"The emancipation of the working
class mast be the dass-con scions work
of the working dass.—KARL MARX.
THE ALASKA SOI IALIST
•—^ ———i *"*"——- ... , ... — ~ • - ——~^**^*-- 1 1 1 **‘MTTErT?
_FAIRBANKS, ALASKA, JULY 31,1914.
HIGH PRICES
OF GRUB
Sir.
I have- read the letter in your last
issue, by “Old Prospector,” on the ex
orbitant prices of grab, and I endorse
everything he says. I have also read an
article on the same subject in the News
Miner of July 21st, headed “Food stuffs
lower now than ever before here,” a
sort of special pleader and excuse for
the extraordinary conduct of the com
panies, and found it as untruthful and
misleading as the treacherous article at
the top of the same page saying that un
desirables had a Departmental right to
remain in the Post office in spite of the
postmaster and pnblic opinion.
The people of this camp know the
wily Willy Thympson pretty well, yet
they cannot be too careful when read
ing what appears in his paper for he in
variably takes the wrong side and fights
with the top dog. Thompson, like Cas
key, holds the White Pass Co. respons
ible for the high prices. Peoples and
the Dominion Commercial Co. have no
thing to do with the White Pass, they
have their own boats, and yet they were
among the first to cause the prohibition
prices. ’Twould be just as fair to charge
the White Pass Co. wtth the high prices
of coffins. If an advertisement from the
White Pass Co. appeared in the Citizen
that paper would be more fair and reas
onable in this matter. ’Tis no exeuse to
say that merchants were selling without
profit last year and are perfectly jus
tified in charging what they like this
year. As well say that a gambler, after
losing at a game, has a legitimate right
to hold up his best friend and pick his
pocket. For that’s what it amounts to—
the miner is the best friend of the mer
chant, he opened up the way to make
wealth for the latter, who now throttles
him and the camp, and leaves him fit
_tor, and at the mercy of, the under
taker. Poor Economics!
If some of these so-called merchants
had a little decency in them as well as
common sense they would not act in
this scandalous way. But there’s a good
deal of truth in the old saying “put a
beggar on horseback and he’ll ride to
death. ’ ’ An ignorant savage who denies
himself the decencies of living in order
to horde up money and invest in a com
pany, where, as boss, he is as awkard
and dangerous as a bull in a china shop
is not a person from whom can be ex
pected decency or anything that is good
or beneficial to the community. Who
ever hears of one of this class staking a
prospector as has been done to niv
knowledge in other camps by merchants
during my experience of them during
the past forty years.
The most ‘ ‘hard struck’ by these pro
hibitive prices, besides the operators
and many miners who cannot procure
work, are the men with families and the
retailers in town and on the creeks who
are showing their customers bills, and
vouchers &c, and complaining about the
restraint in trade.
OPERATOR.
LENA MORROW LEWIS
A TOTAL FAILURE AS
AN ORGANIZER
Report That She Has Only Organized
One Socialist Local Consisting of Ten
Members in Nearly a Whole Year
Would Indicate That She is A
Poor Organizer.
It is now conceded that Lena Morrow
*
Lewis as an organizer is a complet fail
ure, but as a crafty politician and a dis
rupter, she is a success par excellence.
It is said that she is now sending in
charges against Conna making them as
strong as possible, even insinuating that
he is a Wickersham tool, and looking
after the Wickersham interests in the
Socialist party. Conna on the other
hand charges' Mrs Lewis with malfea
sance in office and several other things.
If Lena Lewis succeeds in downing Con
na, she will be the boss, and if Conna
succeed in down her she won’t be the
boss, Conna may then be boss. If Lena
Morrow Lewis had been interested in
organizing work she would have gone to
theld itaJod last summer ,but apparently
Mrs Lewis was interested in only one
thing—to get to Fairbanks and take up :
a residence so that she could qualify for
delegate. This is what she calls Social
ism. Conna has been playing the polit
ical game for nearly half a century, and
although he doesn’t know much about
the principles ot Socialism and cares j
probably a good deal less he knows the
political game. Go to it L,ena! you’re up
against a hard deal!
THE REPORTS LEWIS SENT
IN, SHOWING THAT SHE PAID
EXPENSE Of BROOKS.
(Enroute on the Delta)
Fairbanks, Alaska, Aug. 16, 1612.
John Couna
WICKERSHAM NOMINATED
AT VALDEZ CONVENTION
—
Nearly Everybody Seems To BeJFor
James Wickersham This Year.
VALDEZ.—The Progressive Democrats Nominated James Wickersham,
For Delegate to Congress From Alaska. A Full Ticket Was also Nom
inated for the Legislature. The Population of Valdez Have Been Led to
Understand That the Terminus of the Railroad will be at that Place.
Wickershamjjwill, it is Understood, use his Influence to get Valdez
the railroad in Consideration of the support of the Valdez people.
Advices from Valdez indicate that the
Progressive Democrats held a rousing
convention when they nominated Wick
ersham. The general feeling at jValdez
is in favor of Wickersham being return
ed to Congress, their being practically
no opposition to him, with the except
ion of a few disappointed office-seekers
Notes and Comment
In an article in the News-Miner on
the Johnson Goldstream transaction,
headed “Too much Johnson” the writer
was so ignorant as to attribute the com
piling oi the Johnson Dictionary to Ben
Johnson—rare Ben Johnson---and left
poor old Doctor Samuel Johnson, the
real author, out in the cold! “And now
Sir” what would the old doctor say, if
he were alive, regarding the ignorance
of our local scribe.
