Stikeen River journal., 1898-06-04
\ strong Effort Being Made BY
Certain High Officials
MD BY THE LIQUOR RING
\ Partial Disclosure OF an Tn
American Plan to AhrO.
gate The Law.

lion. Joseph W. lvcy, collector of
..a,toms for the district of Alaska, has
come very near being the victim OF II
dark lantern conspiracy. At the lucky
moment for Mr.. Ivcy. one Of the con
,nirators, who had some conscience
eft, weakened. and revealed the whole
nIot. He backed his statement with
such substantial testimony. and the
,,u.roborativc evidence was so album
dan, that Mr.. lyey was compelled to
TAX, Immediate action, and he has not
=; he grass grow under his feet.
The plot was to Dust Mr.. lvey from
.,,i,.e, in order that the prohibition law
1T Alaska might he violated with UNI
american impunity.
Mr.. lvey is placed in Il very trying
position. On June -, 1897, he was
appointed by President Mckinley To
nj, presen, office, and took his solemn
aa,a that he would enforce the law as
n, found it. To do otherwise. he would
subject himself to instant dismissal.
Alaska. unfortunately. or otherwise,
ha- IA strict prohibition law. 1t was
General Grant WHO sad that the best
va to repeal bad law is to enforce it.
Mr.. lvey assumed the duties of his
ice last August. and ut once began
lie enforcement of the law. There
zl.e saloon men in Alaska who eudeav-
~ to conduct legitimate business. as
~, understand it. for. he it known.
TIN. government places itself in Il con-
travenlny attitude. 1t will i-,ue a Ii
,.n,,, to anyone to SCH liquor in Alaska,
and then tnrn around and arrest them
if they do. For year, the prohibition
law had not been enforced. and Il large
liuuor business had grown up. much of
the liquor being shipped in openly, but
the greater part being ,lnuggled from
the neighboring British post of Port
Simpson.
AS result of the enforcement of the
law. many liquor dealers have been ar
rested and fined, and several hundred
tons of liquor contiscatcd and sold, The
better element of the saloon men. en-
ployed counsel. and have cndcavorcd
to have II high license law enacted for
Alaska, which they tried TO get incor-
porated in the Carter bill.
There has been very corrupt set OF
officials in Alaska, which made 1t very
difficult for MIR, Ters to enforce the Hn-
popular law.
\ combination was made between
men to Dust Mr.. Ivey from Office. In
order to do this. they proceeded to
thoroughly organize, ana raise the
necessary "sinews of wal. y corrup-
ton fund of more than five thousand
dollars was secured in hard cash. and
placed in the hands of competent
agents for ''judicious' distribution.
The conspiracy embraced a general
plan Of attack. l.rttrr, were sent to
prominent L. 5. senators and the MEM
beers of the cabinet. Long petitions
were obtained, and sent to the sccre-
tary OF the treasury Men We're en-
ployed to walk the streets of all Alaska
towns. and create public sentiment
against Mr. Ivey. on the foolish theory
that in that manner an American law
could be abl'oyatcd Many of the in
spectors We're approached, and bribed,
and one, James A. O'Conncll, the in
spector at Juneau, was promised the
collectorship in the event of Mr.. Ivey's
removal Many of the inspectors
yielded to temptation. and heads have