The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-02-06

nent danger Of the destruction by fire
of the timber on any piece of land, or
that the trees thereon have been al
ready killed by fire, the state should
employ workmen to cut the the trees
into logs, and these logs should be
driven into the bComs at the great
lumber markets, like Minneapolis and
Duluth, and there sold at public sale,
after advertising such sale in the
leading daily newspapers of Minnesota
and the Northwest. And there should
be provisions that the state officials
should have the right to reject any or
all bids; and that it should be their
duty to do SO, if there was the slight
est appearance of collision to prevent
competition. Such sale should be
made by the state auditor in person.
Or, if it is deemed safer and better,
the sale might be made by sealed bids,
to be opened publicly, on day adver-
tiSed, by board, of which the COVER
nor of the state should be chairman.
This might better prevent combina-
tiOnS against the state, especially if
the advertisements invited bidders
from all parts of the country.
These pine forests are still vast
property, even stripped as they have
been; they belong to the future gcner-
atiOns: they are a sacred trust; no
"penny wise and pound foolish" policy
should be pursu ed, to save at the
spigot and waste at the bung." The
state should be as liberal as an indi-
vidual would be to protect and guard
a property of equal value. Now it is
simply an unprotected carcass, eX-
posed on the public highway, for the
dogs to render and Gevour. In a lit
tie while there will be nothing left
but the bones.
1t will, of course, be urged that hon
est officials can protect the public in
terestS in these particulars; but legiS-
lation is not for today alone but for
many years to come. 1--WE know what
we are; we know not what we may
be-" 1t is difficult to put ordinary
human nature into the administra-
tiOn of millions of dollars worth of
property and expect it not to reveal
ordinary human weakness. But even
If the representatives of the state
prove to be strictly honest, they will
find themselves surrounded by the
SharpeSt set of raScalS that our mod
ern civilization has ever given birth
to. IL you permit them to put sin.
gle foot on the pine land of the state
under any excuse, they will speedily
force themselves into possession OF
thousands Of acres Of it. You must
build an absolutely impossible wall
around the states property or it is
lost. The present excitement and
watchfulness, growing out of this in
veStigation, will soon subSide; but the
greed and rapacity mankind are un-
dying; and by the time the people
have forgotten all about the pine
lands, because they think they are
safe, the thieves will be busy again all
over them, plundering them. Imagine
the state passing law that if the
school houses of the state are in dan
ger of fire, they should be sold at auc-
tion to the highest bidder, rather
than have action taken to provide fol
their protection! And these school
lands are almost as necessary for the
future work of public education in
this state, as the present school
houses. If such a law was in exis t.
ence, how long would it be before com
binations would be formed in the
counties to place the school buildings
in danger of fire, and make money out
Of the state? 10 furnish opportuni-
ties for fraud is as criminal as to per.
petrate the fraud. Close the doors
absolutely and let the rascals find out
some other victims than the children
of the state.
IGNATIUS DONNELLY.
We think Mr. Staples and Mr.
Jacobson desire to do their duty, but
already we note the attempts in some
Of the daily papers to ridicule and be
little them. All three of the senators
who took part in the investigation
Leavitt, Eaton and Donnelly,-were
left at home. One of the st. Pau
dailieS has denounced the report made
by the committee as having accomp
lished nothing:-that the thieves were
just about to restore their plundel
when the committee got after them
and that they would have returned
much more if they had been left alone
ETC., etc.
We desire the people of the state
regardless of party, to watch thi.
business. We do not want to exagger
ate: but the corruption is bottomless
l. D.