Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-12-06
NE secure proper punishment

mum AtHE"t'St4't
of those who have been guilty OF
wrongdoing against the government.
BY the time the offender can be
brought into the popular wrath
against him has generally subsidized;
and there Is In most instances 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 amply sate-
guarded: but the interests Of the gov
eminent. that Is, the interests OF hon
est administration. that Is, the inter.
ests OF the people. are not recognized
as they should be. No subject better
warrants the attention OF the con.
gress. Indeed, no subject better war.
rants the attention Of the bench n
the bar throughout the United states.
Alaska.
Alaska, like all our territorial acqul-
sitions, has proved resourceful beyond
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 its wealth in
minerals. timber, fisheries, n asrl-
culture, while great, is probably moi
comprehended yet in any just meas
ure by our people. We DO not knoW
however, that from a very small pc.
ginning its products have grown untli
they are a steady and material con
~tributlon to the wealth of the nation.
loving TO the immensely or Alaska
and it's location in the far north, II y
a difficult matter to provide many
! things essential to its growth and 10
the happiness and comfort OF lts peo-
pie. by private enterprise alone. II
should. therefore. receive reasonable
aid from the government. The gov
, eminent has already done excellent
work for Alaska in laying cables and
building telegraph lines. This work
has been done in the most economical
and efficient way by the signal corps
OF the army.
In some respects 1t has o~ntsroNrn
its present laws. while n 9th sts z
laws have been found 20 be made
uuate In order to obtlin info, tGation
upon which ] could rely | aaused an
OIllFjai OI Ilt utDat AAihit 'NN'N"f
IN whose Judgment | have coatllsLce
TO visit Alaska during 'he last sum
me- for the purpose OF lStef aiming
how government is admin sfet.d mere
ani what legislation Is acfuaiy h'ea-
ell a. present. A statemeat 2. the
conditions found to exist, together
with some recommendations and the
reasons therefor, in which | strongly
concur, viii be found in the annual
report Of the Encouragement. IN
some instances | feel that the legisla-
ton suggested is 80 imperatiyeiy
needed that | am moved briefly to en-
phasize the attOrney.generaIs propo
sails.
Under the Code of Alaska as 1t now
stands many purely administrative
powers and duties, including by faf
the most important, devolve upon the
district Judges or upon the clerks OF
the district court acting under the al"
/ reetion 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. | believe
II essential to good government in
Alaska, and therefore recommend,
that the congress divest the district
Judges and the clerks OF their courts
OF the administrative or executive
! functions thar they now exercise and
cast them upon the governor. This
would not be an innovation: 1t would
simply conform the government OF
Alaska to fundamental principles, max
ing the governorship a real instead Of
a merely nominal office, and leaving
the judges free to give their entire
attention TO 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,
I also recommend that the salaries
OF the district Judges and district at
torneys In Alaska he increased so as
to make them equal to those received
by corresponding officers in the Unit
ed States after deducting the differ
ence in the cost. of living: that the
district attorneys should be prohibit
ed from engaging In private practice;
that United States commissioners be
appointed by the governor of the ter
ritory instead of by the district
Judges, and that a fixed salary be pro
vided for them to take the place of
the discredited fee system" which
should be abolished in all offices; that
a mounted c~onstabulary he created to
police the territory outside the limits
OF Incorporated towns-a vast section
nov wholly without police protection
and that some provision be made %
at least lessen the oppressive DELAYS
and costs that now attend the prose
cution of appeals from the district
court of Alaska There should be a
division of the existing judicial dis
tricts. and an increase In the number
Of judges,
Alaska should have a delegate in
the congress. Where possible. the
congress should aid In the coastruc
ton of needed wagon roads. Addi,
tCou'inuea on page sN