Iditarod pioneer., 1914-01-17
A Strangers Views


 'I am a stranger here and of course l don't know what has been the custom Tn the past, but ss an official l have sworn duties to perform, and am quite ready to accept the responsibility for performing them With regard to the Sunday closing order. that will be enforced in the full terms of the statute requirements. l am begln- ming with the saloons which are usually con- sldered the most difficult to deal with, but there will be no discrimination. It is legis- Istive duty to repeal law that IS not want ed, just as clearly as it is my duty to en- force it until it is repealed or amended"
 Mir. Saxton stated that the Sunday clos ing statute WAS put in effect not upon any direct complaint that had been made to him by anyone He also said that Mir. Cochrane had told him that while mayor he had to get up at midnight and close the beer booth, owing to cases of intoxic aton occurring.
 The sentiment among the saloon men and barkeepers in regard to the order closing the saloons on Sunday seems to be divided. Some expressed the opinion that if the law provided for Sunday closing there was nothing more to be said on the matter. On the other hand, it is pointed out that espe- cially during the cold weather the saloons are 8 great convenience to the men who come in from the creeks on Sunday and have no other place to congregate. On the whole the sentiment seems to be in favor of Sunday closing, although it will mean 8 loss to the saloon men and work hard ship on many others.
 Tho "cinx" in Operation
 The Nugget says editorially that "fate seems to have it in for Nome. It was not enough that there should have been bad season last summer in the mining camps 1t was not enough that nature should lay upon the already stricken city the hand of de struction. No, the gods who rule were not satisfied with the misery that they had wrought The people were not made un- comfortable enough. And so the little ginx that sits up aloft and whispers trouble into the ears of rulers dug up law made for the people of Nome by get of men who knew no more about the conditions of Nome and the frontier of the north than they | do about-well, about g great many other things that they ponder over and decide from the comfortable Hobbies and offices l in Washington. The saloon IF Alaska occupies an entirely different relation to the community than in any other part of the country It is not primarily place for man to go to drink himself into state of beastly intoxication when he wants te forget real or fancied troubles. It IS not tht resort of thugs and degenerates and copspir ators against the state. In the Northlanc the saloon takes the place of the hotel tht club, or, at times, even the rescue house fol wayworn travellers over the winter trails When all is said, however, the law as it stands is the law of the land and ii must be enforced by those who are appoint ed for the purpose, and if there is any fault to be found it must be found with the law and not with, the officials of the law" 1 From at, Impartial Standpoint
 The Industrial Worker says: --'--
 "As far as we are concerned, every baloor in Nome could be closed tomorrow without any Sort Of protest. We do riot believe ths,