Rodhuggeren. [volume] (Fergus Falls, Minn. ;) 1893-1898, 1894-01-30
90 LII T.
EXPLAINS HIS ACTION
4 ON THE NOTED PINE
& LAND CASE IN MILE
I .LACs COUNTY.
GIVES A HISTORY OF THE CASE.

GIVES A HISTORY OF THE CASE.
Mr.. Editor:
Allow me through your valu-
able paper to make state
ment in relation to my action as
one of the members of the Com
i'mittee that was appointed to in
Vestigate. the sale of certain pine
lands in Mile Laos County (Sec.
| So, Township az, Range 26).
il !, have been requested to make
a statement through the public
press and by my friends I have
been advised to do so, SO here
| goes. may be enabled to state
Isome facts that are not known to
| the general public, and only known
| to members of the committee.
For the benefit of those that can
| not get at the records, l will COM
mence at the beginning: The
first intimation had of the case
was on March first, when Bob
fDunn introduced a resolution ask
ling for committee to investigate
Isaid case, and according to the
Resolution the committee was to
report in two weeks, when in fact
they did not report until six
weeks had elapsed or until only
| . few days remained of the ses-
sion. " 80
1.-THE last time the committee
met was on March 23d, and we
heard no more of the case until
about the 10th of April. On this
date, in the afternoon, a report
was put into our hands to be
[Sgned by the chairman Of the
fcommittee; which report the COM
mittee knew nothing of until it
was handed to us. Now the COM
mittee was not asked to nor we're
they consulted as to what that
report should be-, and knew no.
thing of its contents before it was
handed to-. them. The chairman
stated that he wanted to submit
the report the next morning to the
house. The, majority Of. the COM
mittee refused to sign the report
at that time until we had opportu-
nifty to look. over the transcribed
evidence, and finally refused to
signsthe Dunn report. l informed
Mr.. Dunn, chairman of the COM
mittee at that time, that was will
ling to sign a report referring the
matter to the courts and I am
quite positive, that Zelch did the
same. Later on it was rumored
that the report was made out by
Mr., Dunn and reporter, for one
of the daily papers in ST.. Paul.
The original was said to be SO
radically unjust that Fleming
would not sign it before it was
modified -
| Now, if; Mr.. Dunn would have
rendered a fair and impartial
report, he would have called the
committee together to discuss and
analyze the evidence, at least he
would have given the committee
a voice in making out the report;
and then if the members had dis
agreed he could have been at
liberty to make out a report to
suit himself.
! We have reason to ask: What
was his motives, for holding the
report after the evidence wa $
all in from April 23d until the
last days of the session?
Was itto.give the Lumber bar.
ons of,the state and the lobbyist
in the Legislative halls a chance
to corrupt .2S good and true re-
publicans out. Of the 50 members
who voted for the majority report;
and did these 50 members vote fol
1.-THE majority report because they
had been corrupted as Dunn
charges in his paper of Dec. 9TH
1893? Or were they actuated by
aspirit of fairness and justice
/ am inclined to favor the latter
supposition and ! think, all fail
minded men will do the same