The Nome nugget., 1903-01-07
REIGN OF THE CARPET.BAGGER.

A residence of five or six years Tn Alaska will tSach man. if he be at all observing: great many thing ich h.. prevou re drnce in oler portions of the republic failed to rev cal to him. In the first place he will marvel at the number of chumps that the good government ha- sent to administer affairs in Alaska" Time was when Alaska little known that almost any old broken down politician in "the States could get some kind of a job in Alaska. The result was that Alaska became the dumping ground for all the political hacks in the United States When all other places failed of their reach they sent to Alaska. Alaska has had more government officials who horse thieves mists and prenatal imbeciles than any other portion of the United States. Its quota of grafters has been fully supplied. We have known in the States who hanged for horso stealing, who were the peers of some of tho men whom the govern ,nent has sent to represent it in this araway-l y-land And yet when any mention was made concerning the official or moral derection of these the wise gov ernment wondered why such things could be- In few eases have federal appointments Alaska been made because of fitness for the official position. The carpet bag rule has been the banc and of AL aska as of all territories of the union The average carpet -bagger is spoisman. He seeks the position not for ho salary, but for the perquisites that it will bring: He has ever in view the graft"
 The intelligence, the education the honesty of federal officials who have been sent to Alaska, has never been of the hg ghest order While making this statement we disclam any intention of ref1ecting upon any who has filled federal official position in this territory It is not the man we arc after, it Is the pernicous carpct-bas system which permits the dumping of political iotsam and etsam upon Alaskan shores that we object to-. Nepotism, syco- phantsm and all-around worhessness have been in the past sure passports to place in Alaska.
 This territory has had few good United States officials. We need not refer to those who occupy office, for of course, they men beyond reproach. It is of the past that We wish to speak particularly in this connection. Alaska has had one two federal officials who were and are real Alaskans. Two of these name They are Judge Charles s. Johnson and Judge Arthur K. Delaney, neither of whom came to Alaska with a commission in his pocket and both of whom are respected by the people of this district among whom they have lived for many years. These men arc Aaskans, who came to this territory to out their way. and who not backed by "pol- itical pull" What they achieved due to their individual worth.
 Necessarily the carpet-bagger know but little about Alaska usually he doesn't want to- and cares less. He brings with him his provincial ideas. gath cred in the small bailiwick in which he nurtured and tries to apply them to fresh and virgin coun- try. Tho result is failure most lamentable and record that may be impeached. It may not be to his dscredt but it monument to the teachings of lis former environment.
 The carpet bag political system as applied to AL sska is doomed. The district is broad enough and wide enough and has enough honest, intelligent men to acceptably fill any office in tho gift of the government. Hereafter THE NUGGET will demand so Ar as it may have the power, the right of Alaskans to fill federal positions in Alaska. Let us end the ySisn of the carpet -bagger.