The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-03-21
CORRUPTION IN THE ST. CLOUD
LAND OFFICE.

A Gener nj Demand for Investigation.
From the Minneapolis Tribune.
The St. Cloud JOURNAL makes a
bold expose Of the transactions Of
what it calls the Gland Office Ring"
and demands an investigation. The
charges made are of a serious nature,
It is necessary, no less to vindicate the
innocent than to punish the guilty 10
silence the Misrepresentation, (if any
arc made) and to establish the
truth to force tho slanderers, if they
are such, to maintain silence by ex-
posing their mendaclty, and let the peo-
plo know how little of the charges of
corruption are to be depended upon.
We hope official notice will be taken
Of the matter and searching investiga-
ton had Of the charges made.
Commenting on the above, the St..
Paul Daily Dispatch says !:
"OAicial notice" acas taken of the
matter last summer when the commits
sion was sent out to investigate the
Half Breed Scrip swindle. About the
only "oficial notice" taken since the
report, was the s'resignation" of Gilman
Of the st. Cloud Land Office, but Sena-
tor Ramsey promptly appointed as his
successor Fl. l.. Gordon, who was ST.
lected by the firing" and simply made
an additional partner.
From the Blue Earth City Post.
The St. Cloud JOURNAL makes a
damaging exposure of the management
Of the ST.: Cloud Ian ID Office. It is
charged that ring of land spectators
have controlled that Office, and by fraud
ulent means have become the owners
Of immense quastities Of valua bic pine
lands in this State. Rumors of this
kind have been current in the State
for some months, and We are pleased
t. see that the editor of The JOURNAL
has the courage to make them public
and endorse them. Under the circum-
stances the Commissioner of the Gen.
eral Land Office can do no less than
order a thorough investigation OF the
matter.
From the Ovatonn1 Journal.
The St. Clond JOURNAL makes Sc.
rious charges against the St. Cloud Land
Office, saying that the Register and
Receiver Of that institution, together
with ring of co-operators, have been
guilty of the most fragrant acts of
swindling, thereby making themselves
immensely rich. 1t should be inves-
tigated.
From the Ck1tfeld Democrat.
The S.. Cloud JOURNAL gave its
readers, last week, an interesting chap.
ter on corruption in the St. Cloud Land
Office. 1t says that pine land ring
exists there, which, by its operations,
has absorbed tens OF thousand of acres
of the most valuable pine lands in north .
era Minnesota. It further cites the
fact that one Of the officers who three
years ago plead poverty on tire streets
Of St. Cloud, to secure signers to his
petition for the Office, is now, on SAL
ary of $4,000 per anumn, the owner
and occupant of ore of the most ele
giant residences in the State, besides
holding fortune in lands. We second
the JOURNALS demand for land Of
tice investigation, and while St. Cloud
may be good placs to begin, We hope
it will not end there
From the st. Paul Daily Pioneer.
We print, from the St. Cloud JOUR-
NAL, very serious charges Of official
misconduct of past aud present officers
Of the St.. Cloud Land Office. As these
charges seem to be of specific char
acter, the persons implicated will per-
ceive the necessity of offering some ex-
plantations thereof to the public.
From the st. Ant1ony Democrat.
The St. Cloud JOURNAL exposes the
rottenness Of the Land Office in st.
Cloud 10 manner having no doubt OF
the abundant capacity Of Republican
office holders to steal themselves rich
10 few years. The JOURNAL init
mates that three or four parties have
been stealing pine lands by the use Of
fraudulent half-breed scrip, and says
that Charley Gilman has made $780,
ooo or more in about Eye years, On a
salary Of $4,000 year!