The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-07-07

San an! sane man actually. nand on
his heart, say that at any time, in any
place it has been proven that Alexan-
der Mckenzie committed any one of
the many otfenses and crimes charged
against him at this late day. except
in the matter of contempt oil court?
And as for that: have been in the
courts-we all have. where language
failed to express the contempt one ex-
perienced. There are lot of fellows,
Snug. self-satisfied. pompous, grand
stand playing. clothed in -a-little-
brief-authority nuts, adorningt0 the
bench who ought to change places
with the prisoner in the dock
For his offense Mckenzie paid
severe penalty. Where is the sense
of justice and fair play now that we
pirate about so much in this country
of the stars and stripes?
Aside from all this however-we all
know in our own hearts. that the
"Looting of Alaska" issue is only
subterfuge after all. These so-called
reformers don't care tinker's damn
about Alaska or what Mckenzie did
or didn't do up there.
Mckenzie is. always has been and
always will be factor to be reckon
ed with in any sphere of human en-
deavor wherever he may be placed.
don know the man we'll enough per-
scnally to have formed an absolutely
correct judgment of him, and yet /
have had many expert" witnesses
give me valuable evidence concerning
him. l recall Judge LADDERS judg-
ment of him. l recall also Senator Nc
Cumber's judgment of him. There you
have two view points as opposed to
each other as the North and South
pole. Mckenzie was not a McCumber
man, as the saying is. when the latter
was first candidate for the senate.
There are certainly enough contem-
poraries of that memorable fight in
Bismarck, which saw the downfall of
NJ. N. Johnson and the elevation of
Porter j. McCumber. to bear witness
to the fact which here state and have
stated before: That Mckenzie SUBJ
mitted-more or less gracefully-to
the wish of the majority of the North
Dakota legislature. And yet McCum-
Der has. on and of the floor OF the
senate. defended Mckenzie. Is it be-
cause of the truthfulness of the vile
charge. made by innuendo in Rex
Beach's story, that the stock books of
show the reason for the senator's posi-
ton? Anyone who knows McCumber
knows how rotten, vicious, how abso-
lutely without foundation that malic-
ious innuendo is. The men who are
now using the "Looting of Alaska"
story as ammunition, if they were hon
est and would dig into their memories
and consult calendars and dates could
If they We're honest-prove to every
body's definite satisfaction that this
lnnuendo could not, in the nature of
things be true. IF they were honest."
Yes! But they are not honest Neces-
sity is the mother of invention and
lacking an up to date issue-a valid,
merltorious issue. they invent one!
Those OF us who have tried to keen
abreast with events in your state
since it was state-and before-have
heard much about the baneful in
fiuence OF Alexander Mckenzie, the
Senator Maker as have heard him
called. Well, if he is Senator Max
er" he has turned out some who COM
pare most favorably with those turned
out under the auspices of the repub-
lican machine of the Empire state.
really would like to have brought to
my notice one we'll defined, unequivo-
cal statement, fact or set of facts con-
shutting the result of McKenzie's al
legged pernicious activity and influence
In North Dakota politics. And then
should like to see it substituted by
better proof than that which dis
gruntled, boiling, disappointed and
sore" politicians and Office seekers
have been in the habit of dishing up to
the people.
When these "Reformers" have an
issue las is an issue" they may have
a chance to get their feet in the
trough-until then. Back to the
Woods!" ought to be the verdict of
the voters!
Another feature of the present fight
which has attracted attention is in the
alleged fact that those citizens of
North Dakota which are either natives
of Norway or Sweden or descendants
to our shores are particularly opposed
to Mckenzie, and through him, by
reason of him, to the present repub-
lican organization of the state. OF
course the reason for this fact, If fact
it be, is not hard to discover. The
"Looting of Alaska" has done it's work
in that direction, for it has been
charged that Mckenzie, while in Nome,
confined his operations chiefly to ter
ritory then being worked by men of
the Scandinavian race. However, the
facts are that Chas. D. Lane, Native
Son of California, president of the
Wild Goose Mining and Trading COM
pany, was the man who fought Nc
kenzie-fair or foul. Japhet Under
berg, president of the Pioneer Mining
company is, | believe a native of Swed-
en-. Some ground claimed by him or
his company became involved in the
controversies arising out of the ad-
ministration of law by Judge Noyes. !
have talked with Linderberg dozens of
times and know whereof ! speak. His
fights and troubles didn't begin with
Mckenzie-and haven't ended vet, if |
am correctly advised. There are al
ways lawsuits about mining claims in
Alaska. The hardy pioneers in that
territory, the discoveries of gold on
the Seward peninsula, were Swedes or
Norwegians-some of them-like Lin
derberg-struct it particularly rich
that they were involved in litigation
was only natural. The fact is: their
own skirts wern't always the clean
est In the wild scramble after the
first sensational discoveries men didn't
hew too closely to the legal and moral
line. Beach has told you of the
shrewdness Of the same Linderberg in
estopping the United States attorney
from proceeding against him individ-
ually and as president of this company.
Linderberg never spent a cent for
counsel unless it was matter of
necessity. He retained the United