The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-12-06

which has grown up in the fedora
courts and which amounts in effect t.
making the law easy of enforcement
against the man who has no money
and difficult of enforcement, ever
to the point of sometimes Sc
curing immunity. as regards the
man who has money. In Grim
inal cases, the writ of the United
States should run throughout it's Dor
ders. The wheels of justice should not
be clogged, as they have been clogged
in the cases above mentioned, where
it has provd absolutely impossible to
bring the accused to the place appoint
ed by the constitution for his trial
OF recent years there has been grave
and increasing complaint of the diff
Guilty of bringing to justice those
criminals whose criminality, instead of
being against one person in the repub-
| lie, is against all persons in the re-
public, because it is against the repub-
| lie itself. Under any circumstance
and from the very nature of the case it
| is often exceedingly difficult to secure
proper punishment of those who have
been guilty of wrongdoing against the
can be brought into court the popu-
lar wrath against him has generally
subsidized; and there is in most in
stances very slight danger indeed Of
| any prejudice existing in the minds
Of the jury against him. At present the
interests of the innocent man are amp
ly safeguarded; but the interests OF
the government, that is, the interests
of honest administration, that is the
| interests of the people, are not recog-
nized as they should be- No subject
better warrants the attention Of the
congress. Indeed, no subject better
warrants the attention of the bench
and the bar throughout the United
States. {,
Alaska.
Alaska, like all our territorial ac-
QUESTIONS, has proved resourceful be-
yond the expectations Of those who
made the purchase. 1t has become the
home of many hardy, Industrious, and
thrifty American citizens, Towns of a
permanent character have been built
The extent of it's wealth In minerals
timber, fisheries, and agriculture,
while great, is probably not compre-
hended yet in any measure by our peo-
pie. We do not know, however, that
from very small beginning it's pro-
ducts have grown until they are a
steady and material contribution to
the wealth of the nation.
In some respects it has outgroWn it's
present laws, while in others those
laws have been found to be inadequate
In order to obtain information upon
which | could rely l caused an official.
of the department of justice, in whose
judgment l have confidence, to visit
Alaska during the past summer for the
purpose of ascertaining how govern
fent is administered there and what
legislation is actually needed at pres
ent. A statement of the conditions
found to exist, together with some rec
concentrations and the reasons there
for, in which l strongly concur, will be
found in the annual report of the at
tOrney general In some instances l
feel that the legislation suggested is
so imperatively needed that I am
moved briefly to emphasize the at
torneygeneraPs proposals.
Under the code of Alaska as it now
stands many purely administrative
powers and duties, including by far
the most important. devolve upon the
district judges or upon the clerks of
the district court acting under the di-
rection of the judges, while the gov
ernor, upon whom these powers and
duties should logically fall. has moth
ing specific to do except to make an
nual reports, issue Thanksgiving Day
prOclamations, and appoint Indian po-
licemen and notaries public. I believe
it essential to good government In
Alaska, and therefore recommend, that
the congress divest the district judges
and the clerks of their courts of the
administration or executive functions
that they now exercise and cast them
upon the governor. This would not be
an Innovation; it would simply con-
form the government of Alaska to fun
damental principles, making the gov
ernorship a real instead of a merely
nominal office, and leaving the judges
their judicial duties and at the same
time removing them from a great deal
of the strife that now embarrasses the
judicial office in Alaska.
1 also recommend that the salaries
of the district judges and district at
tOrneys in Alaska be increased so as
to make them equal to those received
by corresponding officers in the United
States after deducting the difference in
the cost of living; that the district at
torneys should be prohibited from en-
gaging in private practice; that United
States commissioners be appointed by
the governor of the territory instead Of
by the district judges. and that fixed
salary be provided for them to take
the place of the discredited fee sys-
tenn which should be abolished in all
offices: that a mounted constabulary
be created to police the territory out
side the limits of incorporated towns
a vast section now wholly without pO-
lice protection: and that some pro-
vision be made to at least lessen the
| oppressive delays and costs that now
attend the prosecution of appeals from
the district court of Alaska. There
should be a division of the existing
judicial districts, and an increase in