Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-04-08
ASSUMING THE ROLE OF BLACK
MAILER.

Mr.. Knox's official reputation appears to
be in great peril and every few days he
rushes to its defence. His own sacred honor
is chiefly defended by assaults on some one
else. This time his TRADE is upon Mayor
Dawson, who is taken severely to task be-
cause he did not endorse the Public Examin-
er's screed to the county board. Mr.. Knox's
letter to the county commissioners was an
impudent piece of work. He is not the
regulator of the universe and when criticised
for dereliction in duty in Martin county, he
plead the baby act and crawled under the
coat tails of the governor. His entire
nor. Why then does he supplement his
partisan report upon Ramsey county, made
to the Governor, with an onslaught upon
the county commissioners direct? The
commissioners would have been justified in
throwing his screed into the waste basket,
but having made the mistake of treating it
respectfully, the Public Examiner squints
around from beneath the gubernatorial coat
tails, where he had crawled for protection,
and fires shot at the chairman of the
board.
We do not know that Mayor Dawson will
dignity the Public Examiner with reply.
So far as his personal integrity is concerned
it is unnecessary. The burden of his screed
is that Dawson d Co. secured reduction of
their assessment from $4,000 to $4,000.
The fact is, the assessor had made an arbi-
trary advance of 900 above their sworn
statement, and Mr.. Dawson went before the
board of equalization and explained the cir
cumstances, voluntarily taking an oath be-
fore making his statement. He did not ask the
board of abatement to reduce the assessment
as Mr.. Knox claims, and the board took no
action whatever.
While the formal order allowing the treas
urer to deposit $4,000 with Dawson & Co.,
has not been changed as matter of record,
the treasurer, Mr.. Rice, called attention to
the fact that the amount was greater than
the capital, and Mr.. Dawson told him to
keep within the limit of the capital though
the firm had given bond of 100000 to
the county. AS matter of fact the county
treasurer does not keep any deposits with
Dawson & Co. The county has their
100000 bond, but the treasurer keeps his
money elsewhere. The sensitive Public Ex-
aminer need not, therefore, be anxious on
that score.
The unique portion of Mr.. Knox's vindi-
cation (''oficially'') is his practical assump-
ton of the role of blackmaiIer. He serves
formal notice that his "note book" is full of
meaty matter and if people he chooses to as
sail do not keep still, he will draw his note
book and demolish them. The position of
Public Examiner is snsaking business, it is
true, but it is q strange announcement that
he proposes to use his official position
to terrorize those who do not
see fit to initiate Zaccheus. This
threat may seem something awful in the
mind of the Public Examiner, but we hardly
think it will brighten any one. 1t shows him
up in an unenviable light and is, we believe,
the first time public official in Minnesota
has deliberately advertised that he proposes
to engage in the blackmail business. If the
"oficisl honor" of the public examiner can
endure the strain of his own announcement,
he need not fear any injury from the truth
full remarks which Mayor Dawson or the
GLOBE may indulge in.