Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-05-09


the whole thing or know the reason
why. Let him 90 and give him
full rein. He already has the
republican party ripped up the
back and when he gets through
with it it will resemble fodder
stack after a cyclone has toyed
with it. More power to his elbow.
As an illustration of how this
administration does things to suit
itself regardless of the wishes of
the people interested, or the char
acter of the men it puts in high
places, the nomination and probable
confirmation of one Wickersham to
be 4 Judge in Alaska is one of the
most glsring. Here are the facts
concerning this rotten transaction
on the part of this Roosevelt admin
i~tration:
In Decembr last the President
named James Wickersham as Judge
of the Third Division of Alaska.
His confirmation has given the
Senators of the Judiciary Com
mittee no little trouble. For
hardly had the President named
Wickersham before evidence of a
most unusual kind began to flow in
upon the committee. 1t was shown
that Wickersham, while living in
the state of Washington, had been
indicted for riot and leading mobs,
that he has been indicted for subOr-
nation of perjury in connection
with fraudulent attempt to ac-
quire title To some government
land. and that he had been indicted
and convicted of seducing n young
girl, and finally he had obtained
the court records in this seduction
case and has done away with them.
The Judiciary Committee after
five months discussion, have reluc-
tantly reported Wickersham's' $
name TO the Senate by bare ma
joity vote. During nearly all of
that Wickersham has been here
in Washington lobbying for him
self, and for months the Capitol
has swarmed with his lobbyists,
who are more numerous and higher
priced ones than ever appeared
here to work for the confirmation
of any other Judge. These lob
byists are paid by Wickersham and
his friends and favorites, who hope
for and expect further favors if he
should be confirmed. In fact one
of the lobbyists openly announced
that Wickersham would be con-
frmed and that when he is con-
firmed they will own Alaska and
run it in their own interests and to
suit themselves.
Wickersham has already served
one term of four years as judge of
the District Court of Alaska. But
when he was named and confirmed
these indictments and convictions
were entirely unknown to the
President and the Judiciary Com
mittee and both he and his spotted
career were entirely to the people
of far away Alaska. But his term
of Office has give them ample time
to learn what kind of man he is.
The testimony and evidence before
the judiciary committee brought
to light some very unusual con-
ditions. 1t appeared clearly that
both the lawyers and the people al
large fear and dread Wickersham
because of his biased and prejudiced
nature, and his arrogance and
unbending tyranny and his black
mail record. 1t appears that he
has few favorites and that they
never lose cases, though they are
always litigating because if the
: juries do not return their verdict'
in favor of the favorites, Wicker
sham sets aside the verdicts anC
,, grants new trials. This has re
suited in his deciding one cas-,
one way and another involving
exactly the same principle, th'
other way, till the confu
sion, uncertainty and instabilit!
of titles to lands, chiefly minins
claims, have become such that tn,
: people have organized into miner
! associations which have agreed t,
, arbitrate their differences, instead
of trying them in his court, if he i
confined, and nave protested
against his confirmation.
One of his fayorites, a mar
! named Barnette. gave Wickershan
I a corner lot on the main street il
2 the town of Fairbanks, Alaska, tn
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