THi; ID2TAROD PIONEER
Published ttyery Saturdey Morning at Iditarod, Alaska
Yol. 8. CHARLES A. DERRY, Editor No. 12
ARBUCKLE & DERRY, Publishers
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DELEGATE SULZER
Contrary I expectations, the district court o! the l ust div:
.‘•ion has decided the congressional drlegnleship conlest in lavor of
Charles K. i t ! ter, the LVmncratic candidate. While there i- no
,],mht ;hat th ■ ■. nvassing hoard counted illegal ballots in deriding
t! at Wickers! m had been reHeeled, il was hardly thought pos
sible that lb e ‘Ui't would go behind the returns ami practically
make a lice's!. n which il was the duly of the board itself to ren
,!,.r. ii is j.ot at all improbable that the national house of repre
sentatives i .-bf will be called upon for the final determination of
I in- coate.-! ; i-. of course, the court of Iasi resort in the mat
tcr of quo- a ;s uffecting its membership.
In die .ion of Mr. Suker to the position of delegate in con
gress the .- a essful candidate and'the Democracy of the territory
are to lie e u aratulated upon the issue of a contest which was pri
n:;.:;ly me f iinkusement or condemnation of the policies of
President W l-on as afiecting Alaska. By their voles the people
of die ter:,', y a-serleil their confidence in the administration of
Prisidjpt W i.-on a- the first chief executive of the nation who
has inte!I. i i 1 v attacked the problems which confront this un
developed .'lion .f Uncle Sam's domain. To have done oth t
wise would l ave been a display of something resembling ingrati
tude. From the moment that Delegate Wi kersham announced
!:..- platform of opposition to the President, pro: ubiy itilluenced
bv the h lief that Hughes would be the successful eandmate for
Pre-ident, the fate oi lit-- rmdiiia.-y j?- -- tiled, ii- pr lel'.ct.lly
as.-ured his eppom. tit's • -1 ti n h> ! ■ .-.wn actions.
In the retirement of Mr. W ickersham to private life after a
period of eight years in the halls of congress, it will not be wiia
out a si i. e of loss that the people will view the change. Mr.
Wickersh : t has rendered valiant service to his constituents. His
splendid abilities and his general aggressiveness have many times
been the means through which beneficial legislation and official
action have been turned :n favor of the territory. 1 he Pioneer,
for one, sincerely regrets the change of ii at on mat t
former delegate which has deprived the territory of his valuable
services.
Mr ki lter enters u- on his new duties under the most favor
able aus",i'"'S. In sympathy with the administration which is en
gaged up: : a plan of development of Alaska which is more com
pnheiisi than had been thought po.-iUe a few years ago, he
will find iat the arduous preliminary work has been thoroughly
dene. IL task set for him is an intelligent co-operation with the
edminisi r. ’ ion and the people of the territory in the elabnrate
plans new unfolding. We bespeak for him the trust of the people
iukI pie he; that he will be equal to the duties he will be called
upon to perform.
-« .- -
WRONG IN PRINCIPLE
Those who violate the statutory anil moral laws promulgated
for the c ivernment "f society are entitDd to no -ympathy. as a
rule, and it is right that they suffer the prescribed penalties for
their mi-deeds. But it does seem, in spite of the learned ju la
ment of die supreme court in the Diggs-Ciimmetti case, that there
has been a misapplication of at least the principles of justice in
making the Mann act applicable in cases which plainly tire sub
ject to ‘iie police power of the different states. Mrs. Maury T.
Diggs, who as Martha Warrington was introduced to the world a
the girl Maury Diggs took to Reno. Nev., for which he and F. D.
(’aminetii were convicted of white slavery, has spoken for the
first time since the supreme court confirmed the superior court
convict! .1 of her husband. In u recent Oakland, Cal., dispatch
the is quoted as saying:
“We are defenseless before this sentence. If infractions
of the moral code were punishable with prison terms, we
would accept this judgment as eminently just. We do not
wisi) to make any extenuation of our mistake, but we are
n ; punished for the act which we have confessed. My
ht: land is punished for a crime he did not commit, lie
is not now, and he never was, a white slaver. We were
of age and we went for reasons not immoral. There was
ii i compulsion. We do not think we have been given an
equal chance. The sentence carried out at this late day
cm. benefit no one. We are already broken in fortune
and reputation, in family, in spirit. • From this punish
ment there is no escape. And it is enough.”
