Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-12-06
With a view to proper legislation.
Protection OF ElecEions.


protect the integrity Of the elections a
lts own officials is inherent and ba
Deen recognized and affirmed bv n
Peated declarations Of the suprem
court. There Is no enemy of free GOV
eminent more dangerous and none q
insidious as the corruption Of the elec
torate No one defends or excuses cor
ruption, and II would seem TO follov
that none would oppose vigorous meas
ures to eradicate Il. ] recommend tb,
enactment Of law directed a0ains
Drlpery and corruption in federal elec
.ions. The details Of such law ma,
ne Sately left TO the wise discretion OF
tne congress, but IL should 90 as fal
as under the constitution IL Is posaiblt
20 90, and should include severe penal
ties against him who gives or receive,
bftbe intended to influence his aey
or opinion as an elector, and provisions
Tor the publication, not only of the ex.
penditures for nominations and cleo.
tions OF all candidates, but also of all
contributions received and expenditures
made by political committees.
Delays In Criminal Prosecutions.
NO subject is better worthy the M.
tention of the congress than that nor.
ti0n Of the report Of the attorney 9en.
erai dealing with the long DELAYS and
the great obstruction TO iustiee exna.
rfeneed in the cases of Beavers. Green
ana Gaynor, and Benson. We're these
isolated and special cases, should NOT
call your attention TO them, but the diff.
heulties encountered as regards these
men, who have been Indicted for crim.
inal practices, are not exceptional; tbev
are precisely similar in kind 70 what
ocsurs again and again in the case Of
CRIMINALS who have sufficient means TO
enable them 10 take advantage Of n
system or procedure which has grown
up IN the federal courts and which
amounts IN effect to making the law
easy OF enforcement against the man
VINO has no money, and difficult of en-. |
IiVrcement, even TO the point of some |
times securing immunity, as regards |
the man who has money. In criminal
cases the writ Of the United States
should run throughout its borders. The
wheeis of justice should not be cIopped. |
az they have been clogged in the cases
above mentioned, where it has proved
absolutely impossible TO bring the ac-
eused to the place appointed by the con.
sututon for his trial OF recent
years there has been grave and inereas.
ing complaint Of the difficulty of bring
ing to justice those criminals whose
criminality. instead of being against
one person in the republic is AGAINST
all persons in the republic, because n
IS against the republic itself. Under
any circumstances, and from the verv
nature of the case, it is often exceed.
ingiy difficult TO secure proper punish. II
ment of those who have been guiItv of
wrong-doing against the government
by the time the offender can be brought
INTO court the popular wrath against
him has generally subsidized. and here
~ IN most instances very slight danger
indeed of any prejudice existing in the /
minds OF the jury against him. At pres. q
ent the interests Of the innoeent man
are simply safeguarded but the inter. c
ests OF tne government-that is, the in. Q
terests OF honest administration, that Is Z
the interests of the people are not rec. c
ognlzed as they should be. No subject 4
better warrants the attention of the q
congress. Indeed, no subject better
the attention of the bench and $
the bar throughout the United States i
Alaska. IL
Alaska, Ike all our territorial acoui. c
4
the expectations Of those who made the
IL has become the home Of o
many hardy, industrious and thrifty 81
American citizens. Towns of n nerma. q
lent character have been built. The +
'xtent Of it's wealth in minerals. tim. a
Der, fisheries and agriculture, while tl
great, is probably not comprehended h
yet IN any just measure by our people. o
We do know, however, that from a verv (,
mail beginning its products haveI
,rown until they are a steady and ma.
erial contribution 20 the wealth of the q
'ation. Owing to the immensitv of Of
\Iaska and its location In the far north lai
IL dieicult matter TO provide MANY II
hings essential TO its growth and TO ~
he happiness and comfort Of its people d,
y private enterprise alone. ' IL should. q
therefore,, receive reasonable aid fromD tc
be government The government hasl ui
lready done excellent work for Alaska 81
A laying cables and building telegraph Ipi
nea This work has been done in the st
lost economical and efficient way by 50
be signal corps Of the army. Ire
In some respects IL has outgrown its p,
resent laws, while in others those
Tvs have been found TO be Inadequate
. order to obtain information upon of
hich / could rely caused an official sh
the department Of justice, in whose il
Augment have confidence, Co visit th
laska during the past summer for the gr
arpose OF ascertaining how govern tn
ent is administered there and what ke
gislation Is actually needed at present. m,
statement of the conditions found tr,
exist, together with some recommen. po
.tions aud tho reasons therefor, in GU
hieh 1 strongly concur, will be found ON
the annual report of the attorney att
neral. In some instances feel that on
o legislation suggested is so impora, ma
vely needed that / am moved briefly col
emphasize the attorney general Is in,
op0aals Im
Under the code Of Alaska as Il now tai
Ands many purely administrative un
wers and duties, including by far the tn,
BAT important, devolve upon the dis. II
tesAs y L