DANIELS—In the Lion’s Den
We've been asked, a time or two lately, what the
politics of the Valley Frontiersman are, and we thougnt
there would be no better time than just before elecnon
to explain our stand.
We're proud of the fact that we simpiy don't have
any politics. We support those men and women whose
-ideas in government we like, and we simply don't care
whether they're Republicans, Democrats, Socialists or
Progressives. If we like an idea that they've advanced,
if we're convinced that the idea is sound and is best
for our town, our territory, or our country, then they
get a check beside their name, comes election day.
We like the idea of being able to see eye to eye
with the Democrats on one subject, and to agree with
*he Republicans on another. And we would intensely
dislike the idea of having to support a man whose
ideas we thought were wrong, simply because he be
longs to our party, as we would have to do if we were
promised to a political party. We like the idea of
making up our own mind, and we're convinced that
any man or woman, or any newspaper, that aligns
with a political party, becomes just another sheep in
the flock that's blindly following the leader. We just
don't believe in that.
So, our election advice to you is just a summary
of the standards that we set for ourselves when we
mark our ballot. We try to know as much as we pos
sibly can about every man on that ballot. Then we
vote for the man that we think will do the job we expect
of him.
If we don't know a man, we don't vote for that
particular office. We don't think it's a serious offense
to hand in a ballot with only three or four marks on it—
if there are only three or four men that will do the job
we feel they should, then those are the men that get
our vote. We don't go down a list at random, check
ing names here and there, in order to fill out a ballot.
However, we do think it's a weakness on our part
to have to turn in an incomplete ballot. We think it's
our obligation, and it's your obligation, to be as in
formed as possible about every man whose name ap
pears there. It we'd been a little more politically alert,
as a newspaper, we should have been calling for public
meetings, at which candidates could appear to an
swer our questions. We admit our shortcomings there,
for w^ think that's one job that even a non-political
newspaper could engage in. But at this date, all we
cun uu ib rcuu un we cun, wciyu me eviucricc we iiuvc
about the candidates on our ballots, and make as in
telligent a selection as we can.
We do urge that everyone vote on Oct. 10. We
don't care how you vote, but we do want you to vote.
It's a civic responsibility that rests too lightly upon us.
We advance, as one of the finer things about our
American way of life, our ability to choose our gov
ernment officials by our own ballot. We think it's one
of the things that makes American democracy out
standing. But how many of us do more than talk about
this privilege of the ballot? It's a privilege we don't
deserve, if we don't exercise it, and our failure to exer
cise it may lose us that privilege some day.
Thinking, voting Americans need never fear po
litical domination from within by another creed. How
ever, if we fail to vote, we may face the day when a
minority group, with totally different ideas of govern
ment, will be dictating our governmental policies.
We who are Alaskans should remember that voting
* requirements are particularly easy for us. There is no
registration required to cast a ballot in territorial elec
tions. A voter must be a citizen, be 21 years of age,
and have been a resident of the territory for a year
and of the district for 30 days. There are no other
legal restrictions which can keep you from casting a
ballot on Oct. 10. And you must let nothing else stand
in your way.
Cast a ballot on Oct. 10. No matter how you vote,
it will be a ballot cast for democracy and our American
way of life. I
VALLEY FRONTIERSMAN
Entered as second class matter oirOct. 21, 1947, at the post office at
Palmer, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
PRINTED AT PALMER, ALASKA, EACH FRIDAY
By the Matanuska Press, Inc.
Viola Daniels .Editor
Barbara Carter .Wasilla Correspondent
Valdez High School .,..Valdez Correspondent
Subscription Rates.50c a month, $5 a year
Mailed to all points in Alaska and the United States
No printed material in the Valley Frontiersman may
be reproduced except by permission of the publishers.
»»iicu
A Refund, Commissioner Asks
Dorothy Saxton U. S. Commis
sioner here, had an additional
word of explanation today con
cerning applications for refund
for business tax, recently ruled
not applicable to farmers by At
lorney-cjenerai cxeraiu wmiami>.
Mrs. Saxton’s office has proper
forms on which to make applica
tion for refunds, but she reminds
each applicant that the business
license must be brought to her,
when the request for refund is
made.
GUARANTEED
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