THE IDITAROO PIONEER
Published Every Saturday Morning at Iditarod, Alaska
Yol. 8 CHARLES A. DERRY, Editor No. 1
ARBUCKLE & DERRY, Publishers
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GARBLING THE NEWS
One of tlie stock arguments of the Socialist orators, agitators
and publications is that the press of the country is unfair to the
toilers and to the Socialists in particular in the matter of publica
tion of news. It is often contended that certain news is “garbled”
or eliminated entirely in the interest of the “capitalistic class,”
and such suppositious instances as arc brought to attention are
taken as an excuse for virulent diatribes against the “capitalistic
press," which, according to some of these reformers, includes all
newspapers and periodicals which do not advocate Socialism. The
faet that these contentions have been shown to be untrue times
without number seems to serve no purpose, and the charges con
tinue to be made. It may be pointed out in this connection that
the great news associations, and especially the Associated I’ress,
arc the especial object of the invective of the Socialists, when
the probability is that these are the least culpable in the matter
of garbling or suppressing news. The news-gathering associations
serve publications of ail shades of political belief, and must of ne
cessity be impartial and non-partisan, because of the fact that the
newspapers they serve are also the owners and managers of the
news service. That .there are exceptional cases of newspapers
which lay themselves liable to the strictures placed upon them by
the Socialists may be true; but in a general way it may be said
that few if any of the newspapers constituting the Associated
Press, for instance, are guilty of ^garbling” the news, because they
would be instantly branded as fakirs by their contemporaries, and
their value as purveyors of news would be greatly lessened.
No cause or propaganda which resorts to suppression or gar
bling of facts can hope to gain the.sympathy of the people. A
cause which will not stand fair and free discussion from all angles
is saddled'with a mighty handicap. One would naturally expect
that the cause of Socialism, whose adherents evidently are so en
tirely sincere in their beliefs, would be free front the faults with
which they accuse their opponents, the. "capitalistic class.” But
observation shows that this is not the case. If one were to rely
entirely on Socialistic publications for the means of forming an
opinion upon current questions. of government and economics, it
is safe to say that a very one-sided viewpoint would be arrived at.
This;is to.be regretted, because, while many cannot agree with
the Socialists in their contentions, yet there is much of value in
the discussions aroused.by their doctrines.. As an instance of the
apparent unfairness of Socialist publications in the handling of
news an Alaska publication may be cited.
The Nome Industrial Worker is a publication edited by a man
of much ability and learning. Its discussions of economic prob
lems always show evidence of thought- and sincerity. Its views
are-^rr intensely Socialistic, however, as to give a suggestion of
fanaticism". It -•has* Tittle sympathy with the union labor move
ment as represented by Samuel Gompers and the American Fed
eration of Labor, and it is an avowed partisan of that method of
organizing labor into political bodies as represented by the Indus
trial Workers of the World. Naturally, as both the trades-union
ist and the Socialist are working for the same ends, even though
following .different paths, one would expect fairness in matters of
general interest relating to either of them at the hands of toe
Socialistic press. But this is not the case, and often the Socialist
newspaper or periodical will give a vicious dig at the trades-union
ists or their representatives which seems to-be entirely uncalled
for and unjustified by the facts. Recently President Gompers and
a number of delegates to the American Federation of Labor con
vention at Baltimore called upon President Wilson at Washington.
The news item was telegraphed to the Alaska, newspapers as well
as others. - When the dispatch apjieared in the Industrial Worker
of Nome, however, it was hardly recognizable. It spoke of the
“junketing trip” of the delegates, and pf how they listened to
an “uplifting homily" from the President, and conclude! with the
following assertion:
The delegates .then,returned, to their hotels, where sump
tuous lunches were put-down to traveling expense account.
Now it does not require knowledge of newspaper conditions in
Alaska to realize that such an utterance was never "made by any
correspondent at Washington .and telegraphed to Nome, subject
to the considerable tells on telegraphic messages which Alaska
newspapers are compelled to pay. It was a fake, pure and simple,
end one which does no credit to the Nome newspaper. In the first
place, what does a newspaper correspondent know about the “trav
eling expense accounts" of the representatives of the various
trades unionists represented at Baltimore? Ami presuming that the
“sumptuous lunches” were a fact, who has a better right to such
fare, even according to Socialist reasoning, than the representa
tives of the toilers .of the land?
