Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-04-08
KNOX IN A NEW ROLE.
lie appears as O Dictator and Winds up
Wth the dir and Threats of aIBLacIs-
mailer.

He Appears as Dictator and FINDS IN
With the dir and Threats of alBIacls-
mailer.
To the Editor of the Globe.
mote that Mr.. VIM. Dawson, in his official
capacity as chairman of the board of commits
sioners of Ramsey county, is reported to have
SAID In reference to my official letter to said
board that "Mr. Knox can use the truth to do
the dirty work of falsehood with more success
than any man he ever knew"
This is dignifed authority for one dressed
in little brief authority" and it seems to i'm
ply that the truth hurts.
The act of 1873 providing for repositories
for the public funds bases the amount to be so
deposited upon the assessed capital stock of
said bank, or banking house, as shall appear
upon the duplicate tau list" I made no point
upon the abatement of $45, 900 in favor of
Dawson q Co., but could not have stated the
amount appearing upon the duplicate tax
list" as $4,000 when it there did appear as
1000.
But as Mr.. Dawson seems anxious to discuss
this point, and says that he submitted the
matter to the board of abatement with the af-
fdavit of Mr.. Dawson himself" the facts shall
answer him. The following sis the affidavit
of Mr.. Dawson himself" viz: A letter written
in pencil in these words:
''ST. PAUL, June 80. 1876.
To the Tax Committee, County of Ramsey:
We sent sworn statement of our capital
being $4,000 Thirty Thousand dollars). Mr..
McOlung arbitrarily raised it to $75, 900.
We desire to have placed exactly what it is and
what we have sworn it to be, namely $50, 600.
Yours respectfully,
(Signed) DAWSON & Co."
On this letter is the following endorsem emit,
also in pencil, viz:
"Abate as asked for, viz: On valuation $45,-
600 for 1875
(SignedD s. L. DAVIS,
G. A. JOHNSON"
The law, in regard to ATTACHMENTS, at that
time was as follows: 1.-THE four persons APP
pointed by the council, together with the mayor
and county auditor, or majority thereof, shall
have power, upon proper cause ShOlD2 by the
party aggrieved, to make such an abatement of
taxes as they may deem just. Provided, That
no such attachments shall be made except upon
written statement of the person aggrieved,
subscribed and swof7a to, which shall be fled
and kept by the county auditor"
Wherein does this truth 'do the dirty work of
falsehood," and if anybody's clothes are soiled
by the ample facts, whose are they?
But, further, Mr.. Dawson is reported az
saying: 'sAs to the matter of the $780, 900 de-
posits in that bank, Mr.. Dawson said that the
apportionment was made when the late Mayor
Maxfeld was chairman of the board and it
Of Mr.. Da,USon acas called to the fact
that the amount aOas greater than toas warranted
By laD all ground Of complaint aUas promptly re-
naoUed." How true this is will appear from the
fact that the ground of complaint has never
been removed, and Mr.. Dawson stands on the
record to-day to that fact, as witness the fol-
lowing. More than two years after ''the APP
portionment was made" Mr.. Dawson officially,
as acting mayor and ex-officio chairman of the
board of commissioners, signed the following
document, viz:
sST. PAUL, Mimi, March l, 1878.
b. M. Rice, County Treasurer, Ramsey County
/ DEAR SIR:-You are hereby notified that the
board of auditors of Ramsey county. Mimi,
have and do hereby designate the following
banks in the city of st. Paul in which yoW are
required to deposit the funds received as treas
urer of Ramsey county, viz.
Limit of deposit in each bank:
First National bank. $50, 600