Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-01-16
on the lat OF June by the officers giving them re.

ing beyond the power Of the examiner the rem ady
must be supplied by prompt aud adequate pro-
vision OF law. The aggregate amount Of money
passing through the hands Of county treasurer
now ap, roximates tho sum OF S8,0JOOOO annually,
and in view Of theax precautions for the safety Of
these funds and the crude methods by which &C
counts are kept IN most Of the couDtes 1t IL COM
llinentary to the general character of county Of
lc:as that there has been 10 little ms!feasanco In
Office Nor IL the creation OF the office Of public
examiner necessary imputation upon the motives
of these officers. Conduct which leads to embez-
element and defalcaions in tn, majority Of cases
begins in lgnorA rather than Intentional q int
nallty.
Whether, therefore, tho protection of the public,
the good OF the erring Official or the avoidance OF
public scandal be considered. the importance of
that careful supervision which ensures y correct
basis aud honest beginning Of ttcul life, becomes
first mlsstep which, iHnorantly takuu and Thought
lcssly repeated. imperceptibly grows into such
startling temptations IS to defy the spower Of sue
crssfu esisance. 1t Is scare ly too much to say
that tho informrtiou impaired and the correctives
applied bw the public examiner have already been
tho means Of strangling y number Of iucpent
| embczzlemonts, while tho more uatured abuses
hlbiled by tho conduct Of u displaced county audi
tor and by tho recent examination OF tho accounts
OF the hospital of the iutane, whether resulting
from unconscious or intentional misconduct, illus
trateA the wisdom OF tho legislature in the timely
creation OF this office. In of the work already
accomplished and the enlarged usefulness to DO
cannot doubt that you will support 1t with sch ad
diional provisions as may be- needed to subs rye
| its highest purposes. In consequence Of the late
hour ut which the act became = law, no appropra.
ton was made for its practical enforcement,
omission to rectfy which your early action is so.
licfed. The report OF your senate special commit
Il for the investigation Of the management Of tho
inss Ne hospital was duly submitted to me and will
be transmitted.
BRA1NERD BRANCH LANDS.
BY the act Of March l, 1877, providing for the
completion of the called extension lines OF the
st. Paul and Pacinc railroad various duties were
IN nm II tha nd inst
u. mt of certain claims incurred for railroad
struction, and also of claims Of settlers who had
made prior filings and improvements in good faith
upon tho lands pertaining to such roads. The
commission provided for the examination Of the
cl.ms of railroad creditors consisting of the gov
ernov, attorne y-general and railroad commissioner,
after re Jented hearings aud full consideration,
filed their statement as required in the state audi
tors office on the 9th OF February last, showing
claimants to the number of IS, and = total allow
ance of S4y3 OSLO For the payment OF the claims
30 ascertained and In accordance with said act,
caused sale by auction to be made OF
| such selections had been made from
the lands which had already been certified to
the state Prior to the published day of sale, writ
! Of Injunction was served upon me for Its preven-
ton upon the complaint Of the Western railroad
| company, the constructor OF tho railroad from
| Watab to B1ainerd, upon certain alleged GROUNDS.
Without reference to the merits of the controversy,
| which were not matter for my consideration,
deemed it my duty, in pursuance Of well-estab-
'iShel executive authority aud Ut the advice of
the attorney general. to disregard the injunction
! III the ext cu;ion of the difficult task devoved
upon for the protection of the bona ide settlers
upon the line OF the road. found it advisable to
avail myself of the legal knowledge of the attorney.
general and of the assistance of Samuel H. Mich
OILS, Esq, whose former Sci vice in government
land Office rendered him familiar with the l.ws
md rulings governing the disposition Of the pub
lc lands. For the convenience Of the settlers
frequent meeting were held in c'ese proximity to
their homes for the hearing of II cir elaine, ard
ample time and opportunity were afforded for
full presentation OF facts by both claimants and
contestants. thorough investigation was thus
made of each land claim, and upon due considera-
ton 1873 of then, were allowed in whole in part,
covering l9,046H acres, descriptions OF which,
together with the pames Of the persons respective
ly entitled to acquire the same, were embraced in
the deed of REIMBURSEMENT to the United States in
order to perfect the titles of the actual residents
upon these lands as contemplated by the act re-
ferred to.
SEED GRAIN.