Tire intention of the garbled dispatch was to throw discredit
upon the. trades unionists,- and to scatter discontent among union
members. Until this class of “argument” is abandoned by Social
ists they should refrain from accusing the “capitalistic press of
garbling or suppressing news.
A POOR EXCUSE BETTER THAN NONE
The Iditarod Pioneer, published by an old-line Democrat
who has always supported Wickersham, sees the reason why -
Wickersham's usual- big majority in Alaska went ..glimmering
in the last election. This old Democrat says:
"Voters should not allow themselves to become confused
as to the true, situation. Differing, from previous campaigns,
in which Wickersham has made the race as a non-partisan
candidate, he is "this"year standing squarely on the Repub
lican national platform. Although nominated as an ‘inde
pendent,’ he is in reality the Republican candidate. He him
self made the tight a partisan one, and the friends-and’sup
porters of President Wilson's administration, cannot , but ac
cept the challenge.”
There is no question but what Judge Wickersham's open
declaration that he .was opposed to Mr.' Wilson's policy, in" '
Alaska was the cause’of his loss of votes in the last election.
But the publisher of The Pioneer himself dees, the very thing
that he cautions the voter not to do. He “becomes confused
as to the true situation,” or at least he pretends to be con
fused. Judge Wickersham’s opposition to Wilson was on the
question of-repealing that portion -of our organic act giving
us authority to levy "additional, taxes” on.the fishing corpora
tions doing business in Alaska. * * * The publisher of
The Pioneer is right in saying that -Democrats opposed Wick
ersham because he opposed. Wilson in his effort to curtail our j
territorial power, but it was because they were “confused" ns
to the reason why Wickersham opposed Mr. Wilson. Time
will prove this.
The above is from the Forty-ninth Star, published at Anchor
age by J. W. Frame, who was the Wickersham candidate for ter
ritorial senator in the Third district, and went down to defect in
the recent landslide. His position was a most unusual one he
claimed to be a supporter of President Wilson and at the same
time gave his support and that of his newspaper to Wickersham.
While, the election is a thing of the past, even though the re
suit may not be known officially for some time, the extract quoted
above is of sufficient interest to bear reprinting at this time, be
cause it gives an inkling as to the reasoning employed in support
of the anomalous position occupied by Mr. Frame and his kind.
The old adage that “a poor excuse is better than none" is ap
plicable in this case. But we doubt whether such an excuse as that
put forth by the Star is the one that will be employed by Dele
gste Wickersham. We look to see, at some future time, when
the smoke of battle has relied away, and the delegate feels him
self in a more loquacious mood than he apparently has been in re
cently, a clear cut statement of his position from that able and
fearless politician. And we miss our guess if he does not corrobo
rate the general impression, which is that Mr. Wickersham, feel
ing certain of the election of Hughes, considered it his opportunity
to rehabilitate himself with his party and become its spokesman
and dispenser of patronage inAlaska. But in the vernacular, he
“made a bum
JOHN GETS ANOTHER JOLT
It is a common sight in Alaska to see a band of malamutes
engaged in the agreeable task of endeavoring to tear to pieces one
of their kind who has been unfortunate enough to become the
“under dog” in a general melee. Custom and habit impel them
to make a victim of the helpless brute, even though he may have
been their team-mate a few moments before. Humankind is cred
ited to a certain degree with the same propensity. Old John Bar
leycorn, who has been receiving several hard knocks recently, is
the latest victim of this phase of the “survival of the fittest."
