The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-05-04
j BE CONSISTENT.

BE CONSISTENT.
a few Republi lean papers in this dis
trict are beginning to make fun Of
what they call the collapse Of the pine
ring exposure, &c. These clauuers
should wait until the matter is inyesti-
gated before predicting failure. There
has been a great deal of contraband
Washington news in relation to IS. but
OF one thing our Republican brethren
may rest assured: if the present adj
ministration undertakes it, there will
be no whitewashing, but there will be
a great deal less laughing than at pres
ent among our dissenting brethren
St. Cloud Times.
There is no doubt but what gross
frauds have been perpetrated by
e-grabbers on the national gov
eminent, and the perpetrators of
these frauds should beexposed and
made to disgorge. Neither is
there any doubt but what frauds
have been perpetrated in Mime
sofa whereby the school fund has
been robbed of millions of dollars.
Yet, when one bare-faced steal
was exposed, by a minority of a
Legislative committee, whereby the
State school fund had been robbed
of almost $4,000 by the surrepti-
tious sale of the pine stumpage on
section, SO, town 40, range 26, the
same being a school section, be-
cause a Democratic official was
implicated in the transaction every
Democrat in the lower branch of
the legislature, CHECKER of Hen
nepin, and Leonard Of Scott, were
honorable exceptions), joined in an
attempt to whitewash that official
for the sole and only reason that
he was a Democrat. The St. Paul
Globe, the official Democratic or
gan of the State, editorially iusti-
fed the action of Auditor Bierman,
and even the Times refused to de,
nounce the steal. There are no
''ifs'' or ''buts'' as regards this
transaction. Auditor Bierman adj
mits that he sold the stumpage to
c. A. Smith & Co., at private sale.
No valid reason was offered to
show that a private sale was neces.
sary to protect the interests of the
State, nor had the law been com
piled with in a single particular:
but it was conclusively proved that
the timber was sold for less than
half what it would have brought
had it been offered at public sale
as provided by law. Of course,
the benefciaries of the illegal sale
were Republicans. That made
not the slightest difference to the
minority Of the legislative com.
mittee who were also Republicans.
Nor does it make any difference
that the Republican members OF
the legislature from Minneapolis
joined in the whitewashing pro.
cess. We assert now that it was
a purchased whitewash and later
on we shall have more to say on
that subject. .q5 s. 4.
If the Times is honest in its de.
sire to expose the pine frauds lei
it join with the UNION in demand
ing that Gov. Nelson shall comply
with the almost unanimous reques1
OF both branches Of the Legislature
(the house virtually reconsiderec
it's action in rejecting the minority
report and adopted resolutions
recommending the governor tt
take action) and test the validity
of the alleged sale in the courts
Let there be no whitewashing
We do not care whose OK il
gored. Let no guilty man escape
be he Republican or Democrat
If, as Mr.. Bierman and his friends
claim, his action in the premises
was in accordance with law surely
there can be no objection to :;
court of competent jurisdiction
saying so. This matter will no
down, nor will the people be salts
fled until a judicial investigation
has been had. The dangerou.
precedent that the State Auditor cal
dispose of unlimited quantities O.
virgin pine at private sale mus
not be established. If Mr.. Bier
man had right to dispose Of thu
pine on section So, town ~, rang,
26 at private sale, then he has
right to dispose of the pine OF
every school section. in Minnesot;
to his favorites at private sale
Let the courts Decide. Do YOU
duty, Gov. Nelson, and let justice
be done even if the penitentiar,
has to be enlarged.
The Minneapolis Times keep
pounding away at Boss Doran