Valdez daily prospector. (Valdez, Alaska) 1905-1918, 1917-06-09
OF GROSS PARTISANSHIP
IN LETTER To DIR. BOYLE

nlcnt.'

In an effort TO justify his actions
in going behind the returns OF the
recent contest for Delegate, Alaska S
supposedly Democratic executive
writes a letter to Dr. F.. NJ. Boyle. a
good Republican politician of An
chorage. stating that the actions of
the court which decided for Charles
4. Sulzer were too partisan for him
to make comment on" meaning
thereby, it is supposed. that the gov
ernor's partisanship extended in the
other direction. This is probably the
first time in history that an execu-
tive of any state or territory has de-
liberately attempted to discredit the
courts and the Attorney General of
his district by acting contrary to the
advice of both. and deliberately turn
ing his back upon their advice. Had
Gov. Strong exercised the same
amount OF pabulum from his eye
brows to his bald spot that he used
from his chest protector to his finger
tips he would have realized that the
! decision of the Attorney General abb
solved him from all blame in the mat
ter. and he would have not been
; forced to seek notorious partisan
republican for sympathy The lang
uage in the decision of the Attorney
General stating which votes should
and should not be counted. and could
easily be understood by man of
less partisanship and more intelli-
gence The court, while probably
democratic for few inches above
and below his gold crown, has never
to the knowledge of this paper allow
ed his politics to influence his deci-
sions. and this is the first time it has
ever been charged. That the accusa-
ton comes from a man who has suck
ed the democratic pap for many years.
makes the charge doubly ridiculous.
The Governors letter to DR.. Boyle
may connote many things but it chief
ly denotes that the executive is
traitorously furnishing ammunition
for the enemy's guns. The letter fol-
lows:
"As to the Delegate contest to
which you refer, while appreciating
your kind words. l did only that
which | believed was a duty incum-
bent upon me; that is duty l owed
my Office anc the people of the Ter
ritory. In the absence Of any fraud
being alleged. l could not see how
and fair-minded man could find that
Mr.. Sulzer had been elected when
the returns plainly showed the con-
trary, and I acted accordingly. The
injection of partisan politics into this
matter is most regretta BILE. but have
nothing to regret and am quite will
| ing to accept all responsibility for my
action. I know that the people of
Alaska. by their vote reelected Judge
Wickersham. and I know too much
about Alaska and Alaskans condi-
tions to deprive the voters of remote
precincts of their franchise on mere
technicalities or irregularities. You
no doubt have been advised that there
were technical violations of the elec-
tion law and irregularities noted in
nearly every precinct. and if the
boards had taken cognizance of all
, technicalities and Irregularities, be-
lieve that Judge Wickersham would
have been elected by thousand ma
jority. The action of the Court was.
in my opinion. so partisan. that COM
ment on my part would be superfu-
Gus. | believe that the matter will be
settled in the right place. namely the
House of Representatives"