The Mann act. enacted as a result of the crusade against com
mercialized vice, and as a direct attempt to curb the “white slave’
traffic, never was intended to cover cases :-uch as those of Diggs
and C; minetti. The only excuse for federal action in the premises
was rh,,t the infamous traffic complained of could be reached by
the federal courts under the clause of the constitution that gives
congress power to regulate interstate commerce. The extension
of the power of congress to cover cases of moral lapses of indi
viduals may well be looked upon with suspicion by those who see
the steady encroachment of federal authority over matters which
are the peculiar province of the states.
It is worthy of note that the attorney general of the United
States at the time of the passage of the Mann act, under whose
direct: n the campaign was carried on which resulted in its be
coming law, did not put such an interpretation upon it as has
been applied by the supreme court. The text of the court’s de
cision ,vill be awaited with interest, because it is likely that its rea
soning will have a tremendous effect upon future legislation of the
federal congress.
ALASKA COMING INTO HER OWN
It is sincerely to be hoped that the government will see its
way clear to carry out the suggestions of Secretary Houston with
reference to utilizing the forests of Alaska for the manufacture of
print paper. It has been pointed out many times that the im
mense spruce forests of the coast, region constitute the greatest
supply of timber suitable for pulp now extant on the American
continent, and that these should be utilized in the present genera
tion is one of the evidences of the interest that this territory has
awakened and its importance to the nation. It Is not so long ago
that a government official who would put forth such a suggestion
would have been looked upon as an impractical dreamer. With
the added knowledge possessed by the outside world as to this won
derful possession of Uncle Rant, it will not be received with the
suspicion it would have aroused in former years.
The most important factors in paper-making are raw materials
(spruce and poplar woods principally I, water power and find.
These the coast regions of Alaska provide in abundance. Other
important factors affecting the product it » of paper are the exist
ence of good transportation facilities and the proximity of markets.
An all-water route to New York through the Panama canal, and
incidentally to the entire west and east coasts of the United States,
as suggested by Mr. Houston, provide these essentials, and even if
his figures as to cost of laying down the finished product in New
York at $35 per ton should prove a trifio low, there is plenty of
margin between that and the present cost of print paper to make
the idea worthy of the fullest investigation.
Incidentally the development of these resources will provide
employment for permanent re-idonts of Alaska, and will bring
nearer the day when the demand for statehood may be made with
a- ranee and a belief iit the ultimate erection of a sovereign
stuio which shall be governed by and for the benefit of its own
people.
The inauguration of such an industry would do much to jus
tify the work of the conservationists, who a few years ago were
berated and execrated by the people of the territory and
of the West generaUv. Had r.ot these f 'p’-ts been re-on ed by the
government there would have been but small areas that would not
la w be held privatclv ; and there would ha\n open but little prob
ability of bringing about conditions that would have justified a
private enterprise in attempting to utilize them on an extensive
settle fi r manufacturing purposes.
__ A - -_ _
Hon. Dan Callahan, candidate f r territorial nator in
the Wurth division four years ago. but who was rail
roaded to the penitentiary last year, has liven granted a
new trial bv the appellate court and will .on Is- home
as ii»i. His conviction has been termed "la ' -hsi e of
Alaska” by many of the papers of the country. 1; was
more than a "shame.” It was a damned outrage!
Forty-ninth Star, Anchorage.
This is the tone i i a good deal of newspaper comment on the
notorious Callahan case. It is possible that a technical error was
committed by the court during the trial, which can be corrected
when the case comes up far rehearing. But in the face of the fact
that there was abundant evidence of the mans cuilt, the out
rage” and "shame.” as we see it, is in making a martyr out of a
man convicted of a bestial crime simply because he stands a
chance ol escaping the penalty of his misdeeds through a techni
cality.
