THE CORDOVA DAILY TIMES
Entered at the Postoffice at Cordova,
Alaska, as second-class matter.
H. G. STEEL
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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THE SOLDIER VOTE
The mail this morning brought the
following letter, which is of current
interest, and is of value as showing
the opinion of a lawyer on the sub
ject which is likely to be the hinge
upon which James Wickersham’s
contest for the delegateship will turn.
While we believe the premises he
takes to be erroneous, we take pleas
ure in reproducing it.
To the Editor of the Times:
in your issue of August 21,
under the heading ‘AVhy Should
Not Signal Corps Men Vote?” you
quote from “An Alaskan” a state
ment which is fair and reasona
ble except that the writer loses
sight of one fact, and that the
most vital of all. Signal corps
men should not vote away from
home because it is contrary to
law for any citizen to vote away
from home.
With the statements put forth
by “Alaskan” I sympathize. I
have often thought the same way
myself, but the law is the other
way. The remedy is to change
the law and provide that a sol
dier can vote when he has been
stationed in civilian employment
for the necessary time to qualify
him to a vote in any place.
As the law stands, a soldier’s
residence, officer or private, is
where he enters the army. That
has been decided so often that
nobody pretending to be a lawyer
ought to question it. In the last
congress the House committee on
elections composed mostly of law
yers and with a Democratic ma
jority, unanimously decided that
this is the law. They could not,
as lawyers, give any other
opinion.
Congress can give soldiers the
right to vote anywhere under
its jurisdiction, but it has not
done so. The legislaure of
Alaska can give them the right
to vote for territorial offices, but
it has not done so.
But the existing law is not as
unjust as it seems. When a man
takes either official or private
employment away from home he
has to go home to vote. Signal
corps men do not come to Alaska
to reside but because they are
ordered here. They go away
when they are ordered to. When
they stay here a long time it
seems that they ought to be al
lowed to vote. But that is not
the law. If soldiers temporarily
stationed could vote at their sta
tion the soldiers at Camp Lewis
could have swamped the resident
vote of Pierce county, Washing
ton, during the late war.
McCrary on Elections, a stand
ard law book, gives the reasons
on which many election laws are
based. E. E. RITCHIE.
Signal corps men should not vote,
says Mr. Ritchie, because it “is con
trary for any citizen to vote away
from home.” Signal corps men are
not necessarily away from home. In
fact, many of them have their homes
in Alaska. While congress has de
cided that men in the military ser
vice of the United States can®not
acquire a residence other than the
one claimed at the time of enlist
ment, this does not alter the fact
that courts have ruled that they can
do so. There would seem to be no
good reason why signal corps men,
like other employes of the govern
ment, can not vote after having re
sided a year in the territory. In
most cases all their interests are here%
including family ties, and in many
instances the soldier has no ties
whatever with the place he called
home at the time of his enlistment.
A man may be appointed to a posi- i
tion in any other branch of the public
service, and after spending the
requisite time in Alaska he may vote,
and by doing so proclaims his resi
dence here. Why should not a signal
corps man be given the same privi
lege? Wickersham himself, appoint
ed to a judgeship from Tacoma, his
home for many years, and apparently
his home yet, announced his change
of residence by participating in
Alaska politics.
“If soldiers temporarily stationed
could vote at their station the sol
diers at Camp Lewis could have
swamped the resident vote of Pierce
county, Washington, during the late
war,” says Mr. Ritchie. This illus
tration is inapt as there is no anal
ogy whatever between conditions at
Camp Lewis and those pertaining to
the signal corps in Alaska. At Camp
Lewis hundreds of thousands of men
passed through in the course of its
existence, but none was stationed
there permanently. They were there
for a period of training to fit them
for duty elsewhere. It is probable
that none, except residents of the
immediate vicinity, desired to ac
quire a residence for voting purposes.
In Alaska it is different. Many of
the soldiers seek the Alaska assign
ment because they desire to come
here to live and make their homes.
And the assignments are as nearly
permanent as it is possible for army
assignments to be.
If the law is to be changed, it
should not be changed merely for
the benefit of the soldier who has
been “stationed in civilian employ
ment for the necessary time to qual
ify him to vote,” but to make clear
the right of a citizen having the
qualifications of a voter to exercise
that right without prejudice. In
other words, the fact that an em
ploye of the government wears a
uniform should not distinguish him
from any other employe of the gov
ernment when he seeks to exercise
his right to vote.
The question of the right of Mr.
Wickersham to demand of witnesses
at the hearing in Valdez that they
testify as to whom they voted for
at the 1918 election is said to be
based on his announced belief that
the law gives him the right to de
mand such testimony. It is stated,
however, that he has failed thus far
to cite his authorities. It may be
another case of “it’s legitimate ques
tioning if you can put it over.”
It is unfortunate that Wicker
sham’s investigations at the town of
Valdez could not have been conduct
ed without resort to rowdyism. It
is saddening to think that the peace
and quiet of that most law-abiding
of Alaska communities must be dis
turbed by the actions of one who
seeks to represent Alaska in a law
making body whose mandates the
people of Alaska, in common with
good citizens elsewhere, are glad to
obey.
