Valdez daily prospector., 1912-04-24
CALLS SHACK
 GIFTED LEADER
Way He Controlled cordova Con- ventionI Pleasing to Judge
 Walker

krr upon his possible appoint ment to the Alaska bench, sub miltrd to this paper the views nf the district attorney upon mat ters political and the succcssnr- ship lO the position now held by Judge Cushman:
 o. Judge Walker, it. is gen orally understood that you are an aspirant to succeed Judge Cush- man in the Third division?
 A. Your suppnsition is right in part only. While 1 may have an aspiration to be promoted in the Department of Justice, 1 do not know that I have any prefer ence in respect 10 a promotion in the Third division. have many friends in the "banana belt" and entertain no enmity whatever against any man. bear no ill- will toward my critics. if 1 have any. IL iS the fate of. federal of ficials from the attorney general down to encounter criticism. Df- ten criticism would be diSarn.d by fuller information. Sometimes the personal and political ambi- lions of In" critics runfnund lllrIr vision.
 Q. llav" you applied iu the President for inc appointment as surr"Ssnr [" Judge Cushman? | \. No. have received three federal appointments in Inc last two administrations without ap- Dliraliun and as personal ap- pointmenls by the favor of two presidents. will say further that l do not expect to apply tu Inc President for the appointment to succeed Judge CuSIlnan.
 Q. Do you consider yourself an AaSkan?'
 \. am not a Siwash, of course. No doubt am an inhab- liant of Alaska. :n a CT TT of Alaska. My intention is in at tend Republican conventions in Alaska for at least 20 years. may never SO to another Rcpuh- llcan convention as the "drlrgatr from Ellamar,' but 1 will be a delegate IO the Republican con- NcntiOnS in the future from some division of Alaska. am here on hr ground and intend to remain here abnv" ground during life. Yes, l admit l consider myself an Alaskan.
 Q. How long have you rngag- ed in inc practice of law?
 A. l commenced the active practice of law in Chicago in 1882, and for q period of more than twenty years the docket of my law firm in Chicago exceeded the docket of the district court of the Third division, not only in the number of the cases both civ il and criminal, but in amounts < involved. l was the last T.. z. district attorney of the southern district of the Indian Territory under President Roosevelt.
 Q. Do you understand that d Democrat can be appointed lo a judgcship in Alaska by a Rcpub- lican president?
 A. In view of the fact that there are excellent Republican lawyers in each of the four ,iu- dicial divisions of Alaska, such an appointment is q political im- possibility. As a member of the Alaskan Republican organization l can say that I consider it out of the question. 1'hJ day has passed in Alaska when Democrat ic lawyers can receive patronage from a Republican president or can in any way dictate to the president in reference to the dis tribution of patronage among Re- publicans, except so far of course as it is proper to do under the natural political rights that be- long to all citizens. However, Democratic control of all patron- age in the Republican party is gone.
 The same rule will no doubt obtain in inc Democratic party. Definite party lines will enable the people lo charge up Inc rcspon- sibility where it belongs.
 o. You are Republican, believe, in politics?
 A. Yes, by inheritance and conviction l am q Republican in politics. In 1856 my father at Lnnde1 Inc first cnnNnnIinn nf Inc