The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-27

TIE annual message OF Gov. sheakley.
OF Alaska. has the following TO say OF the
itguor smuggling and the liquor traffic
generally In that country:
The importation, manufacture ard sale
OF intoxicating liquors In the district OF
Alaska, except for mSdicinal and scief-
tile purposes. Is prohibited by law In
theory Alaska is q prohibition country.
In practice IL is not Notwithstanding the
uneeAsing efforts Of all the officials. liquor
can be obtained in any white settlement
or any consequence In the district And
when II Is remembered that not single
business man here is in favor of the en-
forcement OF this law. this condition of
anairs Is easily understood. The extern
siye coast line of Alaska, with its innum-
cradle bays, together with the sentiment
or Its residents. makes smuggling easy,
and lead after road OF liquor Is brought
nom British Columbia TO the different
Alaska towns.
The collector of customs and deputies
and assistants do all they can to prevent
this Illegal traffic. as is evinced by the
amount of liquor which has been seized
during the past year. But his force Is
wholly inadequate TO cover the ground.
and he is practically without transrorta-
ton facilities. Once landed. the LIQUOR
Is hidden In some secure place. To be
taken inerefrom and disposed OF 10 the
retailer also has his private hiding place,
retailer also has hos private hiding place,
and seldom has more than bottle or SO
or liquor In his saloon at one time, so if
ne Is raided his loss amounts to practi-
caliy nothing
For many years the grand juries have
refused 10 indict saloonkeepers. or even
10 allow evidence 10 be presented of yio-
lation of the prohibitory law. This, how
ever. only applied to sales TO white men.
The grand juries of Alaska have never
tailed TO indict nor petit juries TO con-
Wet any one proven guilty of selling
whisky TO Indians. or of selling intoxl-
eating .iguor without first having paid
the United States internal revenue tax
The people of this district take the
stand that congress in passing this pro-
hio.tory law had In mind the Indians:
understood their condition, and knew thai
II was necessary for their we'll being TO
keep liquor from them; that when * was
PASSED the white popula ton in Alaska was
small. and not taken into consideration:
that since lis passage the white popuia-
ton has largely Increased. and new condi-
tons arisen. and that in vigorously en-
forcing the liquor law in regard to the
Indians and practically ignoring 1t in re-
gard 20 the whites, they are carrying or,
the spirit OF the law and fulfilling the In
tent OF its makers. The civil officers
however. must take the law as they find
1t. and have strenuously endeavored TO
enforce ii. Their efforts have been prac-
ticaily fruiuess. as is shown in previous
reports.
''At the last November term of district
court, the grand jury indicted ali the sa-
Ioonkeepers IN the district. They thought
IL better TO plead guilty than 10 employ at.
torneys and fight the indictments in court.
They Plead guilty and each of them was
1ned $50. AT the last March term of the
II sfrfa n~s
brought In indictments against all the sa-
ioonkeepers In the district. Thereupon one
or their number entered a plea OF guilty
and the court imposed ane of 500 upon
him The rest Immediately combined to-
gether, employed many OF the attorneys
In the district. and prepared TO fight the
indictments. Demurrers were lnterposed.
but after argument, they were overruled
by the court, and the indictments held
good. United States District Attorney
Bennett Ehereupon moved one of his best
cases for trial and presented his evidence
and the case was submitted TO the Jury,
which promptly returned a verdict OF not
guilty. The district attorney moved an
other case and again presented the evil
dencs. The defense, as before offered no
evidence at all. This time the jury failed
TO agree. In each of the cases several
days were consumed In securing a Jury
and Ii was with difficulty that in the Sec
x Ill. -
trict attorney. feeling that 1t would he
impossible to secure another jury al this
term of court. 10 say nothing about secur-
ing a conviction a. this time or the ex-
pense that would be incurred In proceed
ing further. and evidently thinking IL best
20 rest on a disagreement rather than
absolute acquittals. asked the court 10
continue the remaining cases over 10 the
coming fall term Of court, and that each
defendant be placed under 500 bonds
This WAS accordingly done. Indictments
are now pending against fo-ty-ave saloon
keepers, located az Juneau, Douglas ISL
and Sitka and Wrangel. That all of these
defendants have sold liquor in violation
OF the existing prohibitory law is a mat
ter OF common notor!ety. That one OF
| them viii be convicted by a jury trial il,
am sorry 20 say. not believed for 4 mo-
| merit by any resident OF Alaska.
The present district attorney has shown
CONNIE uiable zeal in hts endeavors TO en-
force the law, believing tha, all laws
| should be enforced until repealed
1T must not BE inferred from tho way
1uries stand in regard to this GLASS OF
| cases TIA: Alaska Is In any sense Of the
| word a lawless community. The courts
l here stand as high and are as able aa I'm
| any part % the United States. and crime
| Is Is surely punished here as elsewhere.
| Our turtes are not composed OF Saft,on-
| The miner can always be relied uf,an 20
Fuete oct equal ami exsct justice 4, All
| Hard working. large hearted and Just, il
| IS Aoe, Of the basest kind % cali him
| iawless or the community in which he
| lives lewless one, and am CAD to bear
| witness thai Il Is only malicious nd ire
1 sronSthie persons Who do SO.
As the matter now stands, as I said sn
my Hast annual report. tais prohfhircr-y
| liquor law is most demcralixing in is e.
| fleets. X 5egets a disregard for all law
| fosters smuggling and causes a large rizss
| Of citizens. who ought 70 AID the civu an
/ thor51iss, 20 be sgainst them. aud crimes
| that o1Sat 20 be punished. and would be
were u nos FOR this law. go urpu1fshsa.
Being against the government In tEss mat
ter. they are almost unknowiagsy against
| & Ia othegs And a desire 10 get even
| often oJIfweiEhs all other conside~a sss,rex
| Meanwhile the sale OF liquor goes o-,euIy
| On. ard none % he pcop.e OF the distract
ssarn 10 be opposed 20 II.
prohibition Unless supported bv a large
BODY % ne citizens % a co-nrrunttv.
| means Aere. as Z means eve~s-vvAAre else.
| free whisky Laws. 70 ~ erFor-ai ms,
D. fuss ard reasonable and rnssst haea ne
| SUPPORT 81 TIE people and even trough.
/ as n thss GtsSr5cf Of Alaska. tAas- tsss,s y,
/ say Ia she8r making. r. tue ess shev have
| && @ay. waen Shey IS fsrcvs En-fae E,ar-y
box aTs cattRsf UPON - passed ,ipan is
| Ns0Aa{0rs. TIE present Laws should BE re-
/ Est&ssti ard ~ sEs place a high liesnse law,
! wsts pr8Tse~ safeguards. BE staeted TIE
| soo4 esseces ss5us8 D. fr,rzrgi4atqly a~ns~-
| EFT The saloons gousa decrease snug
sltaS would cease. sales II s.aGor 50 tn
usan> would - Eesss ned fssr every sa,oo-,