St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-10-01
THE STAFF AUDITOR.

THE SrATf. AUDITOR.
The public appreciation of this Office
and of the important relation it holds to
the interests of the people, is not as
high as it should be or would be if its
duties were more thoroughly known.
The impression prevails that it is about
the same as county auditor, and that
the legislature is related to him as a
board of county commissioners is to The
county auditor His duties are generally
thought to be clerical merely and that
no discretion is left HIM in his acts.
In fact, he is what the mans OF his Of
flee indicates. the auditor. He has to
audit and allow all the demands on the
treasurer. Not dollar can 20 out of the
treasurcr's hands unless OH his warrant.
TIE latter officer is a mere custodian of
the funds. receiving the money from
and paying il out OH the warrant OF the
auditor. If an honest and capable man
is the auditor the people can rest in
confidence that not a dollar of their
money will be expended without au-
thcrity; If a dishonest Or Incapable man
broken down If the whole state staff,
aside from MIN, were dishonest and he
honest, their dishonesty would work no
injury, simply because they could not
pass that watchdog of the treasury
with their schemes of plumber.
1t is the auditors right and duty to
REQUIRE with every claim presented to
HIM proof of its authority in some act of
the legislature. 1t Is his duty TO see
that the claim is justified by the act re-
ferred to. If it is not, it the plain and
direct authority for the expenditure is
not written in some statute, it is his
duty to refuse audit to the claim. Under
complaisant auditor the Interpretation
of laws might be made very liberal.
and money be used for which there was
the slightest of Justification. Where
the state staff is composed OF all mem
bers of one political party. elected in
campaigns where each has helped the
other and incurred mutual obligations,
the tendency is strong to look leniently
on claims and to give acts liberal in
| depreciation. If corporations having
land grants have aided IN the election of
the auditor, there is a reciprocal obliga
ton incurred that the company is not
slow to make use of in its transactions
with that office. Ii lumber corporations,
who, by their purchases of the pine on
state lands, are brought into close rela-
tons with the auditor as land com mis-
sioner of the state, aid in his election,
sometimes with money and sometimes
| with the votes of their employees, or
with both. they, too, are pretty certain
to ask ana to get lax interpretations of
the laws inuring to their benefit. These
become presidents in the Office which
subsequent auditors are apt to follow to
the injury of the state and the profit of
the lumbermen.
Numerous instances have occurred
under the incumbency of Mr. Bietmann
illustrating this. Of the sou. 900 acres of
swamp lands granted to the companies
now merged in the Great Northern all
but 27l, 900 acres have been decided to
! that company OH its own selections,
| though it has no right to select, that
| being the duty of the auditor. Mr..
| BIermann'S reversal of this custom of
| his office is the cause of the opposition
to him which developed i'll the recent
state convention, and, IN passing, we
may say that the real significance of the
nomination of Mr.. Biermaun was the
! distinct announcement to the Demo-
| Gratis of the state as we'll as to the
| voters. that neither that company nor
its accredited political agent could con-
| troll a convention of the Democrats of
Minnesota.
Another illustration OF how laxity
establishes presidents unsupported by
law was in the case of the sale Of pine
on section Sc. in which Mr.. Biermann
merely followed, in the first months of
his incnmbency and before he had
acquainted himself with his duties
| fully, the precedent established by his
| predecessors in office, of making sales
of pine at private sale. One other single
illustration of this complacency. one of
several occurring during the first years
of Mr. Biermann's authorship, was the
| presentation of bill of expenses in =
CURED by one of the state officers, which
included charge for banquet given
to some visiting notables. Asked for
the law which authorized the payment,
the official said that there was none, but
that it was customary to pay the bills
for such courtesieS extended to dstin-
guished visitors. This was but one of
several instances audit of which was
refused, Insignificant in themselves in
amount. but all tending to create lax
ity by which greater and more impor-
tant interests of the state might be
sacrificed.
1t is of the utmost importance to the
people, regardless of party. that the
auditor should not only be capable and
thoroughly honest and conscientious,
but it were better were he not of the
same political party with his fellow Of
ficers of the state.
These illustrations show no W import.
tant the Office is, and how careful the
voters should be in selecting the man tC
administer it. They have the oppor
tunity this fall to retain man who ha 8
proved himself honest and courageous
in standing between constituencies
claimants and the state, and we are
confident that they will sustain him
with their votes.