St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-10-16
THE GOVERNOR VS.. DART.

THE GOVERNOR VS.. DART.
Mr.. Dart was treasurer of Meeker
county. He is Democrat. Mr.. Bigelow
is the Republican county auditor. Mr..
BigelOw wished 10 build or rebuild his
dwelling, but was short the money
needed. Mr.. Dart accepted Mr.. Bige-
lows checks on a bank in which Bige-
low had no money, and knew he had
none, in lieu of $500 of the county's
money which he loaned BigelOw.
MIR. West is deputy state bank ex-
aminer. He has been finding Demo-
cratic county officers derelict; he has
not found, as yet, Republican county
officers understanding in office. Perhaps
they don't do it; perhaps he doesn't re-
port them when he does find it. This is
only an inference. however, from the
other fact that the examiners Office
never scented the rottenness i'll the
Guaranty Loan office, even as late as
last November, when the last eXamina-
ton was had, and when it was as rotten
as the day it broke from overripeneSs.
Mr.. West discovered the BIgelow checks
aud some Others taken in payment of
taxes. He had seen them there before,
but said nothing. This time he told
Dart it was wrong, and Dart put cash in
their place; that is, he deposited the
money in the Meeker County bank and
used the certificate as cash, which it is.
West suggested that he had better de-
post in tue Bank of Lltchfield. and on
Darts refusal reported him to the gov
ernor, who promptly suspended Dart.
The governor appointed commits
sloner to take testimony under charges
preferred by West or somebody, asking
Darts removal. Dart resigns. The
county commissioners accept the resig-
nation. Dart refuses to appear before
he governors commissioner. The
county commissioners appoint G. II.
Dart to fill the vacancy caused by the
resignation of G. Ii. Dart. Dart files his
bond. and is in Office. So the matter
stands. And it presents very pretty
question for the governor to solve.
But there are some other facts which
bear on the case. The Bank of L1tch-
field wanted the county deposits to put
with those OF the state-Some $4,000
the towns and the schools money
which it had corralled. Its officers told
Dart that if he would deposit with them
it would make difference with the gov
ernor, or with the proceedings against
him. Why should it? Perhaps they
lied; we hope they did. But then they
may not have. Andrew Nelson is pres
ident of the Bank of Litchfield. He is
also Maj. Andrew Nelson, aide-de-camp
on the staff of Gov. Nelson, commander
in-chief of the military forces of the
state. We have no idea that the gov
ernor would be moved by any improp-
er motives, but Maj. Nelson, his
aide de = camp, evidently thinks he
would be, which only shows that the
GLOBE has better opinion of the gov
ernOr than his aide-de-camp has.
But there is another peculiar feature
to the case. The governor sits in these
cases as judge and jury, and final and
supreme judge, at that. No court can
review his decision. If it be true that
Dart is prosecuted because he would not
deposit in the bank of which the gov
ernor's abide camp is president, it
would look as if the judge were
sitting in a case in which he had
personal interest; though, as we
said. we want better proof of this than
we have. But there is another fact that
we can't understand. Senator Leavitt,
of Meeker county, called on the gov
ernor Ill behalf of Dart, The governor
informed lin that Mr.. Darts friends
are not in a position to ask me for
favorS. The first question is what favors
has ''his eXcel!ency'' to grant III such
a case? 1t seems to the GLOBE as If it
were a mere question of fact and law; if
the facts are proven, the law is plain and
the duty clear. Does the governor wish
| the people of the state to understand
that in such case he will grant or with
| hold faYorS and not do his duty?
Another point. Why weren't they
! entitled to his favorS if he had any tO
| grant? Was it because Meeker county,
heretofore Republican by several hun
bred, gave Lawler Il plurality of "a over
| Nelson? Was it because Dart is Dem
ocrat? Was it because Senator Leavitt
| fought against the governors elevator
bill'' in the senate? What had Mr.
Darts friends done. aside from these
business and political matters, that
deprived them of Ibis excellency's''
| favorS?
The GLOBE is not defending Dart
He acted illegally in lending BigeloN
the county money, and should have
known il. Bgelow acted Illegally il
borrowing it, and knew it. The fact tina
it is customary, that half the treasurer;
in the state could be removed for doina
it, is neither excuse nor justification
but we do protest against the mixture Of
business and politics which is so appar
ent in this case as to cast just suspicion
| on the motives behind it.