Not content with banishing him from many states and territories,
the medical fraternity recently has almost universally agreed that
there is no medical virtue in alcohol that cannot be supplied in
greater measure from less injurious ingredients. He has been
condemned as an ingredient of the luscious mince pie and plum
pudding, and is rapidly becoming the Ishmael of beverages. But
the “most unkindest cut of all” is that commented on by the Des
Moines, Iowa, Capital, which says:
From time immemorial whisky has held the floor against
all comers as the premier snake-bite remedy. But now comes
a well known physician with the statement that only one in
every eight persons bitten by rattlesnakes dies from the ef
fects, and that the bites of the less poisonous snakes found
in the United States seldom, if ever, produce death. His
testimony is that those who recover from snake bite after
being dosed with alcohol would have pulled through anyhow,
and in most cases the effects of the alcohol are as serious as
those of the venom. It is said that out of the 1,500,000
deaths occurring annually in this country, only about ten are
due to snake bite. Apparently, then, there is little excuse for
keeping any considerable quantity of “remedy” around the
house, and certainly even less reason for the inordinate fear
of snakes possessed by the average person.
Here is a paragraph that is commended to the perusal of
those American citizens wdio have so far lost sight of the great
principles upon which this government is founded as to comment
with admiration upon the “wonderful efficiency' of governments
presided over by rulers by “divine right.” It is from the pen ot
the great English writer, H. G. Wells:
It is manifest that the powerful people of this world are
by no means necessarily noble, and that most modern kings,
poor in quality, petty in spirit, conventional in outlook, con
trolled and limited, fall far short of kingship. Nevertheless,
there is nobility, there is kingship, or this earth is a dufsH>'n
and mankind but a kind of skin disease upon a planet. Ihe
aristocrats are not at the right table, the kings are not en
throned, those who are enthroned are but pretenders and
simulacra, kings of the vulgar; the real king and ruler is
every man who sets aside the native passions and self-interest
of the common life for the rule and service of the world.
THE POWER OF ELOQUENCE
Presumably a pastor should never be surprised that his
people, when appealed to for some special need in the field of
Christ’s service, do a fine thing. He ought naturally to ex
p'ecfthem to respond. That much as introduction to the an
nouncement of the S25 offering of the native Sunday school
of Skka for the “starving children of Armenia. The offer
ing surprised the pastor, and that in spite of the .act that
in the six months Ire has been on the field he has learned to
know these children and to like them, and expected them to
do something worth while. It was a splendid offering tor
these children, and an offering full of significance. There
were more than two “widows’ mites” in that offering. Num
bers of the children gave all they had. And many of them
when the need was placed before them, had no money, but
went out and earned it. And one could write a very inter
esting story about a. little Indian girl gathering cranberries
in the bogs of Alaska that she might send food to the starving
children of Armenia It was a significant offering that 425
by these native children, and its significance should be noted
by those who support me work among these people. And its
significance will be noted and rejoiced in by the workers on
the field.
The above is from the Verstovian, the organ of the Sheldon
Jackson, school for natives at Sitka. It shows that a commend
able spirit of self-sacrifice has been inculcated in the minds of
the native children, which in itself constitutes a rebuke to those
better able to relieve suffering and distress. The misery of the
Armemans is great, and their plight should appeal to a 1 and cal
for an opening of purses throughout Christendom. But is it not
somewhat ridiculous that the' eloquence of this well-meaning
divine should have been expended in working upon the sym
pathies of these poor children-themselves dependent upon the
bounty of others—rather than upon the wealthy men and cor
porations, located almost within sound of his voice The
“widow’s mite” may be acceptable to the Lord, but surely the
contribution of Dives, if made in proportion to his ability, would
be more useful. _ _
WHY ALASKA VOTED DRY
(Douglas bland News)
The anti-prohibitionists in Alaska can blame the California
Liquor Dealers’ Association of San Francisco for putting Alaska
in line for a seat on the water wagon. Ehrly last spring! every
newspaper in Alaska was ealled upon by a representative of that
Zciatfon and nearly every paper in Alaska contracted for the
Ball Band Robber Boots and Pacs
Ball Band Rubber Boots and Pacs
! PETALUMA EGGS
I Cold Storage
Mam and Bacon]
HUNT’S CANNED FRUITS
Fisher's "Blend” and. "Art” Flour
Golden Glow Butter—None Better
Dog Hams, 6c pound Dog Bacon, 82c pound
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N. C. Co. Sole Agents for Alaska
N. C. Co. Sole Agents for Alaska
publication of literature to be furnished them by the association,
which, from a business standpoint, was perfectly proper. The
newspapers had their space for sale at a legitimate price and the
California Liquor Dealers' Association was willing to pay the price
asked. So far, so good.
