The Ketchikan miner., 1908-10-03

Ii, as is freely suggested, an effort will be made to indict the masters ct the tugs Kyak and Hattie Gage for having cut loose from the ship star of Bengal" while towing her out to sea, and thus having been culpable for the loss of the ship and cnsequent fearful loss of life at Coronation ls- land. The Miner ventures to suggest that sense of decent propriety prompts withholding of public and individual criticism, one way or the other, until fair and impartial in- vestigation of the disaster shall have
 been made and concluded. The pub-
 lie .. is only too apt to jump at conclusions, and, in its sorrow for the dead, too prone to lose sight of the sympa thy due to the distressed minds of the involuntary actors in a fearful emergency in which they may have been, with or without cause, accused of criminal conduct, if not something
 worse. Until such time as an in-
 vestitgation, such as is amply provid- ed for by law, shall be made, these gentlemen are certainly entitled to
 the benefit of doubt, and until such
 time, should be held blameless of the charges of incompetency and lack of
 bravery, now so freely made against them. Thus far, the public clamor seems to rest upon no other foundation
 than the charges imputed by the cap tain of the lost vessel, made while in a crazed condition, and an investigation
 ID which may result in wholly ex-
 honerating them from any blame in
 the premises. Indeed, it may with good reason be argued that the cap- tain himself was to blame for allow ing his ship to proceed in being tow ed out to sea, in the face of fearful
 storm. as appears to have been the case. At all events, justice to the
 accused would appear to demand that public criticism be suspended, pending the result of an official investigation. The Juneau Transcript, published by Dech and Ulrich, is one among the
 most heartily welcome of The Miners
 weekly exchanges. This, because of the fact that it is not only neatly
 printed, but cleanly and ably edited,
 and conducted on lines that fully deserve general commendation as having reference to the country news paper as generally conducted. The
 Transcript is non-partisan in char
 acter, and generally free from the dsagreeabe and wholly reprehensi- ble personalities which too frequently obtain in the treatment of the local news of the section of the country to
 which it looks for support, and is
 therefore seemingly more intent upon inoculating spirit of generous
 rivalry among the people whose in- terests it aims to serve rather than one of enmity and strife, wholly inim-
 ical to the welfare ot all concerned.
 Though published only once week, it gives all the local news worth re- cording, served up in wholly read able and interesting manner, and is in itself an exampfar of the peace and
 h armony essential to the progress and
 prosperity of the immediate section whose welfare it seeks to serve and
 promote. If the people and business men of Juneau are alive to the well
 fare and best interests of their own town, they will not only accord to the
 Transcript generous patronage, but at the same time insist that their other newspapers shall accord them like consideration for their support,
 and fall into line with the Transcript to he end that feeling of unity may be.insured rather than the spirit of
 personal strife and contention with
 which they are now threatened. In the meantime, people living at distance from the commercial and political capital of the territory who desire the local news from that quar- ter, will find thelr wants best sup piled, at less cost, by adding their names to the Transcripts list of sub scribers.