---<$.-•
It does our old heart good to notice the generosity of
our government in providing such splendid mail service
for the "trail biab'-r.- ’ of the interior of Alaska, l or in
stance, the issue of The Iditarod Pioneer, a weekly pub
lication published at loitered, of December 23, has just
reached our table. Just ihink. Iditarod being several
hundred miles from Ketchikan. If the distance was in
the thousands it would be still more wonderful; but hun
dreds of miles is a long way, just the same, d es. indeed,
our government is marve:ou.-ly generous - in spot-.
Ketchikan Pr.gres.dve-Miner, Ft i rusty 10.
Fight weeks to deliver a ne wspaper “a few hundred miK ’
certainly indicates generosity on the part of Uncle Fain to the
people I f till" district. But we fail to perceive any signs of gen
erosity in the fact that the last issue of a Seattle newspaper to
reach here was of September date. And Seattle is but a few
hundred miles” farther away than Ketchikan.
---A
The idiosyncrasies of the administration of American justice
are well illustrated in the case of Edward Krause at Juneau. On
February 15 Judge Jennings sentenced him to serve terms of im- ,
prisonment aggregating forty-five years for the crimes of forgery
and fraudulent use of the mails. Just when the prisoner had be
come accustomed to looking forward to a life of ease and retire
ment at the expense of Uncle Sain, he was haled into court and
his dreams of future happiness (and in fact of any future at all
were cut short by his being condemned to die on the gallows on
May 11 for murder.
-O
The contest for the governorship of Alaska promises to become
an interesting one. The elimination of Sulzer from the list of
candidates will make the struggle even more intense. Let us hope
that the successful aspirant, whoever he may be, will be endowed
with courage and the ability to make a decision.
--
The Grand Duke Michael, as to whose occupation of the Rus
sian throne since the abdication of Nicholas there seems to be
,-umc question, is the brother of the deposed monarch, and was
born in 1S7S. The Grand Duke Nicholas, who has again resumed
command of the Russian army, is a second cousin of the ex-czar
and Grand Duke Michael.
--0—
It is probable that the territorial canvassing board obeyed the
mandate of Judge Jennings with more alacrity than is customary
when persons are compelled to do certain things by court order.
--«•
Hi Gill is either the most corrupt rascal who has contami
nated public life recently, the biggest fool, or the most maligned
man in current history. _ __
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THE COMPENSATION LAW
(Nome Industrial Worker'
A recent number of the Juneau Empire
contains a news item of interest. It tells of
a suit tiled by two plaintiffs who claim under
the territorial law the sum of $1,800 for
permanent disablement from the Treadwell
company.
This suit is of especial interest. The main
argument used by the company and the
company attorneys who manufactured it for
the legislature to pass was that, it would
save the poor workers the long litigation and
eliminate the lawyers who battened upon
such suits for damages. The bill would
enable prompt payment, eliminate lawsuits
and satisfy the workers who stood in need
of the money.
This buncombe is now riddled with holes
bv the suits just liied. It places the facts
clearly before us; shows that the workers
arc in identically the same situation ns ever
before, with the difference that the amount
that may be sued for is limited to a certain
pitUrv sum which will not pay the doctor’s
and hospital accounts against the unfortu
nate sufferers.
The Imistrial Worker, when the text of
the bill became known, characterized the
measure as a “limitation of employers’ ha
bility law,” and that is what it is seen today
to be exactly.
It is quite immaterial how grossly negli
gent may have been the company, nor how
criminal may have been the carelessness of
the defendants, nor how indifferent to hu
man safety it may have been, ft is imma
terial how flagrant and willful and afore
thought neglectful may have been the com
pany the men can sue for just so much
and no more. It is quite beside the question
th't the hospital bills and doctors’ accounts
may have run into sums far beyond the toe.
detrr: lined upon the law in a kindly man
ner limits the liability of the company.
It is an infamous law. It is a law with
out even a scintilla of justification, and the
mere fact that suits, tedious ami eostiv.
h: \ e to be filed by the sufferers, am •<
quite plainly.
