Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-17
PROSTITUTING an OFFICIAL POSI-
TON FOR MALICIOUS AND PAR.
TISAN ENDS.

PROSTITUTING an OFFICIAL POSI-
TION FOR MALICIOUS AND PAR
TISAN ENDS.
An individual named Henry NJ. Knox once
Aourished as a banker in st. Paul. He
graduated in that business good many
years ago and went up in a blaze of glory,
receiving money from depositors up to five
o'clock in the afternoon and failing to open
his doors the next morning. Since that his
torical sharp practice, the Republican party
appears to have considered itself
under obligations to care for this
expert financier. He drifted about
from one post to another, never giving sat
isfaction to the head of the bureau or office
with which he was connected, until it was
finally decided that it was cheaper and would
relieve his friends more to create an office
especially for him. A bill was accordingly
passed establishing the Office of Public Elk
aminer, and the legislature created the office
without being aware that they were simply
relieving the St. Paul ring from the care of
a political mendicant.
1t should, perhaps, be placed to the credit
of Knox that he is faithful to his employers.
ANY dirty work which they map out for him
to do is readily performed, and that is why
he endears himself to his masters. When
the late Republican grand jury was in ses-
sion Knox was called upon to Ego through"
and ascertain what political capital could be
made out of the administration of public
affairs in this county. He found the task
SO heavy that he could not report it to the
Republican grand jury but has at last sent
it to the governor, and the GLOBE wastes q
large portion of its valuable space this morn
ing to present it to the public.
There is, throughout, studied attempt
to pick some flaw to accomplish by inuendo
what he dares not openly charge. For in
stance, it is known that Albert Item, clerk
for the late county treasurer, was defaulter.
His dishonesty was detected by Mr.. Uline
and he was promptly arrested and turned
over to the grand jury for their considera-
ton. Mr. Knox claims to find that the Item
defalcation was 81, 1857 greater than has
beeen reported. He is not certain that Col.
Uline will have that amount to pay for his
dishonest clerk, in addition to what he has
already paid, and "regrets" his Uline's) alb
sence, which prevents his having an oppor-
tunity to explain the apparent deficit. The
hypocrisy of the regret" becomes apparent
when it is known that Col. Uline will return
to- morrow and delay of two days would
have enabled him to have proved or dis
proved Mr.. Kno1's figures.
It is notable that with the most deter
mined effort to find something wrong in the
Democratic administration of Ramsey county
not dishonest act is charged against any
official Except the Item robbery Transsc-
tons aggregating millions have been exam
ined and no improper item of personal profit
accruing to an official has been found. Too
much leniency towards taxpayers is made a
subject of complaint, and possibly with
some Justice. The enforcement of harsh
and iron-clad tax laws is an ungracious
task, and it is not matter of
surprise that a desire to make
the burden as easy as possible has led
officials to grant such favors as could hon
estIy be done, without involving the county
in loss. Whatever leniency of this kind has