The legislature at its last session made provision
for supply of seed grain to the several counties
which had suffered from grasshopper ravages
during the preceding year. The sum of Sl50,0UO
action taken to comply It'll the several require
ucnts OF the law within the brief period between
the passage Of the act and the seeding time Of an
early srrins Thirty four counties availed them
selves Of the opportunity afforded, furnishing
aggregate of 6o26 applicants desiring various kinds
gram, sufficient to seed total of 22S 727
amounts applied for. The practical opera
| ton OF the law proved universally satisfactory,
and there is no reason to doubt that great
and deserved assistance was rendered to destitute
sections which had been 60 repeatedly subjected to
the insect scourge as to be disabled from helping
themselves, while the general good resulting from
the measure is shown by the fact that Of the
counties receiving aid are hose which largely
escaped the destructive blight of the past season
and produced the best crops in point Of quality
and quantity; the benefits to individuals thus
speedily contributed to the common prosperity by
the increase and Improvement of the total pro-
J Y1aiYa hoHi hooy, That fho
| grain raised from seed furnished by the state
III some instances b. ing levied upon and forcibly
removed by creditors, suggest that the existing
law relative to attachment and replevin be amended
for the better projection Of the interests Of the
state.
CAPITAL EXTENSION.
At the last session Of thu Legislature on appro-
priaticn of $l4 COO was made for the purpose of
erecting an addition to the western wing Of the
state capitol and rearrangng the apartments there
in. The commodious chamber In which you are
ad jacent, we'll the increased accommodations
beneath, bear witness that the objects for which
the appropriation was made have been accom-
plished. TIE enlargement and changes thus made
afford edditoDa: room long needed in some CT the
departments and it Is gratifying to state that these
purposes have been attained by an expenditure
strictly within the limits CT the moderate sum get
| apart therefor.
BIENNIAL ELECTIONS.
The constitutional amendment providing for
biennial in lieu Of annual sessions of the legisla
trative machinery to correspond there~ith. In
efecting this, great will be required to include
practical details of essential nature pertaining
to the several branches OF the government. The
changes required. aud the examination neces sarlly
given to the subject, would seem to afford q suit
able OPP ortun!ty for the consideration of another
question Of importance. The extraordinary fire.
| quency of elections has long been deemed by re-
tiectng men one Of the most serious evils pertain
ing to our form of government The differing du-
ration of state Offices quiring elections to I'LL
some of them annually, and the different seasons
| in which township and municipal elections
he d, leave intervals go short that the public finds
little repose from the distractions Of political
fare. The deleterious effect Of these constant dis
| turbar ces is manifest. They unfavorable to
public order to the pursuit of private bu and
to the dispassionate discussion of questions con-
corning the common welfare. They increase the
aversion to political duty entertained by orderly
and busy men, through whose default bad men are
elected to office, while the expense attending such
! frequent elections, entail heavy annual burden
upon the people: In view Of these evils, suggest
the inquiry whether anobvioqs pub ic interest would
not be subserved by providing for such amend
ments to the laws and constitution IS would re-
quire biennial elections only. For this purpose
IL would be necessary to cause our state cleo.
tons to take place the same year as that In
which members Of congress arr elected, which
would conform to that in which members of the
le islature are now biennially chosen. and also
to the year in which the presidential election
alternately takes place. If the term Of the
offices of clerk of the Supreme Court and state
auditor were heightened one year each, and
eral county offices made uniformly to accord
with those of state officers, biennial fall elections
only would be necessary throughout the state,
except for judicial officers whose election,
occurring at separate and irregular periods
would, In consequence, be properly further
removed from detrimental political influences.
In order to free the matter from complications
influenced by the interests of those already in
office, give due notica to all seeking Office, and
insure an impartial application Of the changes
to all concerned, the proposed amendments
might be made to take effect at some convenient
period in the future. deem the matter worthy
of attentive examination.
RAILROAD BONDS.
The recent vote of the people Of the state on the
proposition to exchange internal improvement
lands Tor railroad bonds, indicates that they are
not prepared to make settlement Of this vexed
question This deeply regret, Ny convictions
as heretofore expressed upon this subject have
undergone no change, and earnestly hope that in
the near future the people of our state will take
different view Of the matter.
INTEREST RATES.
invite you to inquire whether tho public vel.
faIe does not demand q reduction Of the rate of
interest authorized in this state. whatever may
be thought Of the soundness Of principle upon
lich 1nxuo Eouo