ALASKA COMMENT
How Does This Listen?
Speaking before the House Elec
tions Committee July 22, Judge Wick
ersham declared: “And I never
voted for a Democrat in my life. I
have never supported a Democratic
administration. I have always sup
ported the Republican organization
from top to bottom, and I have never
even had a secret reservation in my
heart about the matter.” That
sounds funny in Alaska, and causes
one to* recall that Washington is a
long ways off. Even Wick would not
dare to say that in Alaska.—Juneau
Empire.
Nothing to Stampede to Hyder For. 1
While the activities of this summer
at Hyder are very satisfactory and
the indications that a good mining
camp will be developed jn the Sal
mon river district at the head of
Portland canal, there has been no
developments there that would war
rant a stampede. The country down
there has been staked for many
years. Development work has been
in progress on various properties off
and on for a half dozen years. The
indications have been good all along.
This year there has been more de
velopment work than ever, and the
results more satisfactory. The Pre
mier mine, controlled by Mr. Neil,
has been shipping ore, and, as was
printed in the Empire several days
ago, it is said it has $15,000,000
worth of ore blocked out and ready
to mine. The Big Missouri, Joker
and Forty-nine groups have shown
well under development, and the in
dications are equally favorable for
other properties.
However, it takes capital to de
velop lode mines, and lots of time.
At the present time Hyder offers
many inducements to the capitalist
and mining engineer, but there is
little there for the average man, and
it is not likely that there will be
demand for a great number of people
there this season at least.—Juneau
Empire.
A V-*l A A A A it. ■/
Showing the Correct
I Fashions in
| Fail Coats
| Suits and \
Millinery j
m ^1
Simple perfection in line and making seems to be the |
style standard to which the Coats and Suits conform. j:
| You will be delighted with the richness of materials I
| as well as the gracefulness of the styling, both which g
| tend to make the new fall garments becoming to |
| practically every type of personality. |
| Buy a GagC For 63 years this |
J mark has stood for style supremacy. |
| .-■— - J
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| Smart Jewelry I
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Fall Design |
Jj You will want new pins for jj
■ your fall hat, your blouse and
jj neckwear. Also many new
jj jj Necklaces, Earrings and Nov- §j
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| P ___J |
| Phone f07-Or MAIL YOUR ORDERS — Phone 107 |
iiglllllllllllM^ „ j
NORTHERN MEAT MARKET
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL DEALERS IN
Fresh Beef, Pork, Veal, Mutton
and Provisions
Particular Attention and Prompt Service Given to Orders from
Mining Camps, Roadhouses anj interior Points. Halibut and other
Fresh Fish of all kinds will be kept in stock when available.
SMITH & GLASSBRENNER, Props.
MR HOTEL!
L. WALN, Prop.
—♦—
WHERE YOU GET
COMFORT AND SERVICE
And the Rates Are Right.
CORDOVA, ALASKA
SHOE REPAIRING
Half Soles $1.00 and up
Ladies' Shoes half-soled $1.50
At Hubbert’s Tailor Shop
STEVE OROS
_Phone 130
«
Keist Furniture
Company
Is the Place to Buy
New and Second-Hand
Household Goods
OUR PRICES ARE RIGHT
Next door to Alaska S. S. Office
Clean Cotton
Rags Wanted
at The Daily
Times Office
ALASKAN GRILL
FRANK A. DOUGLAS, Proprietor
“THE HOME OF QUALITY AND ATTENTION”
ONE VISIT TO THE ALASKA GRILL WILL MAKE YOU A
REGULAR PATRON
ALASKA HERRING & IMPORTING Co. Inc.
Pier C, Foot of Main St. Seattle, Wash.
Wholesale Receivers and Distributors of all kinds of Salt Fish
I Write us and let us know what you have to offer
l~'“ ~-;- --- ■ , ' ■'——— ...—.
CITY BAKERY LUNCH ROOM
Special Carefully-Prepared Lunch served from 11:30 a. m. Our Fine
French Rolls with every meal
Big Variety of Pastries and Cakes, Always Fresh
Sanitary Machinery of Latest Model. Patent Brick Qven. Best Ma
terials used by Expert Workmen, producing our Famous Cream Loaf
Best Coffee in Town
French Bread Rye Bread
—.----.-.-.-- --- -
FOR SALE
FOR SALE
Choice business and residence
property.
FOR RENT—
Furnished and unfurnished
apartments and cottages.
INSURANCE—
Fire and marine, life and ac
cident.
BONDS
Fidelity and surety.
CORDOVA ABSTRACT &
REALTY COMPANY
! ROOM 1 ADAMS BUILDING
m
The Burkhardt
Hand Laundry
and Bath
Burkhardt Flats
Neatly Fitted up with Large
Porcelain Tubs. Everything
Clean and Sanitary.
Phone 61—three rings.