Seward daily gateway., 1926-09-15
LAW ENFORCEMENT IN ALASKA

gress and in the Hearst press and by Dams political CO.
horts before the Senate Committees and elsewhere
gardng the failure of law enforcement in Alaska when
thoroughly sfted down to the charge that the Pro-
hbition law is not being enforced rgidy in their
opinion should be- Dan and his pack have charged that
bton law in southeastern and southwestern Alaska and
Judges Reed and Richie and District Attorney Shoup are
to blame for this failure in the enforcement of the proh
they have based their fight against these officials largely
these charges. While making these charges for their
political effect they have allowed them to grow and have
exaggerated he that they painted conditions exist
in Alaska which would put to shame the Babary coast of
San Francscos widest days.
Before laying the blame for the lack of law enforce
ment where it properly belongs, if any lack of law
forcement really exists let first just what these
conditions are,-what the basis of comparison is that
these people in determining that Ketchikan for in
stance, is the worst pest hole in America Before
can say Of certain person that he is immortal there
must be standard of comparison The standard of NOR
atty differs in different places the earths surface
What is the proper thing do in Africa necessarily
proper in America The same holds true of communities
No matter how clean any given city in the United States
may be- you will find that the people resident in almost
any hamlet in the New England states will deem wick
ed deDraVed and immortal. Now what is the standard
that these preaching politicians employ in measuring the
morality Of Alaska towns? Do they compare conditions
in the Alaskan coast towns with their TRANSIENT floating
population of miners and fishermen, to the average small
town of the in interior America New England
where every person knows the history ancestors
and conduct of every other person in the community
do they compare conditions with those found in the
aye 1C
fair that the latter method of comparison be made use
Of using for the purposes Of comparison the ratio which
the population of such cities bears to the population of
these Alaskan towns. And any of these pile ped
oilers deny that conditions the average Alaskan coast
town far better by comparison than in San Francisco
or Seattle or a great number of other cities
Now let us admit, for the sake Of argument and to
satisfy these adavt guys that there violations Of
the Prohibition law in Alaska, but these are no more
fragrant than elsewhere in the United States
Who is to be charged with the failure to bring these vo
lators to justice? Judge Reed? Judge Richie? Arthur
Shoup? Are these judges and district attorney to be-
come prohibition sleuths, running with sponge
and hot water bag to samples Of mule which
to base adavts for search warrants? Alaska poced
almost entirely by a comparatively few deputy marshas
each OF whom must cover territory in most in
of 500 miles, Mr. Sutherland for brief time
United States Marshal and knows should know, just
what these deputies may and may not do Each Of these
is we'll known in the territory he They have
been picked for these positions largely because they
mand the respect of their fellow citizens because they
know the country and because they know the people and
Can it be possible for these people to detect violations Of
the Prohibition law. Hemmed in by departmental rules
and regulations promulgated and approved by Mr. Suth
erlands only friend in the Department of Justice Mrs
Mabel Widebrant, the Assistant Attorney General in
charge of Alaskan prohibition matters they have not
much chance to attempt enforcement of the prohib
ton law in Alaska, and it is only by uke that they
able to make occasional raid and secure conviction
1t is we'll known in and around Seward that not one agent