Talking about “Too much Johnson”
one has only to look at the Tattler jxage
of the Citizen of last week where every
thing is nauseating and leaves a bad
taste in the mouth and cry out—if he
survives—“Too much Johnson.”
And the Tattler in trying to expose
the ignorance of the Dawson News show
ed his own ignorance in not knowing
that Burbank had a brother. “Too
much Johnson. ”
Mr Thompson of the News-Miner ev
idently wants to make trouble for the
new postmaster, but Mr. Deal had bet
ter keep in mind the conditions under
which he got his petition signed and
act up to his promises and have the
community properly and satisfactorily
served.
If the Marshall’s office paid less atten
tion to politics and a little more to their
legitimate business there would be few
er men and women swindled before
their very eyes.
A number of old prospectors are re
ported to have stated that they intend to
make their own coffihs this coming win
ter and have them in readiness, for as
one of them said recently, “I couldn’t
rest easily in a coffin that cost five
times its proper price!”
Fairbanks, Alaska.
Dear Comrade:
As chairman of the
campaign Committee I am sending you
an official statement of my receipts and
expenses while in the Tanana Valley.
If my collections at meetings held in
Alaska do not cover the cost of my trip
and my hotel expenses and salary, then
the National office will be out just that
much.
Hence it is only a matter of protection
to myself to he able to make as good a
showing at the National office as pos
sible in order to demonstrate my effi
ciency on the road and if my meetings
will bring in so much money and out of
the receipts I pay all my expenses and
the locals expenses for advertising and
hall rent and music and extras and sun
dries, then the balance rightly belongs
to the National office who assumed the
financial risk of my tour through Alaska
Fairbanks and adjoining creeks have
had the benefit of my speeches without
any expense to the organization. In oth
er words the meetings paid lor them
selves.
Hoping this report and letter may be
satisfactory to all concerned and fully
appreciating the cordiality and enthus
iasm with which my speeches were re
ceived and the personal kindnesses
which were shown me by the comrades
and citizens of Fairbanks and vicinity
and assuring you that I return to the
States with deep interest in the Socialist
movement in Alaska: and any service I
may be able to render in the future that
will strengthen the working class of Al
aska in its struggle for political and ec
onomic powTer and the overthrow of
wage slavery will be gladly given.
Yours Fraternally,
Lena Morrow Lewis.
From Sept. 12 to 22 will get mail at
Holland Hotel, Seattle, Wash.
Summary of receipts and expenses
of Lena Morrow Lewis, National Organ
izer, Socialist party, while working in
the Tanana Valley, Alaska, July 27—
Aug. 14. 1912.
Collections on Creeks $419.50
Collections from Fairbanks
(after deducting all legitimate
expenses connected with the two
hall meetings) 57.50
Total.$477.00
Expenses for trip on creeks
including travelling expenses of
Comrade Brooks as well as my fare
and hotel bills $56.50
Expenses for meals and dray
age and Laundry (Fairbanks) . 34.15
Total $90.65
Balance .... 477.00-90.65--$386.3
(Continued on page 4)
The convention that is going to de
termine who the Democrats will nom
inite will be held on the third of Aug.
The Reputfticans, it is stated, are to put
up no candidate this year, thinking
probably by supporting one of the otli^r
party candidates to annihilate the Dem
ocrats. Anyhow we’ll see!
MANY CANDIDATES FOR
SENATORIAL HONORS.
*
Besides John Jnnkin, Dan Callanan,
and H. Ringdahl, for Senatorial honors
seueral .others have been mentioned a
mong them being Henry Ray, Progress
ive, and John Dillon, Democrat.
N. C. FORCES
TURNED OUT
Mr. T. H. Deal, the n'ew postmaster,
made a front attack here today, and aS
isted by the Harris forces succeeded in
compelling the N. C. forces to Surren
der.
• , r . '
PADDY O’HOOLIGAN ON THE
HIGH PRICE OF GRUB
Arrah, bad cess t’ these camp-robbers
sez oi! Shur-re oim not complain av; our
poor famished little bir-rds uv thot
-name thot peck at the dog-salmon an
other delic’cies atop o th cabin, an rus
tle all tli long hard winter ter a livin
Oim tellin yez uv these human (or in
human) vultures that want t gr-rab all
th goold th counthry projooces b’ elev
atm proices av grub at ivr-ry op’r’toon
ity. Faith an ’tis me heart thots br’ak
in this day! Me owld pardner, Moike
O Grady lift th camp on th same boat
as Dan Callyhan. Shure Moike’s a rale
Fairbanks pi’neer, an th discover av
Fish crik. “Be th howly mackinaw!* sez
angry Moike, whin oi wint t th dock t
see im off, Th law shud do something t
these holdups P“Uez he, swirlin his two
fists! “Phwats tliot, Moike ?” sez oi,’
“are yez tellin me thot th blue jar-ika*
mon an th tall men an th short uiou are
op ration on the cricks agin ? Moike guv
me a pityin look. “Faith, Paddy,’’ sez
he, “oim ashamed uv yer stoopitidvl
Shure thim poor highwayman ’ll only
take phwatever cash yez happen t’ liave
in yer clothes at th toime, an wid a lit
tle thr-rouble yez c’n fool thim but, be
liivin yez can't escape th’ clootches av
’■ {#-*?! -<*•' r? -;i' ijf* .jt- JtjjtT |J| <j»
(Continued oil page 4)