Having secured space in the press of Alaska, it was up to the
purchasers to utilize it, which they proceeded to do. The result
was that a campaign was launched the object of which wa3 to
boost and popularize the booze industry. Hundreds of columns
were printed telling of the unholy workings of prohibition
wherever it had been tried—of how it was a failure in Kansas,
where crime, insanity and imbecility were stalking hand in hand
and rampant; of how there was more drunkenness in Seattle since
the state voted dry than there had ever been before; of how pro
hibition interfered with personal liberty and curtailed God-given
privileges; of how it was unjust to interfere with any man’s in
alienable rigid to take e drink when he felt so disposed; of uow
the advocates of prohibition were a bunch of old women, cranks
and “nuts," and of how any state, territory or town that voted dry
was headed straight for hell, morally, mentally and financially. In
fact, never before had the people of Alaska read one-tenth as much
about the booze industry as wa3 dashed up to them during the six
months previous to election day. What was the result?
Surely a question that was worth so much space in newspapers
was one of .moment and importance. The result was that people
began to investigate for themselves and investigation proved that
statements made in “paid wet space” could not be verified. Many
former lukewarm friends of prohibition became inquisitive, and
finally instituted investigations on their own account. They won
dered, if all the bad things said about prohibition were true, why
they had never heard of them before. They went into the matter,
and the result of the election on the subject throughout the terri
tory was their verdict after thorough investigation.
Printers’ ink settled the wet and dry question in Alaska, and
the greater portion of it was paid fur by the California Liquor
Dealers’ Association. In their zeal to enlighten the benighted deni
zens of the Northland they put one over on themselves. Their
literature caused the people to think over and weigh the subject
at issue, and the big majority rolled up on November 7 was the
result of that thinking and weighing.
The Fairbanks News-Mner says: “Ala.-kans amply will not
send lawyers to Juneau to make laws for them, and laymen sim
ply cannot make law's that will stand in a court of law.” But they
have sent lawyers there, and the laws they were responsible for
did not have good luck, either. The fact is that few laws run the
gauntlet of legL-lative bodies which have not been approved by
one or more lawyers. _^
SHAW BREAKS LOOSE AGAIN
George Bernard Shaw, answering some questions put by
Charles Sarolea, editor of London Everyman, says: “It is not
modest to sing ‘Rule Britannia’ and it is not modest to retort,
‘Deutschland uber Alles.’ And it is not immodest to sing ‘0 God,
Our Help in Ages Past,’ and ‘Ein Feste Burg 1st Unser Gott,’ On
the whole, I am inclined to back the hymn against the patriotic
song. But the sensible thing in war is Dot to keep bothering
about your own character, but to count your guns, keep your
powder dry, and claim no more than they will run to. In peace,
national modesty would be fatal. If any civilized nation today
were to become modest enough to see itself as it really is, it
would utter a shriek of horror, and run violently down a steep
place into the sesi.”
“What can you predict will be the state of British opinion after
the war?”
“As usual, bumptious when it is not blithering with sentiment
or blubbering in baseless panic. In short, it will be reading the
halfpenny picture papers.”
“Will war cure bellicosity, or ignorance—or anything el*e?”
“War will cure nothing. The business of war is to inflict
wounds, not to heal them.”
“Do you think that the war will make the British want any
thing violently after it is over?”
“Yes, beer.”
The London Spectator, which i» mentioned in tho now* <JL
patches this week as devoting almost its whole issue to the peace
demands of the allies, recently printed tho following significant
editorial utterance: "We do not want to press the analogy of
other wars too far, but there is one which will help people to un
dewtand the situaton. Abraham Lncoln, in the last year of the
war with the South, would never listen to overtures for peace,
however great the concessions which appeared to be offered to him.
Lover of peace and hater of war as he was, he knew that tha only
way to end the war which would justify the nation for having
waged it was by dictatng terms, and not by negotiations. He was
not going to leave the Confederates in a position to make a second
war when they had recovered sufficeintly, and to spring once again
at the throat of the North. He acted not out of any feeling of re
venge, but because he knew that the South must fight on tlil it
could fight no longer.”
