St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-10-30
PLACE.
SMOKED OUT AT LAST.

the Great Northern Railway company,
aided 10y Gov. Nelson and backed by
"the policy established several years
ago by the lhepublican) officers OF this
state" is ended, and the auditor trl-
umphS.
The readers Of the GLOBE are familiar
With the story OF this conflict. They
were made acquainted with 1t first III
the letter 10 the voters OF the state pub
liShed some months ago. in which the
auditor told the long story of the efforts
made by the Great Northern company
to induce and then ajole and at last to
coerce him into certifying to it such OF
the swamp lands as it might select.
Falling this. il sought to deprive him of
his duties as land commissioner by act
of the legislature. Then by the dill
gent circulation of ISLANDERS its agents
turned the Populist convention against
him, though he had been the candidate
by Endorsement of that party four years
ago. Then They gathered their forces
to final contest in the Democratic
state convention ai.d were defeated.
Meantime, the auditor was engaged
In having The lands examined, so as To
ascertain their value. III order that he
might retain the best for the state. This
tedious work completed, he prepared
the deed, aud OH Sept. 70 sent it tc Coy.
Nelson for execution. Here that officer
appeared newly in the case as tie
guardian of the railway company, hav-
ing Merely been the custodian OF its
lists OF selected lands before. His duty
is plain. When the auditor properly
cerlities the land TO a company or indl-
yidual ana sends the patent, it is the
governors duty TO execute it. There is
no discretion given him. and no gov
ernor before ever claimed he had any.
But Gov. Nelson was equal to the
emergency in which the company found
itself. All that was wanted was tiule.
If the matter could be deferred until
after election, and Nelson and Dunn
were elected, the deed could go to the
waste basket. Tie governor is familiar
with the delays OF the law. So he in
voked its procra>tinating habit. and re.
ferred tile matter to the attorney gen.
eral, with a commission to examine
month to cover. if covered.
Not only this, hut he writes the au.
d!tOr a letter, which we imagine he now
regrets having written, in which he eX-
presses hi surprise that the auditor
should care to ask him 10 reverse a
policy established several years ago
by the (Rrpublican) officers of the
state" and establish new one. What
was this policy which the governor
wished TO sustain? Merely the very con-
venient and valuable one of letting the
Great Northern pick out the lands it
wanted and deciding them to it, Under
this policy; 229. coo acres had been Sc
lected and decided. No wonder the
company ranted it continued, and no
wonder the governor, us the guardian
of the land Others" was surprised at
the audacty of this Democratic auditor
in asking its reversal.
But the attorney generals office had
heard the roar of the coming cyclone,
and did not propose 10 get IN its way.
The plan of delay broke down right
there. The attorney general was ex-
traordinarily expeditions. He exam.
ined tie law ard the decision of the
supreme court, and We print this morn
ing his opinion, in which he sustains
the auditor at every point. Mr.. Bier
mann was undoubtedly right. The
"policy established by (Republicam
State officers several years ago" was an
illegal policy. 1t was fraud on the
people. 1t hadn't leg to stand on.
More titan that. The governor was
plainly told by his law officer that If
was his duty to sign the deeds when the
proper officer certified that the companv
was entitled to it.
Then this ''reliable governor" who
wanted to look after 1.-THE interests of
the state and others involved in this
transaction" this careful and conserv-
alive governor" who "call. d tile audi-
tors attention to the fact that he was
asking hin to violate the established
policy of the state" saw that the game
was up; that he was smoked out: that
he could no longer shield the land nth.
ers" in the transaction; that any further
DELAY was impossible and that he could
not keep his promise to the Great
Northern to "hoid the matter in abev-
ance until the question between II and
the auditor was settled by legal pro.
ceedlngs or otherwIse;" and then ba
signed the deed and returned if Inv
messenger-nct by mail this time-to
the auditor.
And so the long struggle of Audftor
Biefinann i'll defense of the rights of
The people OF the state against this com
pany and its assistant ended in COM
piete triumph for the auditor and the
people. ami fully five million dollars arc
saved to the institutions Of the stote
In the face of the storm of vili6ca1ion
which the organs Of tho ccmpanv and
the governor have turned on him. mn.
deferred by their Efforts to make him
appear rs mere demagogue irving tn
make political capital for himself. nm.
abasbed by their charge that be was
oyerturning IAN established policy nf
The state" Auditor Biermann has :.kent
his rudder true" and held to his rourse
OfduIy. And week from TODAY the
voters of the state will say to Mr.. Bier.
man: well done, thou good and faith
full servant; enter thou into thy re-
ward"
READ between the lines, the very
la:asr iatfpr nf {yoy NeISOi, tn Ard;+,.-