St. Paul daily globe., 1889-07-22
STATE FAIR FINANCES.
Editor Owen Rises to Remark
Further.


To the Editor of the Globe.
The issue of Farm, Stock and Home
for July Is contained an editorial no
tice of the report of the secretary of the
Minnesota State Agricultural society
for 1888, and among other matters to
which the attention of the readers was
called, was an error in the report of
the financial condition of the society at
the close of it's fiscal year. Dec. 10, 1888.
Among the resources of the society re-
ported as then available was the item
of 81, 900 annual appropriation, which
was manifestly the appropriation for
1889, and should not have been used to
offset liabilities incurred in 1888. To
call attention to what | regarded, and
still regard, an error was all l did, and
that did from sense of duty to my
farmer readers, who have been heavily
taxed during the past few years in be-
half of the society, and whose right it is
to know the truth-so far as the truth
can be notwithstanding the So
eiety's financial condition. Before he
read the article referred to, William M.
Bushnell, present president of the So
ciety, though not elected until
some five weeks after the date
of the report under cOnsidera-
ton, heard that some sort of
criticism was to come from me and with
unconsidered and unwise haste rushed
into print to deny charges which were
not made, and charged me personally
with Justification and misrepresenta-
ton. His letter appeared in the Pio-
neer Press of the 14th inst. l immme-
diately sent the following reply to that
paper, but was refused a hearing,
though l was curtly told that when
s'space permitted" my reply might ap-
pear; which would be, if ever, so long
after the allegation was made that de-
NAL would be tacit confession of
guilt.
Ny letter to the Press is herewith
submitted to you in the belief that the
we'll known independence and fairness
of the GLOBE will give me the hearing
which the Press denies me, even after
it had with great promptness and evi-
dent relish allowed me to be misrepre-
sented and falsified in its columns.
S. NJ. OWEN.
Minneapolis, July 10.
THE LETTER.
To the editor Of the Pioneer Press:
Ny attention has just been called to the let
ter of William NJ. Bushnell in your issue of
this date, referring to an alleged interview"
with me in reference 10 the financial report
of the State Agricultural society for 1888,
and recently published in Minneapolis
newspaper. In the outset, / wish to explain
that the interview consisted in the passing
over to a reporter of the newspaper referred
to proof slip of an article reviewing the
above report. which was then on the press,
so that exactly what did say is now mat
ter of record. There was no warrant in the
article for your sensational headlines, "Over-
drawn Accounts etc, for nothing of the
kind was charged; there is nothing in it re-
fecting on the integrity of any man, nor do
1889 had already been expended, for that
would have been absurd, inasmuch as it will
not be available until the coming August.
l contend that the report is misleading as
to the financial condition of the society on
Dec. 10, 1888. the date of this report. My
reason for the contention is that the re-
sources of the society were credited with the
appropriation for 1889, which is manifestly
erroneous. Mr.. Bushnell denies this, and
submits to you an alleged copy of the fnan-
cial statement of the board of auditors to
sunstantiate his denial; but he omits, prob
ably to mislead you and your readers, a very
important part of it, the receipts for 1888.
Iu that table will be found the item Of
S4 600. annual appropriation which must
mean the appropriation for 1888. The sum
total of receipts SS0, 0,472.73 are offset by ex-
penses and cash on hand. The last item,
S2,436.5 is carried to the account of re-
sources available at the time. Surely, Mr..
Bushn ell will not deny that the appropria-
ton for 1888 is disposed of, and accounted
for in the above items? But after this dispo-
sition Of the appropriation for 1888 there is