Tha Rev. Francis von Clafenbeck of Tillamook, Ore., has sent
his naturalization papers and a letter resigning his citizenship t-o
the district court clerk at Helena, Mont. The letter in part said
that to "see a man returned to power after an administration
and policy such as we have seen during the la3t four years is too
much for me.” Feeling as he did, the general comment wi:I be
that he did perfectly right. Now if Jeremiah A. O’Leary can be
beguiled into doing likewise, we believe a subscription oould be
raised to send the two back across the seas to where they could
find kindred spirits and contentment.
The Vegetable Growers' Association of America, in session at
Chicago recently, announced that tho odorless onion will soon bo
given to the world. “It will be an onion that anyone can eat
and still go abroad among one's friends. It will be a tearless
onion, too. Its popularity will soon approach that of the straw
berry or the watermelon.” But who will want that kind of an
onion?
-«
How would you like to be a Balkan king who had guessed
wrong on the war?—Kansas City Star.
LAST GERMAN COLONY TAKEN
The capture of Dar-es-Salaam (“The
Harbor of Peace”), the chief seaport and j
official capital of German East Africa, marks |
the end of the German colonial empire j
and sets the seal of final victory upon the i
brilliant campaign of “Boer Smuts.”
The particular irony of the thing is that
it was a Boer soldier who dealt the Ger
mans this blow, considering they counted j
so confidently upon Boer revolt, along with j
Indian ana Irish revolt. There is also irony j
in the “personal equation,” for General I
Smuts is the origimd of that “Boer Smuts” ]
whom certain German journals held up to
such unrestrained personei rbuse and ridi- j
eule. Strange to say, they failed to grasp !
the inherent compliment to all concerned !
by forever labeling him “Boer,”
For Britons there is certainly cause for
tucreased amazement and pride in the fact
that a territory (its area is 384,000 square '
miles) twice the size of Germany has been
added to the British empire by the genius
of a soldier-statesman who was one of the i
right-hand men of President Kruger in
the stormy days that preceded the South
African war, and in the war itself proved
himself one of the most dashing and re
sourceful cavalry leaders on the Boer side.
It is not too much to say that “he caine,
he saw and he conquered," if “saw” is in
terpreted as hard, fcariess work against
large enemy forces in a country of vast size
and extreme difficulty. He carried out re
markably swift and thoroughgoing opera
tions which he began in February of this
year without a single reverse. “Such roads
as do exist,” wrote General Smuts two
months ago, “are merely clearings through
the bush and swamp, and these rapidly
become well-nigh impassable.” Waterless
deserts had to be crossed and pipe lines I
laid. Railways had to be built at the !
rate of a mile a day. He and his troops
had to face fierce heat, pestilential fevers, ,
poisonous flies and even dangerous wild j
beasts. On many an occasion night move- I
ments brought them in touch with man- j
eating lions. Yet the task was well clone. |
By a series of rapid marches the Germans
have been followed, hemmed in, and driven !
from fhe great Central railway that spans I
the coldny, arid forced into the bush, where j
there is no recourse but surrender or de- j
struction.
Major General Van Deventer, another j
distinguished Boer general, seconded Gen- i
eral Smuts admirably in enveloping move- |
ments from the northeast, while General j
Tombeur, with a Belgian force from the
Congo, advanced in the regions of the Af- j
rican lakes, capturing in August the towns
of Ujiji, famous in history as the place
where Livingston was met by Stanley, and
important as the terminus of the Lake
Tanganyika arilway.
Dar-es-Salaam is a town of 25,000 inhab- ;
itants, with a magnificent harbor and float- I
ing dock. Its streets are wide and its
buildings imposing; it was to have been
the capital of ad Central Africa, as the
Germans expected that the railway which
ran from it to. Lake Tanganyika would
ultimately give them control of the enor
mous Congo area, now under Belgian rule.
, (t was'probably for. the conquest of the
Congo that they maintained the large and
wed armed .force in. German East Africa
of 10,000 native and European troops.
