Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-10-02
The AUDITORS Troubles.

Frank Mcdonald, the auditor of this county,
seems to be in a very unenviable position.
Not only have charges of grave and specific
character been preferred against him, but i'm
mediately after and since the charges were
made the auditor has stopped over" on all
sides. As soon as the report was resd in the
meeting Of the county commissioners making
the charges, the auditor said that so far as it
related to him il was as false as hi. And
TO prove himself clear of the alleged corrup-
ton he said, "here ere the books; investigate
them" But it Will be remembered that Ex-
amiuer Knox, who it is charged did ell he
could to shield tho Republican
officials of the county, SAID in
bis report that If the auditor and treasurer nut
their heads together the Old Harry cannot find
them out.
The report of the committee explicitly eaid
as much as that these two officers have had
their heads together" How, then, will an
investigation of the books, no matter Whist
the result might be, satisfy the people that
Mr. Mcdonald is innocent? The honest voters
of the county will want moro than an investi-
cation of the auditors books TO satisfy them
of his integrity.
And the auditor said that the report was
made in spirit of retaliation. Suppose it
was. LIZ be is guilty does that place him in
any better light? He seems to have the idea
that if he makes charges against the other Off
GERS II Will IL some way nclp nltu.
But what makes it worse than all the rest is
that while he said the report was false, he soon
sfterward gave to the daily papers two in
stances where he had abated taxes without any
authority whatever Tuesday he denied the
truth of the charges, and in less than twenty
four hours reversed the denial.
The auditor has said to the press that when
he made one of the statements in question
Commissioner Ward was present snd approved
of the settlement. hoping TO get out of it in
that way. reporter of the GLOBE called
upon Mr. Ward, and that gentleman emphatic
ally denied this and said that he could so
prove.
Another charge the auditor has made
ia that Mr.. Ward drew $50
from the treasury to purchase post
age stamps for the Office, but that the money
was pocketed and not stamp furnished. Mr..
Ward has also emphstically denied this lie
the auditor can substantiste this charge the
GLoBE will be glad to publish the same for the
information of its readers. The position of
the auditor is thus not TO be envied. If be had
preserved his dignity after the report had been
made it would have been far better than to try
to hesmirch the other officers by charges and
countercharges, and one day affirm what he
denied the day previous. That the auditor Q
and treasurer's offices have been disgrace to
the country, Republicans do not deny. Neither
can it be denied that Frank Mcdonald, who
has been either deputy auditor or auditor for
several years, docs not know of ways that are
too dark for honest men to follow. His as
sumption that only IN two instances has he
made an abatement without authority, Will
probably have less weight than it now has
when all the information in the possession of
the special committee is made known. Some
OF the commissioners said at the meeting
Tuesday that their report YVES only the Begin
ming, and it now looks as though that was true.
War is looked for en- Monday next, when the
commissioners again meet.