The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-31

Ing NOT Out IOr (OnEFeSGS.
The formal announcement yesterday
that T. J. Knox, of Jackson. would be
appointed TO succeed Ira b. Mills on the
state board Of railroad and warehouse
commissioners, while 1t will not be in
the nature of news to the employees Of
the grain inspection department, will, no
doubt. be source of some anxiety TO
large number of hangers-on In that de-
partment, who will view with alarm this
severance OF the last tangible tie that
binds them to the powers above
Mr.. Knox is a silver Republican, but
he has nothing in sympathy with the
kind of Republicans who, when they lose
their official positions, besiege their sue
cessors in switch shanties and beIabor
them for, presumably, being on the win
ming side.
Gov. Lind's action in the MetcaIf affair
yesterday was, no doubt, a considerab Bile
surprise to many Republicans, some OF
whom at least expected him to seize with
aVidity any chance to chop the head off
the head OF a Republican officeholder.
But not the governor. The fact is that
II there really is political animus behind
the charges, as might be suspected from
the interest Republican adversaries of
Metcalf are displaying, the governor will
not be entrapped. The law which gives
him the power to remove a county off,
c1al for cause carries with 1t a qualify
ing clause to the effect that the removal
must be only after the accused official
mas been given an opportunity to be
heard in his own behalf and the law
further provides that a commission shall
be appointed to take such testimony as
necessary to establish the truth of the
charges. The governor calls the atten-
ton OF Metcalf's accusers to the APP
preaching session of the grand jury and
admonishes them that the misfeasance
charged is peculiarly If it can be proved
OF criminal sort, and can the more
readily be reached by the courts. There
are imaginable certain kinds of mis-
feasance, such as continuous neglect Of
Official duties, which could only be effec-
lively reached by the governor, but this
IS not one of these cases, at least not
until It has been shown that the county
attorney of Hennepin county is, for any
reason, unable to, or not disposed to- pre-
sent the matter to the grand jury.
whether there is any connection be-
tween the charges and the POLITICAL ext
gencies of the Minneapolis Republican
ASetOOIo III not Tie IdCC remains that
Metcaf has directly antagonized a num-
Der of Influential politicians of that city
until they are really embittered against
him. The county commissioners in Hen
nepln may have wanted to elect his sue
cessor after getting the governor to act
as "cat's-paw," but the parties behind
the charges would seem to have an eff.
clent ana reasonably prompt way of
getting the matter shown up, at least, in
court
That Metcalf will have hard Shedding
IN getting denomination for Ais present
position would seem to be a warrantable
prophecy, in view of recent events. Frank
Peterson, David Gorham and half a
dozen other young fellows would be glad
to declare themselves in with the regis
try OF deeds, not to mention the fact that
s B. Lovejoy, and even Steve's old
friend, Uncle" Loren, have shafts in
their shoes which would delicately pierce
the official armor of Metcalf, If, per-
chance, opportunity offered