The fate of the German colonies' haS been
as follow's:
Oceania—Carolines, Pelew islands and
Marshall islands, oocupied by Japan in 1914;
Samoa, occupied by New Zealand troops in i
1914; German New Guinea and Solomon
islands, occupied-,by.Australians in 1914. ]
Asia Kiauchau (in Northern China), |
captured by Japanese, 1914. j
Africa—-Togoland, occupied by British !
and French in 1914; Cameroons, conquered
in 1916 by' British, French and Belgians;
German. Southwest Africa, conquered by .
General Botha spid South African troops in *
1915; German East Africa, in process of
conquest by General Smuts and British and
. South -African forces. ■ !
The . total area- of the German colonial
empire while it existed was 1,027,000 sqtiate
miles.~-Gincinnati Enquirer.
_—-*- i
THE SHORTER DAY ,
The firm of Endicott & Johnson, owners
of the largest shoe manufactory in the world,
located at Binghamton, N. Y., anonunced on
October 27 that beginning November 1 it
vcuid establish in all its factories, employ
ing more than 12.000 men, an eight-hour
v with ten hours’ pay.
Professiona 1
Michigan, 1881 Alaska, 1910
Kentucky, 1891
George Woodruff Albrecht
COUNSELOR AND LAWYER
IOITAROO, ALASKA
The Pioneer Attorney of Idllarod
E. M. STANTON
Attorney at Law
Office: Corner Willow and Second Sts.
Iditarod Pioneer Building
CHAS. E. TAYLOR
Attorney at Law
BANK BLOCK
First Avenue idstawi
DR. MOORE
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
DRUG STORE
DR. H. E. AURIMGER
Physician and Surgeon
Office: Flat City Hospital, Flat Ctty
Consultation Hours in Forenoons and by
Appointment
FLAT DRUG STORE
DR. £. T. MALIN,
Chiropractor and Masseur
Diseases Cured Without Drugs
Chronic Cases a Specialty
Office: Gold St„ Flat
Best of Everything
ALL THE TIMS AT THE
Arcade Cafe
FLAT CITY
Open Oav and Ntf hi
FINE WATCH REPAIRING
NUGGET JEWELRY TO ORDER
J. L. SALE, FUt City
I
I
I PI A C A PHA; big and small. prtat*4 «»
| » l*Aw»I\LliJ paper, eardhoartj or Blow,
' on short notice, a» Idltarod Pioneer am™
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT
CAFE
FLAT CITY HOHBACK A DU RAN B
But. ti»« Grand and BagoyY Baa
THE BEST ALL THE TIME
WE ARE HERE TO STAY
French Joe’s Roadhouse
SOUTH FORK KUSKOKWIM
DOC BACON AND FISH
FOR SALE
Big Stocks of Fresh Goods
| Everything for the Miner and
Prospector
MAX SIMEL TRADE#
! Btortt at Crlpplt Olty and Mouth of Tola**!
FINNEGAN & CAMERON
FLAT CITY
Agency for Edison Diamond Disc Phonographs and Records
TOBACCO CIGARS STATIONERY
CONFECTIONERY AND BILLIARDS
C. R. Cameron F. Finne*a*
We Carry
Only Goods
Of the
Highest
Standard of
Quality.....
S AW. CANNED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
SWIFT’8 PREMIUM HAMS AND BACON
GOLDEN GLOW BUTTER
PETALUMA EGGS
LIPTON TEAS
PILL8BURVS FLOUR
ROYAL ORAY AND WHITE
ENAMELED KITCHENWARE
STETSON HATS FLOR8HBIM SHOES
STANFIELD’S AND MEDLICOTT UNDERWEAR
OREGON CITY WOOLEN MILLS MACKINAWS, LOGQER8' SHIRTS AND WOOLEN
CVERSKiRTS
LEVI 8TRAUSS OVERALLS
Rubber Pacs, Arctics, Moccasins, Socks, Gloves and Mittens
Stoves, Tents, Tarpaulins, Windows and Glass
McMAHON
General Merchandise
FLAT CITY
* — — - - ** -7, - — ■ * *-»- .... , . —