The Alaska citizen., 1914-11-23
SPENCE'S CANDIDACY.


 Third division, who, if reports are correct, has gained much popular opposition within his Jurisdiction has gone to Washington to seek ap- pointment as United States judge in this division. It is to be hoped that before appointing MT. Spence the attorney-general takes the trou- ble to investigate the causes of the candidates unpopularity, as it is cas- fer to make a mistake in the appoint ment of an official than it is to correct it.
 It is possible that MT Spence has been misrepresented on the coast by his opponents, and if so he will be able to prove this satisfactorily to the officials in Washington. But as the reports reflecting upon his official duties there come from vari ous sources that seem to be without malice, there is serious possibility that he is not the man wanted to administer justice in Fairbanks.
 The Citizen does not know Mir Spence MT Spence is a Democrat and The Citizen is the only Demo cratic newspaper in Interior Alaska, and, therefore, this newspaper would not oppose his appointment. if it can be shown that an injustice has been done him.
 In a recent issue of the Seward Gateway, Mir Spence is criticised for having the only moving picture show in that place closed on Sundays there for forcing the men of the camp to seek more harmful sources of recreation on that day. The enforcement of this blue law" at the request of one preacher has created much op- position in that city against MT. Spence.
 Following the report from Seward about the closing of the moving picture show there, there comes a report in a telegraphic item to The Citizen that Mr. Spence has failed to close up the moving picture show in Valdez, his home town, for the evident reason that his own son is employed in that theatre
 But that is not so serious, after all, as the way the Valdez grand jury went over his head to the judge of the court in regard to the allega- tion that Mr. Spence had advised people who were not citizens, and therefore, not legally allowed to vote. that it would be all right for them to vote at the recent election.
 When the matter was brought to his attention by the court, it is re- ported that MT Spence denied that he had advised the foreigners to vote However, if reports be true. there was more than one illegal vote cast upon the approval of MT. Spence. It Is asserted that women who had married foreigners had been advis- ed by MT. Spence that they should go ahead and vote, regardless of the fact that the law is very clear upon the subject. It is also report ed that Mir Spence told foreigner who had never been naturalized that he might vote on the grounds that he had served in the army of the United States.
 The trouble with this is that these people have committed serious crime that may send them to prison, through the alleged advice of a man who is supposed to protect them. It seems from the reports from Valdez that the grand jury is con- sidering the matter of indicting these alleged illegal voters.
 The Citizen does not believe that the department of justice should ac- cept these reports as correct or as untrue without some investigation. but 1t does believe that in justice to the people of this community that MT. Spence should be vindicated of these charges before he is given the appointment.