Every newspaper in the District of Alaska, except the Juneau Record, every mayor in every town, and Delegate Wickersham signed a cablegram to President Taft while he was in Seattle.

The September 30th, 1909 cablegram contained a request to President Taft to urge Congress to pass a bill establishing a territorial legislature for Alaska. President Taft did not reply to the request. 

But in 1912, Congress passed the legislation that gave Alaska a formal territorial legislature and local lawmaking power, and President Taft signed the bill on the birthday of Delegate James Wickersham, who authored the legislation.

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