gainst Mr. Hoover’s conspiracy,
wired to his attorney general,
Mr. Mitchell, and demanded as
surance that the job at Nome
would not be abolished before
two years, otherwise he, Rust
gard, “would not be interested?
in the office.”
What makes Mr. Rustgard a
Republican? The Republican
paper Stroller’s Weekly says that
he is preeminently the most out
standing individual in Alaska if
not in the world the best fitted
to be attorney general of Alaska,
perhaps that paper can explain
what right John Rustgard has
to appeal for Republican support.
He has three employees in his
office and ah are Democrats.
The fishing population is in
terested. They want Mr. Rust
gard to explain why he has done
absolutely nothing to fight for
their cause. In the campaign of
1929, he refused to join with the
other Republicans in denounc
ing the fish trap. He said fish
traps were not an issue in his
office. Aren’t they?
The White Fish Bill makes it
unlawful to “grant an exclusive
right of fishery.” Lawyers are
agreed that the fish trap is an
“exclusive grant” from its very
nature and thus unlawful. Why
has Rustgard done nothing to
protect the rights of Alaskans
against the fish trap which is
slowly destroying the business of
Alaska? P. E .Harris perhaps has
a better view of what harm a
fearless attorney general could
do along this line. Will Rustgard;
if reelected, do sometHing to
compell O’Malley to enforce the
law?
The White fish bill says that
it shall be unlawful to “take,
catch, or kill” any salmon from
six o’clock Saturday evening to
six o’clock Monday morning. Mr.
Rustgard knows that every time
a trap is “lifted” on Sunday,
salmon are killed. Why hasn’t
Mr. Rustgard done anything to
enforce this law? He has long
clamored to be freed from the
lestrictions of his office. Is there
anything to prevent him from
demanding that the Bureau of
Fisheries or the District Attorn
ey enforce this law?
John Rustgard must explain
j. Why he defended the fish
trust on the tax bill;
2 Why he opposed the John
son resolution;
8. Why P. E. Harris endorsed
him for Judgeship.
4 Why he accused his Presi
dent of conspiracy;
5 Why the “take, catch or kill”
clause is not enforced;
6. Why his office employs only
Democrats;
7. Why his office employs out
side attorneys to do his work;
8. Why his every act has sup
ported the federal governor a
gainst the auditor’s office;
9. Why he failed to support.
Auditor Cole in protecting school
funds.
WHERE THERE’S SMOKE
THERE’S FIRE
-x
In all the realm of officialdom
we know of no branch which
usually serves to uphold the dig
nity of governmental service as
does the Federal judiciary. A
Federal judge has autocratic
powers, however, which in the
hands of a man who lacks the
balance of judicial temperament
leads inevitably to a despotic
and tyrannical attitude which
makes for anything but the
proper administration of justice.
Too many judges seem to forget
that the attorneys practicing
before; them are also officers of
the court and sworn to uphold
the dignity of the law.
Personally we do not know
Judge Justin W. Harding, but
we do know personally and by
reputation William L. Paul,
Henry Roden and Simon Hellen
thal—gentlemen all—and all of
whom have been fined for being
in contempt of court by His
Honor Judge Justin W. Harding.
There is an old proverb to the
effect that where there is so
much smoke there must be some
fire and we, in common with
most other Alaskans, are begin
ning to believe that where there
is so much contempt there must
be some justification for con
tempt.
After fining all the lawyers
who presumed to stand on their
rights in the protection of their
clients the judge became em
broiled in a battle with the office
of the United States Marshall,
claiming that the Chief Deputy
to Marshal White, also held him
m contempt. We don’t know.
Possibly he did. In any event
the record of Judge Harding
should assist in discouraging the
appointment of carpet-bagger
judges to the Federal bench in
Alaska when the territory has an
unusually brilliant galaxy of
lawyers of the home grown vari
ety which would make much bet
ter judicial material.—Alaska
Weekly.
-x
SISSON NAMED BY
WHITE FOR NOTIFICATION
-X
Albert White, United States
Marshal for the First Division,
who was named at the Republi
can National Convention to serve
upon the Committee to notify
President Hoover of his renomi
nation, has designated and re
quested Charles P. Sisson, As
sistant United States Attorney
General, to act in his stead, it
was announced by the former.
“I have asked Mr. Sisson to
represent Alaska Republicans on
the notification committee,” Ml*.
White said. The ceremony will
occur at Washington. D. C., on
August 11.