The most Momentary feature of a com
i ensaton hill should present in clear terms
tlv res’ionsibilitv of the employers for med
ic!.! attendance and hospital care during
such time is the injured need it. And above
all, it., utility is nullified when suits have
to be brought in the same old way as ever
exeunt that the amount that may be sued
fi.r is limited by law. But the whole thing
is such an irony that the equivocal title may
be the very last thing to be subjected to
criticism. And the jt ke is upon the workers.
WHAT HAPPENED TO GERARD
AFTER BEING RECALLED
COPENHAGEN. Feb. 12. United States
Ambassador Gerard's refusal to sum the
protocol reaffirming treaties with the United
States after he had ceased to perform hi#
ambassadorial functions, or to telegraph for
instruct!' ns tmle.-s he was permitted to use
cede, ltd Gaunt Mongo!its to hint that a re
fusal to sign the protocol rntsht materially
affect the status c f Americans in Germany
and their privileges of departure.
The count mentioned specifically the ease#
>f the American correspondents whom Ge
rard desired to take out with him, and
whose fate was apparently thought to carry
particular weight in American public opin
ion. This intimation of a rupture in die
diplomatic relations, and thp use of the
newspaper representatives as a supposet.lv
important piece upon the diplomatic ches#
l-t-.-rd, caused Gerard tu declare ruun.lv
that he ci uld not be a party to any such
pressure, and that he doubted whether anv
4 eiv.-puuer man could lie sandbagged or in
fluenced in any way by considerations of
personal safety or convenience, and that he
n:u#t persist in his earlier expressed stand
point regarding these negotiations. From
that point nothing further was heard of the
protocol or of the possibility of detaining
Americans.
Claim Trcat'cs Are Still in Effect
An exchange states that a representative
of the Berlin foreign office recently pointed
out that the ancient treaties between the
United States and Prussia were still in ef
fect. and contained a clause contrary to the
usual rule, that they should not be invali
dated by the outbreak of hostilities. The
status of the Prussian-American ticaty of
1828 is a perplexing question. The treaties
of 1799 and 1828 allowed nations in case of
war nine months in which to settle their
affairs and leave hostile countries. This step
would positively insure Amercans in Ger
many and Germans in America against in
ternment if hostilities break out and would
prevent a precipitate exodus fr,-m either
country such as was general in Europe when
the war began.
—-A
SERVICE'S STORY DUPLICATED
Robert W. Service’s story of the man who
lived for months with the body of Sam Mc
Gee in the frozen North, bound by a prom
ise to cremate him, was brought to mind
recently by a similar one, says a Prince Al
bert dispatch. Constable Barbour of the
Royal Northwest mounted police, who is
just in from his post, tells of a trapper in
the far North, Sigvald Nilson, whose only
companion since October 26 was the body
of Ole Heberg, his partner.
Nilson’s shack was at Island lake, 150
miles north of the police district, far from
any human habitation. The trapper’s part
ner died of pneumonia, contracted while the
two were pitching in for the winter. Nilson '
feared he would be accused of the murder
of his companion, so he kept the body until
a member of the mounted police should
come.
Constable Barbour reached the shack De
cember 18. His examination showed the
man had died naturally, and he gave per
mission to inter the frozen body.
He told Nilson to make a great pile of
wood and keep it burning until the ground
below was thawed, then to dig a grave with
the tools he had and put the body in. He
was to mark the spot with a cross, according
to the custom of the wilderness.
-9
STOLE ALASKA CHARTS
Stolen government charts of the channels
at Anchorage and other Alaska harbors
were found among the belongings of Her
bert Sauer, who was sentenced at New
York on February 16 to serve a term in
Sing Sing prison for killing an aged woman.
Sauer said that he stole the charts in or
der to make a name for himself when he
returned to 'the fatherland.
--«
Fresh Olympia and Eastern Oysters,
SI.50 per can. Iditarod Meat Co.
