St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-25

10 nave been discovered IN the ONCE
OF the clerk OF court; but he is Yam
kee, and was let down easy. In the
sheriff's Office something was diseov-
ered-too much mileage; but we have
heard nothing more about that. 10
tackle two ScandinaYians was too much
for one job. Three charges were pre-
ferrcd against the treasurer ~ ~ ~.
The FOlksbladt Is the last TO defend
or excuse irregularities or mishaps in
public records. But ii is unable 10 IN
derstand why an official could be sus-
pended or the ground OF such charges,
unless there we're other reasons for such
action. 70 begin with charge No 3, it
is well-known fact that all public
treasurers receive interest from bInks
on daily balances. which constitutes the
main compensation Tor their respo nsl-
bility.
IrItWas n Crime
for the county treasurer to receive this
interest money, it is crime also in the
city treasurer and the treasurer OF the
court house commission. But II would
not do 10 attack all Scandinayia1s at
once. And what did Peterson's Drede-
cessOr do? But, then, he was born in
this country.
"Charge No. 2. that he had drawn his
salary few days in advance. is so
ridiculous that one must admire the
righteousness of the press for making
such an elephant or 1t. There are many
highly respectable men who OCCASION
ally draw their salaries now and then
seven days in advance. Before Peter
son took charge of the office 1t was Gus
toHary for many officials in the court
house TO receive their salaries from the
treasurer more than one month before
the money was due. and vouchers
given by the county commissioners,
which are not due till after thirty days,
and under the law can be paid only
upon warrants drawn by the auditor,
were often paid by the treasurer. Mr..
Peterson has cousclentlously and in
obedience 10 the instructions OF the
public examiner refused 10 permit such
irregularities. For that reason, and
because he was not sufficiently
accommodating" ~ court house Off
Gals and others at the expense OF the
county he has made hosts Of enemies.
He has been reported as beng the
closest man in the state, and, in adj
diLiOn 10 this, he IS a Scandinavian. No
wonder the press and the court house
officials make the cross when they
know that in one instance hs drew his
monthly salary in advance days.
And now as to the sl,270. II ii. o.
Peterson is not outright dishonest and
nobody. not even the Yankee press. has
charged him with any such thing the
charge on this ground is even more re-
prehensible than the others. He re-
ceiyed tile amount by II warrant
from the city as its payment for
patients at the poor farm. He
instructed his deputy, Monroe, who
was subsequently discharged and
has left the city to enter the item upon
the records, and sent the warrant TO
a bank as a part Of his deposits. That
was last summer. But the item was
never entered, which Peterson learned
afterwards: neither was surplus OF
81, 27G TO be discovered. Last summer
and fall there was surplus of few
dollars that could not be located; but
there was no reason TO think that the
item of Sl,270 had not been entered
upon the records. In February of the
present year it was discovered that a
payment for three months from the city
on account OF the poor farm appeared
not to have been entered. When he
was Informed of this. MIR. Peterson inn
mediately went TO work to discover II
the 81, 270 by an erroneous error, which
Is liable TO be made i'll the
best kept records, had been
credited to another account.
The search was made by several par
ties, and was very thorough. lie re-
fused TO believe that his deputy had
neglected to make the entry of the
amount He consulted with the auditor
and the county commissioners; III
short, he handled the matter openly and
above board, as the saying goes. lie
had nothing to conceal. IT the mistake
could not be discovered he would have
to make the amount good, that was all.
"The Public Examiner
also was given an opportunity to in
vestigate. 1t so happened that just at
this time he made an investigation of
the treasurer's Office. Peterson called his
attention to the missing item and
requested him to try and discover it, as
Sl2.70 was too much TO lose for anybody.
But the item could not be discovered
and Peterson paid the amount under
protest, so as to reserve his right 10
recover, in case the missing money
should be discovered some time in the
future. But this is, nevertheless, one
of the main charges against him. 1t
looks somewhat singular 10 suspend a
man from Office because his deputy has
made a mistake. and after the loss
has been made good. 1t would
hardly have happened to anybody but a
Scandinavian. But if this thing is 20
Ing to be carried out according to the
evident intent. something still more
surprising will happen when the people
get a chance to speak at the polls.
There are wrongs which will make even
the most unpopular martyr.
''As to Kenyon the Folkebladet has
not much to say. HIS relation TO
the American Building and Loan
ASSOCIATION has been interpreted
in various ways. But we are
confident that when he shall have had
the opportunity to look into the matter
thoroughly. if the decision of the su-
preme court should make that neces-
sary, Gov. Merriam will form his own
opinion independently and with proper
regard TO justice, and that be will not
hesitate to admit that he has acted
hastily in the matter, ii such should APP
pear 10 him to be the case. II nothing
should be charged against ii. 0. Peter
son but what Public Examiner Kenyon
has reported and the Yankee press mag
uified hundred times, we are conf
dent that the repulsive hatred of the
ScandlnaVians. which is at the bottom
of all this trouble, will not receive the
sanction OF Gov. Merriam.
One hears a good deal in the newspa-
pers and at Republican meetings about
the union and good feeling existing in
the Republican party of Hennepin coun-
ty. But that is the only place ii does exist
lin the newspapers and OH the platforms
Of Republican meetings. 1t is possible
that there is union in the ranks Of the
Union league and the Flambeau clubs,
but those organizations do not constitute
the Republican party. Enough has
been said to show the detection of the
Scandinavian portion of the party on
account of the conspiracy against II. o.
Peterson and Z. p. Swensen. Still an
other wing is now about to separate.
In computing the Republican vote in
Hennepin county it has always been the
custom to lump the 5000 odd votes of
colored men as belonging to the Re-
publicans. They have so belonged in
the past. This year it is likely to be
different. The colored men are not
well pleased. The leading colored men
or the state have united in urging that
they be given recognition by the award