Iditarod pioneer., 1915-07-17
FEDERAL OFFICIALS ARE HAULED ON THE CARPET
 BY J. HARMON CASkEY
Fairbanks Citizen, June lSl

will be until next March.
 This is only one of several Republican appointments that have been made by Judge Bunnell and other federal officials purport, ing to be Democrats. The officials who made these appointments were themselves appointed by virtue of their having been supposed to be loyal members of the party, but it seems that as soon as theIr own nests were feathered they forgot political lines In other words they have evidently become members of political ring that IS tacltly organized for their own selfish interests. Governor Strong who holds the highest appolntive office in Alaska, is to be guest of Fairbanks for short time, and the Citi zen feels that it is his duty to look into this abuse of party rights, provided, how ever, he is truly and sincerely working for the pGrtys best interests. The governor, it seems, has not been as patriotic to party affiliations as he should be, considering the fact that he owes his own position to the policy of the national Democratic party to ! appoint only Democrats to office.
 l Indeed 1t seems that Governor Strong has been made party to the territorial Demo- cratic machine that has been organized in 1 Lunea under the leadership Ct Shackle- ford and Davidson, and that it is not pos sible for him to assert true party affiliations l without becoming an outcast from thlS ma chine. If this be true, then Governor Strong is improperly named, and instead ot belng strong in principle he Is weak enough to become the tool of aspiring pol!tlcah bosses | But let us first review the local situation.
 When Charles E. Bunne.I was first noml- | hated as a candidate for delegate to con gress a report reached Fairbanks that he was a Republican, that Ee had voted the | Republican ticket two years prevlously, that he had applied for the trusteeshlp ot the town of Valdez under a Republican admin | str2ton, and had posed as d Republican when asking for the job. In the light Of thIs, the Clllzen refused to take up cam pagn in behalf of Mir. Bunneiis candidacy until it could satisfy itself in regard to his l political atfi .iatiCns, as this newspaper Is not l boosting anybody for office who ls not truly a Democrat.
 But MT. Bunnell explained away, in what seemed to be logical manner, the charge that he was a i{epUUlcan, and then the Citizen took up his fight. But what did Mr i Bunnell do when he was appointed judge! 1 Let us see:
 No sooner did MT Bunnell take office than i he became affiliated with Marshal ErWln, the kool of Tom McGowan, the poAtlcal boss I here. It has been assumed that Mr. Bun nell was man of considerable force ot char acter and that he would not bend to the will of 8 boss, but from his actions ne has since indicated that this was wrong.
 It will be remembered that when Lr"!n became marshal he kept in his office two deputies who were appointed by the pre- vious Republican incumbent of that otflce 1t will also be noted that he has not gone out of his way to appoint depuues who have been recognized as active party men.
 Erwin evidently conceived the idea that | if he could get clerk appointed Who "oaia be subject to his own dlctatLon, he would strengthen his own power poAncally, and ih the light of events he seems to have m duced Judge Bunnell to appoint J. E. Clark | Erwn's chief deputy, as clerk o1 the court This was the first appointment mace Dy Bunnell, and it met with anything but ap- proval by the rank and tle ot the lCcA 1 Democracy
 The next queer move made by the Mo 1 Gowan- Erwin -Bunnell clique was the ap- pontment of Sid Stewart professed he nublican, to the position of chlet deputy | clerk. The Citizen has only the highest re spect for Mir Stewart, and admits that he IS man of much ability as q clerk but It denies that he IS more proficient than some Democrats that are in Alaska.
 Cecil Clegg, a good man in every way, but a pronounced Republican, was the next man to be favored by Mir BunneH. Mir 1 Clegg was appointed as referee m the bank cases.
 As A sort of climax comes the appoint ment of MT. Brown to take the place ot Commissioner Dillon, and Ii the latter con cludes to remain Outside It will mean that Mir. Brown will hold the office indefinitely. It must be admitted however, that Mir Brown IS a competent man.
 The charges that have been made by the News Miner that the federal officials in talr- banks have formed themselves into ring for the purpose of mutual protection have not been denied It IS expected that the Fairbanks Times will take exception to this statement, and to the charges that the Cltl- zen is making for the News-Miner's asser- ton that the Times is the organ for the ring has been quite conclusively proved in varl- ous ways.
 The advantages of a ring for appolntlve officers are quite apparent. TOT instance, should charges be made at Washington against the conduct of Marshal Erwin the other members of the ring, all holding posi- tons, can easily save him his position by wiring to the department of justice that the charges are unfounded In the same way the judge and the district attorney can off set any popular opposition simply by glvlng each other official support.
 District Attorney Roth seems to be just as much party to this ring as anyone, for it is evident that it is through his efforts that the Fairbanks Times is included in it. Mr. Roth has admitted that he has a finan- cial interest in the Times, and various other things indicate that many of the political editorials appearing in that organ have been inspired by him.
 Anybody who doubts that a political ring has been formed in the federal building in