The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-08-15
AN INFAMOUS RECORD.
A LETTER FROM MR. BIERMANN
Attempt OF Michael Doran and 9th.
erS to Get Him to Violate
His Oath.
To THE VOTERS OF MINNESOTA:

fOur years ago when the Democrats
met in convention l was nominated
as their candidate for state auditor by
acclamation. Subsequently, when
Hon. p. H. Rahilly, the Alliance
nominee for the same office withdrew.
| was unanimously selected by the
state central committee of that party
10 I'LL the vacancy thus created re-
ceived the full vote of the Alliance
Party, and through their generous
support, supplementing the vote of
my own party, | carried the state by
nearly $4,000 plurality.
During the greater part of the past
twenty years of my life l have been
entrusted with the charge of public
duties in various capacities. In all of
them | have endeavored to perform
my duty faithfully, honestly and i'm
partially. l may have made mistakes.
but they were errors Of honest judg-
ment. L know no other motive ever
having Influenced me than a desire
to serve the public well, and to merit
the reputation among my fellow men
for honesty and faithfulness in the
discharge of their affairs committed
to my trust. Until recently supposed
that had gained with my fellow citi-
ZenS such reputation, and was con-
tented with it as being the only sub
stantial reward of my long public SER
vice. 10 my surprise and pain | learn
now that there are those endeavoring
to rob me OF this by alta cking my
personal and
| OFFICIAL INTEGRITY.
We're these attempts made in manner
that affected me only, did they not al
SO touch your interests, | should meet
them with contempt which finds it's
best expression in silence. but as they
touch your interests and show the
methods resorted to to impair them,
feel that it is due to you that a state
ment Of the facts be made in order
that you may understand how | have
earned their animosity and i'll will,
and that you may guard your interests
against the rapacity of unprincipled
men.
The general government gave to the
state all the swamp lands within it's
limits to be devoted to the work of in
ternal improvement. The legislature,
aside from making liberal grants of
them to existing and projected rail
roads, gave 525,0 acres to State In
stitutions, but limited such selections
to even numbered sections The
Great Northern minneapolis & St.
Cloud end) land grant, among others,
covers both even and odd numbered
sections, but the grant does not in
clude the right of selection. and this
right is, therefore, under the decision
of the supreme court, reserved to the
State
Shortly after took charge of this
office, my predecessor, Mr.. Bradcn,
who had been made land commission
er of the Great Northern Railway,
came to see me relative to selection Of
land, saying that the company was
anxious to fill their grant Ga balance
of 100000 acres). When Mr.. Braden
turned over the office to me, he kindly
invited me to confer with him when
ever
WAS IN DOUBT,
| IL
pleasure to give me the benefit Of his
experience" | often availed myself
of his courteous offer. At this confer
ence l told Mr. Braden that | would
| gladly avail myself of his advice in
this important matter, but as he was
land commissioner of the Great
| Northern, and | commissioner of the
state, the interests might clash, and
requested Mr.. Braden to address me
letter on the subject, setting forth his
arguments in full. AS a result of our
conversation the following correspon-
dence took place:
ST. Paul. Minneapolis & Manitoba R'y
Co. Land Department.
ST PAUL, Minn., Sept. 8, 1891.
Hon. A. BIERMANN, State Auditor.
DEAR SIR:-The manner of select
ing the swamp lands of the Mime
apolis & Saint Cloud Railway Co.,
Hinckley branch. seems to be some
what in doubt. | therefore take the
liberty of addressing You, hoping to
clear up, or aid in so doing, the OBJ
scurity surrounding it.
The act of Feb'y 1lth. 1865, was
| RranU OF IOur (4) ScCUlOuS per mlIC vi
swamp lands to aid the Minneapolis
and Saint Cloud Railway Company
in building branch lines to connect
with the Lake Superior and Missis-
sippi Railway Company and the
Winona and st. Peter r. II. Company,
etc. Section three of this act pro-
vided for selection by the company.
The act of March 5th, 1869. was
amendatOry of the act of 1865. and in-
creased the Grant to ten (l0) Sections
per mile. The law of 1869 was silent
as to the
MANNER OF SELECTION,
merely providing (scc section p "that
it shall be the duty of the governor to
execute, on behalf of the state, the
full quota of said lands for the portion
of said road SC completed"
Under the operation of the above
acts the company went on and COM
plctcd its road and selected in the
usual way about one hundred and
twenty-five thousand acres of its
lands.
In controversy between the Min
neapols and Saint Cloud Railway
Company. the Duluth and Iron Range
and the Duluth and Winnipeg as to
the respective rights Of these cOmpan-
les, our supreme court, in 10Th Mime
sofa, page l0i. held that the Mime
apoliS and Saint Cloud Railway Com.