St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-29
Pine Land Thieves Given an
Opportunity to Remain in
Coneealment.
Deplorable Lack Of Accurate
knowledge Evidenced by
Officials.
The Commission Of Investiga-
tiOn Cannot Draw on the
State Funds.
Attorney General Childs'
Opinion Virtually Leaves
Them at Sea.

Was it only a bluff, or didn't they
know?
Men generally credit Ignatius DON
nelly with certain amount Of shrewd-
ness and wide knowledge of affairs.
But in several instances during the last
/ session of the legislature he proved
himself either very careless or entirely
too trusting.
And Knute Nelson, governor of Min
nesota, like Donnelly long time men,
Der of congress--is it possible that he
does not know the vital requirements Of
the constitution of Minnesota? He is
lawyer-as for that matter is Donnelly
who has practiced law when not Office
hunting or Office holding; and one
would think that, as chief executive of
the state, he would bring his legal
knowledge into play for the benefit of
the people when opportunity offered.
Both Of these men are credited by
good many citizens with being sincerely
.sdesirouS of aiding the taxpayers of the
state, especially the farmers aud labor
ers, to shake off some of the abuses
that they are admittedly burdened
with.
Look at the Record
The Duluth elevator bill has proven
defective, and the Sage cries out in his
paper, .Swindled! swindled!! swim
died y" much after the fashion of the
ehump who has bet on another mans
game. The governor is alleged to be
sorry hDt jQ saving nothing
In conformity with action taken by
the Legislature, Gov. Nelson names
delegates to an antitrust convention
called by the state of Minnesota, where
all the states of the Union nearly will be
represented. Then it is discovered that
not cent can be drawn from the state
treasury to pay their expenses. The
appropriating act was not an act at all.
1t was simply joint resolution, and no
good on earth. says Attorney General
tChilds, after studying the constitution.
If the delegates go down to Chicago
they will do so at their own expense,
and none of them is credited with be-
ing any too rich.
For years the Democratic party, backed
by some earnest men not directly affili-
ated with it, has been striving with
might and main to uncover the robbers
who are known to have been filching
the substance of the state. Pine land
stealing has been carried on braZenly
and with little heed for the rights of
any one not ell rapport with the ring.
Long Threatening Retribution
was believed to have come at last when
the investigating cOmmittee'of the state
senate made its report towards the close
of the session. And when that report
was acted on promptly by both houses,
with the intention of sitting the whole
disgracetul business to the bottom, the
people congratulated themselves that at
last they were to be given an insight
into long continued rascality, and to get
a line OH the rascals.
But they are not not little bit.
On the ninth page of the senate jour
nal, eighty-Second day, it is recorded
that Senator Donnelly. by request of
Gov. Nelson, was allowed to introduce
Senate File SIT, "a joint resolution for
the appointment of committee to in
vestigate certain frauds upon the state
in relation to the sale OF the public
lands of the state"
The resolution was passed under sus-
pension Of the rules. with only one vote
against it.
Sunday intervened after this action
by the senate. Monday S. F. 577 was
reported to the house, and there, on
motion cf Mr.. Walsh, of Ramsey, it was
again put through under suspension of
the rules, with very few votes against it.
Good Intentions Baked.
The intention of the legislators was
made distinctly apparent. In the form
of bill the joint resolution would have
itt1f CxHrif 4txrCc int tl,fA
form in which it went through both
houses. Gov. Nelson examined Senate
File SIT and signed it.
The gist of it was to provide for
committee of three members of the SEN
ate and four Of the house, created as a
commission, "to sit during the recess of
the present session of the legislature,
and inquire into all alleged fraudulent
sales of pine lands and other public
lands, and appropriates $4,000 for the
investigation and to make report to
the governor and to nave power to in-
stitute proceedings against any persons
who in their Judgment have defrauded
the state"
So far so good. Now, thought the
honest men who really wanted to see
justice done, we shall see great over
turning of Shiny stones that cover
sneaking reptiles. And the deeply in
terested people of tie state rejoiced at
the vim and determination of the law
making body.
But alas and alack. The men who
drew the joint resolution, and the gov
ernor who signed IL, either did not know
the plain requirements of the cOnstitu-
tion-which Is the charitable supposi-
ton, although they are credited with
being unusually brainy and cleyer-or
else they
WiIlfully Botched the Work
Beyond this, there was not, seem
ingly, one man in the state who. reading
of the action of the senate in the news
papers of that Sunday morning. realized
that grave error was being committed.
and felt interest enough in the matter
to give some legislator a quiet tip, so
that it might be rectified ere TOO late.
There is little chance, therefore, that
the investigation of pine land frauds
will be made. The commission named
has met, and is to meet again next Sat
urday, bat Its members are powerleSs.
to all appearance. And it is not volat-
ing any confidence to say they know it.
Some of them. at least, have realized
the fact ever since Attorney General
Childs, in response to request for in
formation by the state auditor, rendered
his opinion OIL the joint resolution pro-
viding for antitrust delegates and ap-
propriatilg money to pay their ex-
penSes.
The OpisiOn
is here quoted for the information Of the