The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-24
FIELD, SCHLICk co.

sale in 1893. and the result Of that in
vestigation and the subsequent trial in
court and recovery by the state of $12,-
coo lost by the transaction.
The decision Of the court then estab-
lished the fact as claimed by Mr..
Dunn" said Mr.. Butler, land the lum-
bermen were compelled to disgorge and
Bob Dunn did it. He is entitled to the
lasting gratitude Of the people Of Min
nesota for his act. Every proposition
advanced by him in that investigation
was established by the court
Mr.. Butler drew attention to the
charge made by Mr.. Durment that the
state auditor had violated the law by
holding sales of pine in 1895 and 1897,
and that he also Violated the law by
not holding sale in 1895. He claimed
that, owing to the dryness of the sea-
sons preceding 1895. there was more
danger Of the pine being destroyed, and
as 1896 was a wet season the danger
or fire was reduced to a minimum, and
as the market was depressed the tim
Der commission decided that the state
would lose less from waste than 1t
would from low prices If a sale was
held.
Had the defense said that the 1897
sale was Illegal" said Mr.. Butler I'VE
would have tried that question. But
1t was a lawful sale and counsel can
not confuse me on the true issue in
this case. The issue here is, Is Bob
Dunn pine thief. a cheap pretender
and a slanderer? That is the case
we are trying. Paradis, to give the
devil his due, spoke fairly and honest
ly In the witness stand when he said
Dunn's character was good when he
made the charges against him. But
why did he not tell the truth in his ar
ticles or cite fact or tell Of a stick of
pine or Of one dollar lost to the state
by an act of Dunn's.
This case Is important" continued
Mr.. Butler, "for this reason-there has
never been q man attacked by a news
paper that does not know how inlpor-
tant it is the paper should be made to
cease. II my friend Durment had not
been attacked by newspapers, he
might have been district Judge to-
day. Any man who goes to his fam
lily and who meets his neighbors on the
street sees the necessity of furnishing a
libel. If men who know me lose their
respect for me, nothing can repair that
loss. Paradis says he knows Dunn to
be pure man, yet he called him a
slanderer, pine thief, pretender, q hold
er Of mock auctions. He aims at Dunn's
reputation and character, and 1t is an
unjust assumption, founded on malice
and harder to bear because it Is I'M
just.
eff there Is any man who can say
Dunn ever did an unjust or mean thing
or cheated his neig'hbor. he should have
been called to the witness stand Mr.
Dunn is here to protect his character
his family and his friends. While Par
ads. as he says. believed Dunn to he
honest and pure, yet he wrote
this libel. Your verdict of guilty
means this shall stop"
Mr. Butler drew attention to the fact
that Mr. Dunn had testified that the
sale had been held and the appraisals
signed in accordance with the law, and
he declared that no business house or
the court itself kept it's books and
records SO we'll as were kept the rec
ords of these pine sales. All sales had
been made publicly, by bidders at auc-
ton 1t was small business to say the
law was violated by advertising In q
trade journal, when that advertise
ment helped to fill the hall with bid
ders. The st. Paul papers at the time
said this sale was the most successful
ever held. Mr. Butler raked the de-
Tense for what he termed its lodging
tactics and for endeavOring to confuse
the jury "by raising that mysterious
thing known as reasonable doubt" He
rdiculed Mr.. Durment's peroration as
to the liberty Of the press as applied
to the acts Of the Midway News editor
THE constitution Of the state will suf-
fer but little If this libeling sheet Is
caught" declared Mr.. Butler, land
brought into court. and you say, You
libeler, you are guilty. This Bob Dunn,
if there Is q square-toed man who Is
not afraid to hold his own and who
has established his reputation as he
has. should be permitted to enjoy his
reputation. think 1t is the plain duty
of this jury to say to Paradis that you
shall not rob this man of his peace.
Can he call pine thief, swindler. SLAM
derer, hypocrite.' and be not guilty"