Seward daily gateway., 1928-10-20
JUDGE ]. $. TRU|TT TELLS WHY SHOULD
 BE ATTY. GENERAL
OUTLINES VIGOROUS POLICY WHICH HE BELIEVES GOOD
 FOR TERRITORY

A1GeT an eXJenUoQ JTlp thru Southeastern Alaska where he went on a campaign tour, James S. Truitt, Democratic nominee for the office of Territorial Attorney Gen eral on his way thru to his home in Anchorage gave an extended inter view to the Gateway in wla'"A le outlines his policies
 Conditions in general are good" he said, "and especially the politi- cal outlook in Southastern Alaska. I will say that in the course of my trip thru that portion of the Terri tory in the interest of my campaign for the office of Attorney General of Alaska, saw much evidence of increased prosperity and more or less of feeling of optimism for the future, and that this feeling may be encouraged and fostered it would appear to be the duty devolving on the coming Legislators thru a pro- gram of constructive Legislation and the avoidance of any radical enactments that would tend to in iure our future prospects,
 If I am elected, as I confidently expect to be, to the office of Attor- ney General, I shall place all the aid and assistance the office af- lords at the disposal of the legisla- tors, together with all the advice and counsel within my power, to the end that the Legislature and the office of Attorney General may work together as a harmoniOuS unit in the enactment of such con- structive legislation as the situation requires. And further that the legislation so enacted by the duly elected representatives of the peo- pie will be such that it may be har- moniously administered and sub ject to liberal interpretation by the people, and not subject to nullifica- tiOn as has been done in two or three vital instances by the pres ent incumbent in that office. l look on the office of Attorney Gen. eral as an instrument created to guide and assist in the enactment and administration of laws that will express the will of the people, but do not believe that any in cumbent has the right to usurp the office of the courts which the pres ent incumbent has done by his de- ciSiOnS which have nullified the laws of the Legislature on more than one occasion. Law in any country or community is the ex- pression of the will of the people and with that idea in view should be given as liberal a construction as necessary to attain the aims of the law, especially in an undeveloped Territory like Alaska.
 ''The present incumbent, Mr. Rustgard, constantly complains of the lack of harmony existing be- tween his office and the Legislature until the thinking person is con- strained to believe that perhaps the tail of the dog is trying to wag the dog. A perusal of the personnel comprising the membership of the various legislatures that have func- tioned while MT Rustgard has been in office, regardless of party affilia- tions and the factionalism that have at times obtained, will show some of the brightest minds, both legal and otherwise, available in the Territory. It would therefore seem that if these minds disagree with one as to what is best for the Territory in the way of legislative enactment, it would behoove one to accept the situation gracefully, and bow to the will of the people as expressed by their representatives. When the Alaska Legislature con-
 (Continued on Page Eix)