The Dickinson press., 1901-02-23
Different Opinions.

Mandan Pioneer: Mr.. Mckenzie is
we'll known in this neighborhood by the
old timers, and while he has some en-
emies he has a host of friends. Every.
body who knows him will regret his.
present position, and will feel that it is a
very harsh proposition-that a man, fol-
lowing the advice of a good attorney and
the instructions of a ederaljudge should
have another federal Judge imprison him
for SO doing. Aside altogether from the
merits of the controversy which Mr. Nc
Kenzie got into on the shores of Alaska,
he has met with harsh treatment, and his
punishment is inexplicable to the or
binary individual.
]. E. Phelan: The announcement of
one years penal sentence on Alex Nc
Kenzie by the San Francisco court could
not be.a surprise to those who have fol-
lowed the progress of the Nome scandal
closely, Notwithstanding our esteemed
U. S. marshal telling us several days ago
Alex was on top-over there. for one
do not care to exult over McKenzie's
disgrace and the resulting disgrace to
the state which he represents on the ma
tional committee. One years I'M
prisonment in itself is not much, but for
each moment of time it represents 10000
atoms of disgrace settled over the COM
panions of Mckenzie and incidentally
beclouds the political atmosphere of
North Dakota. No matter how mysteri-
Gus to the lay mind may be the mechan.
ism of court machinery, the general
court practice in our country Is founded
on integrity that stands for square deal
ing.
Colonel Lounsberry: Alex Mckenzie
may have his faults. l have had occa.
sion to c%riticise him very sharply but !
do not see wherein he or the state or the
party of which he is a national commit
teeman, is especially sdisgraced by the
action of the court in holding him guilty
of contempt. He is not charged witt
having embezzled or stolen money, mol
with murder, highway robbery or any
felony, but with disobeying an order o.
one court which was in conflict with hi!
duties under the order of another court
And in doing SO he acted upon the ad
vice of eminent counsel. and did it fol
the purpose of gaining a review of the
case by the supreme court of the United
States. No more disgrace attaches t
him than attached to Debs when he wa.
sent to Jail for contempt of court. N.
one thought of disgrace in his case, no
in any n of the hundreds of case
where punishment has been endured TO
contempt or alleged contempt of court
The cases out of which these contemp
proceedings grew have all been settled
to the entire satisfaction of the partiel
litigant but the court has been disobeyee
and its dignity and authority must b.
sustained. In this state we have a CASE
where a juror was fined a days pay TO
being half a minute late. The dignity o
the court was sustained and the penalt,
was RENTED as soon as the object wa!
attained, as it doubtless will be in thi!
case. No one thought of disgrace in thu
jurors case. In the "Star Route" trial:
some years ago, Belford was fined s1oe
for contempt of court, paid his fine and
proceeded with his argument. No one
thought Of dis grace. If the court had
been preJudiced it could have stopped
the argument by sending the counsel 6
Jail, but there would have been no dis
grace. The time to pound a man i!
when fortune smiles on him, not wher