The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-10-21
Mr.. LIND AND HIS ANSWER.

again that people who live In glass
houses should abstain from throwing
stones, no matter how great the de-
sire might become. And it has again
Just been demonstrated in this state.
The Demo-Pops have declared all
along that the campaign must be
fought upon state issues. This was
doubtless In response to Mr.. Limbs
own choice. In his opening address
at Minneapolis Mr.. Lind made state
issues thel principal part of his re-
marks, and has followed it up since in
other portions of the state. His refer
ence to state affairs consisted mostly
of finding fault with certain things,
and making string of assertions
without any proof therefor. Among
other things he touched up Bank Ex-
aminer M. d. Kenyon. When Mr.
Lind did this, he must have recog-
nized the fact that Mr.. Kenyon had
the same right to return the compli-
ment if he felt so disposed. 1t seems
that he not only felt so disposed,
but that he.had.the material at his
command with which to do it, with
out resorting to string of unsup-
ported assertions. The charge of Mr..
Kenyon was,that while one of the di.
rectors of the.Brown county bank, Mr..
Lind approvedsof loans to the milling
: company at New Ulm in excess of the
legal limit of loans to that institu-
tion, He further asserted that the
loans in excess of the legal limit
amounted to somewhere in the
nejghborhoodt of $35, 1000, Mr.. Lind at
once denied the charge, and run I'm.
: der cover c by saying that if Mr..
Kenyon's charge::was true, he should
have proceeded at once to have closed
the bank. But in his explanation
Of the affair Mr.. Lind admits that
various. sums were loaned to in
dividuals who were interested in
: the mill, C and that the milling
company endorsed the notes, and the
probability is of coursesthat the mill
had the use ofsthe money. In other
words the law regarding the limit of
loans was evaded by making the loans
to individuals, endorsed by the mill
ing company, andsMr. Lind approved
of this, and must shave known the
true state of affairs when doing so.
, When Mr.. Kenyon found out the
true state of affairs he insisted on
reduction of the loans, and a mort
gage on the milling property to cover
the excess .of 1.-THE loan, over legal
limits, was given the bank. Thus the
company positively acknowledged the
responsibility sfor the loan. And
further the Minneapolis Journal cites
the fact thatEthe bank doubtless re-
garded theImillipg company as the re-
sponsible. party ifor the payment of
the loans, as evidenced by the fact
that Col. Bobleter, the president
of the bank, iwrote the bank ex-
aminer's department. Jan. 9Th, 1898,
that the milling company had reduced
their indebtedness.S6, 900. 1t is hardly
probable that khad these loans not
been for the benefit of the milling
company, that ,corporation wonldhave
endorsed individual notes to the ex-
tent it did, and then have given q
mortgage on it's property for security,
and Mr.. Lind is far too intelligent a
person not to recognize this.
= And the cover that Mr.. Lind seeks
for himself, that if the bank examiner
found the banks methods were not
legal, he should have proceeded to
close it up when the found it out, is
entirely too thin. Ut is not the duty
of the bank examiner to destroy bust
ness institutions,"but to cause them
to follow correct business methods if
possible, when he finds they are not
doing so. 1t appears that in this
case he caused the obtaining of suf-
ficient security to protect the bank
interests by making an assessment up
on the stockholders to cover the ex-
cess loan. But whatever Mr.. Kenyon
may have done does not relieve
the responsibility Of Mr.. Lind
from the duty that devolved up
on him. He starts out on the issue
that the states business was not con.
Quoted as it should be, criticises the
officials and tells how much better he
would do it. The idea that will
naturally take possession of voters is,
that if he did not look properly after
the business of one bank as an Of
icial thereof, how Lmuch can be de-
pended upon his assertion that he
will look after the business of the
state better than it has been looked
after under the administration of the
Republicans. Mr.. Lind and his as
'ociates have not yet produ ced any
tangible evidence that state affairs
nave in any way been mismanaged.
Simple assertions to that effect are
not conclusive evidence bv anv means