GERMANS ADMIRE FRENCH,
HATE THE ENGLISH, AND
WOULD PUNISH AMERICA
Mrs. Eula Phipps-Miller, an American
woman who recently returned from a lung
residence in Germany, believes that if peace
terms were adopted to Germany’s loss her
soldiers would rebel. She is quoted in a
recent New York dispatch as follows:
“There would be a revolution. They say
they have sacrificed too much to lose in the
end. They believe absolutely in militarism.
It is their safeguard, hemmed in as Ger
many is. I do not doubt, however, that
they cun be persuaded to see matters as
their kaiser sees them, as regards peace
terms.
"I believe peace would be most heartily
welcomed, particularly by the German of
ficer class, but they declare they would
rather be vanquished than to make peace
to their country’s disadvantage. They fully
expect all indemnities to be paid by their
enemies. ‘Germany did not wish, war, and
did not begin it,’ has become a proverb in
Germany among all classic-. .Another is:
‘The one who starts a fight must get the
bi uting.' A friend of mine, a German
widow. - .id to me: ‘The officers are very
tired of camp l.fe, and are longing tor
home.'
“I saw and spoke with many soldier-: at
home on visits. Most of them had been
allowed to visit their families twice since
the war began, and were permitted from
five to ten days at home. They seemed
quite jelly, and not at all tired of fighting.
They told some stories about battlefield
methods which I do not cure to rape t for
publication. It will be difficult in hem
to adjust themselves to home ! ': and busi
ness after the war. The soldiers demand
good food, and are provided with it. The
women say if need? be they and their chil
, . i will tarcs’, but the soldiers mus; be
well fed and dare not lack.
“I think the Germans would welcome
most enthusiastically »•; arntc ncaec \\:i!
si v one of th'dr opponents. That would
iiiUHIi om l' -s' U* Ij'liil. 1 ill > v ill • li• -
moo' naive way. ‘Why does everybody hate
us ? ’
“The be.ter class of Germans da not ex
press their feelings toward the allies. They
really admire the French. The working
and middle classes do the hating. They
aim a ’.nire the French, but hate England,
hold Italy in contempt, feel more kindly
di.-posed toward Russia, and, with Ilimlen
burg on the frontier, are 11 t afraid of her.
and rr» wishing ih;.t they might punish
America.
"They say the French have every reason
to dislike them, and have a perfect right
to wage war against them; but that they
have never harmed England in the least,
and they cannot have too great contempt
for a country, bound so closely to them
by family ties:, which takes up arms against
them.
“They say England must get a good
whipping, and then America will come in
for her share. The lower classes know noth
ing about international laws pertaining to
supplying munitions to belligerent coun
tries. ’I hey have never been enlightened
n that subject; therefore they look upon
the sending of mutations to the alios as a
oersonal friendly act on America’s part.
Therefore America is their enemy, and
the feeling against America is growing
among them. The chil iren are taught to
foster this feeling, and the newspapers have
a tendency to express i:. Unless sentiment
has changed since I left, these people be
hove that President Wilson is decidedly
English in his views.
"The people in genera! are in favor of
the indiscriminate waging of the submarine
warfare. By the people, m this connection,
I mesn altogether the middle and lower
classes—the haters..
“This is an example of the German at
titude. expressed in a letter of farewpll as
I was leaving: ‘I hope you will always
have a good word for the country that has
been so oft insulted and hated, and which
is so upright and true.’ It does not occur
to them the' militarism can make enemies
Militarism to them is a necessity and a
' U UIU U.
“The German women are to be admired
in the extreme. In the first place, they
have the advantage of physical strength,
mid as education is compulsory until the
loth year, they can read, and add well, be
sides being able to write in German and
Latin script. During my nineteen years in
Germany I had looked upon the German
woman only as a housekeeper. Suddenly,
with one year's training, she was able to fill
all positions, from bank clerk to coal carrier.
They arp reouired to go through a thorough
training so as to become efficient in their
different vocations. Even in the severest
work, such as unloading coal wagons, they
seemed to be happy in the thought that
they were making it possible for men to
join the army.
