and common drunks
were in another class, to be thrown
into jail and left there to rot or
await bail.
The third political act of this “Re
publican” trio, was their recent ap
pointment of R. J. Sommers as
Highway Engineer for the Territory
at $4,000.00. The Democrat Juneau
Empire says this is a fine appoint
ment, and from its standpoint, it is,
for Sommers was the Democratic
Surveyor General under Governor
Riggs. We have no quarrel with
Mr. Sommers, but it should be known
to the Central Republican Committee
just how faithfully our Republican
Governor Scott C. Bone and “Re
publican organizer Thiele” are serv
ing the interests of the Democratic
machine.
The point of all these remarks is
this, there is no difference between
the appointed leaders of the Re
publican party and the leaders of the
Democrats in Alaska. Whichever
side wins, the people always lose.
Do you remember when Harding
was elected President, our Juneau
National Committeeman proposed
only Juneau residents for federal of
fices? If I remember lightly, he did
not even go outside of his own store
or family.
SHEEP MINDS
Juneau Intellectuals and False
Impressions
“The Empire believes the City
Council did a wise thing when it ap
propriated the money necessary to
insure the sending of former mayor
Ivobertson to Washington to advance
the proposal to divide Alaska.”
The situation at Juneau is a most
peculiar one. First, Juneauites be
lieve that everybody in Alaska feels
about different matters the same as
they do. Secondly, the real Juneau
ite cannot understand why the rest
of the Territory should not let “Ju
neau do it.” Third, Juneau is per
fectly satisfied to let John W. Troy,
betrayer of his benefactor, Governor
Strong, direct both their minds and
their consciences in matters political
and spiritual.
Since these statements are true,
Juneau has never considered the
rightness of digging down into the
taxpayers pocket, lifting therefrom
v 1,000 and sending R. E. Robertson,
cannery attorney, on a political jaunt
to Washington, D. C. This act, tho,
was in line with John Troy’s morals
when it touches the public’s money.
His paper has waxed fat on the
public printing given to him for sev
eral years without public bid; then
when Will Steel forced their hand,
Troy would get the jobs by out
and out trickery.
The little gang can still run Ju
neau, but the other citizens of Alas
ka have not yet handed over their
minds to John W. Troy, betrayer of
his benefactor Governor Strong. The
proof? The Republican Robertson,
who is so strongly supported by the
Democrat Troy filed as national com
mitteeman and when he felt that the
battle was going against him, he got
some “Coolidge bait.”
Then the Empire says editorially,
“Those independents whose conscience
will permit them to vote in the Re
publican primary should vote in it,”
which is nothing more than veiled
instructions to Democrats to go into
the primaries and dictate the Re
publican candidates.
The citizens have spoken. With
the exception of the sheep minds of
Juneau, the stand-pat, the reaction
ary candidates, who call themselves
“Administration candidates,” have
been decisively defeated.
Alaska is still safe, Mr. Stroller
White and Mr. John W. Troy, betray
er of your benefactor Governor
Strong. The Indians are not in the
saddle; laws will be obeyed, and we
hope the day comes soon when the
prohibition officer can get up his
nerve and do his duty and relieve
this Territory of certain highly in
tellectual voters who have never yet
read the eighteenth amendment.