The daily Alaskan., 1911-08-24
wlcKzRsHAm TO wlcKeRsHAM,

famous letter from Delegate Wicker sham addressed Co Special Agent Me Namara. who made an investigation iB Alaska, a year ago The letter is. bitter arraisnment of administratio policy. and reads as follows:
 stuart NcNamara, Esq. Depart meat og Justice, Washington, D, c.
 My Dear Sir. when you did me. Che honor to call the other day and say that you were goiDg to Alaska toI investigate conditions there as the re reseutaave of the Department Of Jus tce. | made some criticisms upon the department which you wished me to put In writing
 "I expressly said to you that l made no criticism Of the motive Of any Attorney General who has ever been connected with the De partmeut of Justice in Washing ton: that I believed the head of that department has always acted from a htgh sense Of duty, but that the iif- uculty arose from a want Of infor, nation and incompetenoy in the de partment Co manage affairs in Alas la I told you that the first justice Of the district court in Alaska, Judge McAlHster was removed within IS months of his appointment for polit- cal reasons. and you will discover the facts in relation thereto in the case of NcAuister V. United states UH '. S. I74l The next judge. his sue cessor. abscouded from Alaska, with in six months Of his appointment just ahead of a warrant for his ar rest for embezzlement and he has been fugitive from justice ever since.
 This course Of dealing with the judgeships in Alaska has continued ta date. for no judge in Alaska, ex- cppt Judge Moore. was ever reap pointed and confirmed Incompetent men have been appointed judges only Co be removed within year, and, if competent. they have frequently been removed without notice because of the honest performance of their duties do not know Of but one marshal who ever served out his term ot office Marshal Shoup and Marshal Perry both served out a urst term. but the one resigned be fore he served out his second term, because he knew he would not be supported by Che department, and the other was peremptorily removed.
 This rotating system of carpet-bag- EiuE officials in Alaska has all come from Che fucompetency of the Depart men of Justice said to you the other day that if an official dared to procure the indictment of a rich man In Alaska. that man might send his attorney to Washington and procure the removal of the official who was doing his duty fearlessly, As an eX- ample Nr Grigsby, the district at torney at Nome, was requested to re- sigu some time ago because he had procured tho indictment Of Jafet LIDdeberE. at Nome, for perjury. Liude5erg sent his attorney. Mir Fink. to Washington, who secured a demand for GriEsby's removal, which was later withdrawn upon showing made by GriSby. Judge Moore was included in the complaints made by Fink at Washington. and the good record that he has built up and main taiued in eight years hard and in- industrious work for the Government on that frontier was destroyed be cause it was known he would do his duty with respect to prosecuting this wealthy peuurer.
 As another example, Sutherland and Boyce. respectively marshal and district attorney at Juneau, were re gently removed without any notice or opportunity to be heard for hay ing dared, the one to sign his name to indictments voluntarily found by the grand jury. and the other because he would not cOrruptly pack a trial jury with the friends of the defend ant at the request of the attorney who came to Washington and secur- ed his removal I said to you the other day that the Department of Jus 6ce has become a menace to the people Of Alaska. and that it was hopeless failure 6y reason of its ina bTity to shield the people from dis honest officials on the one hand and to support and protect an honest off oiaI in the discharge of his duty on the other. An honest official in the discharge of his duty in Alaska is attacked by hired lobbyists in Washington. These smooth gentle men go to the department of Justice
 Continued on page three.