“I cannot say what the result will he
when the men return, but I believe that
the happy home life is broken up. The
emancipation of women in Germany has, if
I may be allowed the expression, made
things hum. An idea was given me by
some wives whose husbands had been home
on furlough. They were shaking their
heads and saying: ‘Our husbands have
changed. They do not need us any more.
They can cook, and sew, and wait, upon
themselves.' And the women have changed,
too. for they have learned to do men’s
work.”
---—*
Fresh Olympia and Eastern Oysters, $1.50
per can. Iditarod Meat Co. 1
BERLIN GREATLY SURPRISED
WHEN ALLEGED PLOT FAILED
Berlin was astonished, officials and public
alike, when President Wilson broke off dip
lomatic relations with Germany, says a
Berne, Switzerland, dispatch of February 13.
The astonishment came because the offi
cials had recently been assured by the
Germon-Americans in the United States
that President Wilson would not break for
fear of a German-American uprising. This
same belief was held by the German public.
Writing now from neutral Swiss soil, it
is possible for the first time to tell of the
developments which led Germany to her
decision of relentless sea war.
The determination to use the submarine
in unlimited warfare dates back to Novem
her. It was then that Germany’s internal
affairs were at the greatest crisis of the
war
The Socialist, warned the kaiser that un
less he moved for peace Dr. Scheidemann
and other Socialist leaders would head a
militant movement to bring about peace.
This move came ut a time when the Ger
man people were destitute and despondent.
Simultaneously, the powerful land own
ers, controlling the food supply, and the
equally powerful group of industrial ’:ead
ers, controlling the munitions makers, told
the government the only way to end the
war was by an unlimited submarine war
fare. Those interests always have been
anti American.
-
BRAZIL’S PLACE IN CRISIS
The Corriere de Manhu of Rio Janeiro, it
h leading editorial on ‘ Ran Americam-ii
is quoted in a dispatch of February Id as
follows:
“President Wilson has intervened in the
European war, and thereby broken down
the narrow limits of the Monroe doctrine
But there i- nothing in this act which i«
inconsistent with the traditional policy <t
America. The war has a new phase, in
which no nation will be able to remain iso
lated.
“In this grouping of powers our place is
the side of the United States Our des
tiny lies with the great republic of the
North. It is to be expected that the
troubled times to come will result in real
ization of the Pan-American ideal."
♦
A VICIOUS PRACTICE
(Fairbanks News Miner
To the surprise <>f many, some Fair: ank
ans of American birth have been hear-l to
utter almost treasonable remarks, if not
indeed, treasonable, in regard to the action
being taken by the United States. That
this course will get them into a lot of
trouble if the break with Germany or any
other nation should become more serious is
certain.
The News-Miner has positive information
that the government his had a special rep
resentative in Fairbanks for months whose
! duty it has been to report rabid utterances
I on the war question and the names of the
persons who showed an unneutral interest
in the war.
People in England, Canada and Germany
| have been interned for remarks no more
! serious than those uttered by some Fair*
banksaii' during the past few days, and it
may be that arrests will take place hero
if the situation gets more serious than it is
at present.
P r o fessiona 1
I_
■ Michigan, 1881 A]*§k», 1*1©
Kentucky, 1891
George Woodruff Albrecht
COUNSELOR AND LAWYER
IDITAROO, ALASKA
The Pioneer Attorney of IdUarod
E. M. STANTON
Attorney at Law
Office: Corner Willow and S^/ond Sfca.
Iditarod Pioneer Building
CM AS. E. TAYLOR
Attorney at Law
BANK BLOCK
First Avenue UiUWKi
DR. RrlOORE
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
DR. H. E. AURINGSR
Physician anil Surges
o
Office: Flat City Hospital, Flit GHy
Consultation Hours in Forenoons tsA fty
Appointment
FLAT DRUG STORE
FINNEGAN & CAMERON
FLAT CITY
Agency for Edison Diamond Disc Phonographs and Records
TOBACCO CIGARS STATIONERY
CONFECTIONERY AND BILLIARDS
C. R. Cameron Jas. F\ Finnegan
THOS. McMAHON
DEALER IN
FLAT, ALASKA
■i i i ^PM———i——