St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-14
PUBLISHERS AT WAR.
Burns and Sherin HammeriDg
Each Other Over County
Printing.
The Latter Attacks the Former,
and a Crimina Suit
Results.

An acrimonious war has begun be-
tween County Auditor James IL. Burns
and the Daily News that seems to have
become a personal matter between
Burns and Clarence E. Sherin, of the
News. The evening sheet referred to
came out at noon and in the evening
edition yesterday with a scathing
and bitter arraignment of Burns, in
which his personal and official positions
were belabOred in strong language, i'm
putting malfeasance of Office, as we'll as
violation of the criminal code. This OH
siaught was made in the news columns,
as we'll as editorlally.
A GLOBE reporter saw Burns OH his
rounds of the offices Yesterday, and had
his attention called to the publication
by Burns. That official displayed no
outward signs of emotion other than a
determined look that seemed to indicate
prompt and energetic action. Burns
said that his attorney was then prepar-
ing a complaint for criminal libel
against Clarence E. Sherin, preparatory
to application for his arrest. He said
further that he had gotten tired of
buying Sherin off. and proposed to
let the law take a course of discipline.
He had bought and paid for the
support of the News during the late
campaign, he said. and he was not 60
| ing to pay any more money for the sup
| port of the paper. Burns made several
specific charges against Sherin that
| have no connection with this case, but
| serve to Illustrate the anger of Burns.
| The complaint in criminal libel was in
| course of preparation by Attorney
| Woodruff, and was to have been served
| last evening, but was deferred so as to
amend it to conform to charges relative
to the publication iD the evening edi-
| ton.
1t is said that the immediate cause of
hostilities grows out of a controversy
over public printing. The Herald
| sought to enjoin the News from pub
fishing the delinquent tax list on the
| theory that the former was the lowest
| bidder. The court decided that the
| News was entitled to the contract for
| printing the list, and the Heraldgave no.
! tice of an appeal to the supreme court
| The list was published ny the News,
| and the bill for the same was presented
to thej board Of county commissioners,
| amounting to $1,000. which was ordered
paid. The county auditor declined to
| issue the warrant until Sherin should
| file an indemnity bond to save him in
| case the supreme court should reverse
| the lower court. Sherin at first declined
| to give the bond, and received the re-
tort that he would not get his money
| while the present incumbent was in
office. 1t is said that the matter pub
| liShed in the News was then prepared,
and a proof of it sent to Burns. This
| was dav or two ago. The bond was
| then given, and the county auditor
turned over the warrant with the under
standing that the article was not to ap-
! pear in the News, but it came out after
| Sherin got his money. Burns denies
the chief charges in the editorial and
news item in the evening paper. lie
| said that the charge as to the fling of
| the financial statement is without cause,
| as the law provided for its report by
| the county commissioners OIL the day he,
| Burns, took the Offic e. The preparation
/ of such report takes two men at con-
| slant work for three months or more,
| and 1T is in course of preparation and
not yet completed. Mr.. Burns says
! further that he is not responsible for
! the report of the 1St of January last,
but that it should have been prepared
| by his predecessor.
| 1t is said by outside parties that there
is disagreement between the News
people and Burns relative to future
| public printing; that one of the cOnsid-
eratiOns for the support Of Burns for
auditor by the News was that, in case
| of his election, the Herald would not be
! competitor for public printing, and
that since the election the Herald still
| keeps in the field with bids.