The Chitina leader. [volume] (Chitina, Alaska) 1910-1928, 1912-06-15
THE PASSING OF
HEALEY
(By o. A. Nelson.)

| Healy is gone, officially, ana may
his memory depart with him. He
| leaves behind neither regret nor SYM
pathy. We will forget him as soon
| as possible, and try to heal up the
| ugly sores he has infected with his
selfishness and egotism. He brought
nothing to us, and having no honor
to lose, he leaves nothing behind.
His going was crying necessity. and
| people are glad that better feeling
and greater security will now be pos
sible. We hope that the change will
be of benefit to everyone and can now
| cease personal attack which is
most distasteful task.
But before we fall into each 9TH
ers arms and rejoice, few parting
words of comment may prevent mis-
| understandings that might arise in
| the future.
Heay calme here and got himself
appointed U. S. commissioner. Long
since it became apparent that his acts
and his temperament made him alb
solutely unfit for that office in unas
country We believe he once said he
| was going to live down his past rec
ord" This was a very laudable pur-
pose and there was plenty of oppor-
tunity for him to do so. We are not
much concerned with what man
has been, and if he had treated peo-
pie here fairly they could have over
looked much. When he was criti-
cised for mistakes and abuses he
neither justified or excused himself.
put morosely tried to mend wrongs
with more of them.
Healy will soon be forgotten, but
we have gotten an insight into each
others minds that nothing else would
have given us. We believe that
Judge Cushman showed considerable
narrow-mindedness in the matter
He refused to remove Healy partly
| because he thought the attack was
spite work and partly because it
would reflect on himself as the ap-
pointing Judge. When 1t became evil
dent that Healy could no longer re-
main here Judge Cushman convened
grand jury for the purpose of re-
lleving himself of responsibility in
the matter. Nothing would have
been easier than to have given an
investigation that everyone would
have had to admit was fair. We had
| no right to demand an indictment of
Healy, but we did have a right to
expect a fair investigation. The
farce comedy we got maze most peo-
pie think it was pre-arranged
whitewash, and it entirely contradict
| ed Judge Cushman's statement that
one purpose of the grand jury system
is ito give the people a greater con-
fidence in, and respect for, the court"
We trust this case will not go down
| as a precedent, holding before crook
ed officials no greater restraint than
the fear of whitewash and a resig-
nation. What recourse have we If
| we get another official of this kind
except the same tedious and disgust
| ing way?
The people who supported Healy
after they knew he was crooked have
shaken the peoples confidence in
| them. They seem to think with him
that the working man was made for
their particular benefit. Those who
supported Healy simply because they
had selfish purpose to serve, but
who had nothing to say in defense
of him, have no sense of public duty.
OF the supporters of Healy who
pretended to oppose him for the pur-
pose of getting more gossip to carry,
we have nothing to say--there are no
| fitting words.
| To those, if there are any, who OPP
posed Healy because of spite, there
is no credit. But to those citizens
who had the courage to come out
against him simply because he was
detriment to the community, we
owe whatever benefit may come of
his removal. For those who had no
end to gain except the general well
fare and self respect of this district,
and who were willing to say what