The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-14
OIL CORRUPTION FUND
THE REPUBLICANS SAY THE IN
sPECTORsHIP HAS BEEN A
BAD FACTOR
POLITICS RENDERED IMPURE

Bush Bill Cutting Down the Fees Of
the OIL Inspector From Fifteen
to Seven Cents a Barrel Was
Recommended for Passage-An-
Thrust Bill Is a Special Order for
This Morning. ri cor
There was little jangle among the
Republican leaders in the house yester-
day over the bill of Mr. Bush (Rep), Of
Olmsted. which reduces the fees to be
collected by the oil Inspector from Is to
Z cents per barrel During the discus
sion 1t was stated and admitted by sew
eral of the leaders of the grand old
party" that for twenty years the fees de-
rived from the OIL inspectors office had
been used as a corruption fund by the
party managers.
| When 1T was reached yesterday after
noon Mr.. Hagstrom Rep.), of Hennepin,
chairman Of the committee on commerce,
asked that the bill be recommitted to
the committee
This is the only bill which has been re-
ferred to the committee during the ses-
sion, and 1t was supposed that the com
m1ttee desired to make the most of the
opportunity to do committee work Mr..
Hagstrom in reply to question as to
Why the bill should be recommitted stat
led that several parties desired to be
heard on the measure, and as the full
committee had not, been present at the
time 1t was considered another hearing
was desired
Mr.. Staples, with some display of anger,
charged that the purpose of the motion
to recommit the bill was a deliberate at
tempt to smother the bill, and he would
not be party to such action. For TWEEN
ty years the oil inspectors fees had been
the subject of more or less comment
throughout the state. The Democratic
party had taken the position that 1t was
robbery, and he faYqredf the passage Of
| the bill.
Mr.. Dwinnell Rep.), Of Hennepin, said
the fees from the office of oil inspector
had been and always would be used for
| political purposes The, report Of the re-
| trenchment and reform committee of the
senate had shown that the income of
the inspector for the past two years had
! been $26,0O0 and that It did not take any
time of the inspector to bring in this
large salary. He favored the passage
of the bill
| Mr.. O'Neill (Union) of Big Stone, want
ed the bill passed. The legislature or
the Populists of that body in 1898 insist
ed that the oil inspector the surveyor of
| logs and lumber, and the clerk of the
supreme court should be put on a salary
basis. The Republicans, however, had
| opposed and defeated this action. He
| was in favor of the bill, and knew 1t
| would meet the wishes and demands of
every Populist In the state.
Mr.. Stfvers Oem.) }, of Crow Wing, ques-
cd yhn ~,
bill If 1t became law. 1t would GER
tainly not benefit the state one penny.
The beneficiary would be the oil trust,
and for this reason he saw no particular
reason why the measure should pass.
Mr.. Plowman Pop.), Of Otter Tail, said
when the Republicans held the power
and the office no action was taken to cut
down the fees, but favored the passage
OF the bill, however.
MI. Grondahl (Repl of Goodhue,
thought the Republican members had been
suddenly seized with q spasm of virtue.
When the Democratic. governor recon-
mended the reduction of the fees the
members were ready ito. vote for It.
Members had stated that the fees of the
Office had been the corruption fund of the
Republican party. This was not true.
All, departments of the government con-
tr1buted. to the campaign fund, but. this
was necessary in order to send out cam
patgns literature and GO other work, for
1t was impossible to run a campaign
without money. He did not want to be
placed or have the. Republican party
placed In a position. where it could be
said that the office had been one for rails
ing a corruption fund for the party.
Mr. Jacobson (Rep.), Of Lac qui Parle,
declared he had voted every time for a
reduction of the fees of the oil inspector
and 1t was not his fault that the fees had
not bod
noticed that whenever it came down to
| question of making a reduction in fees
in an office which paid SAC, GOO in two years
| there was considerable trouble In getting
legislation through. He was sorry that
the bill making the office salaried one
had been killed in the senate, as he would
like to have had a,sehance to vote on
the measure. The lobby which had been
working to defeat the senate bill and this
| one was in evidence about the legislative
halls every day. Such offices were gen.
orally given to men who could not get an
| office by being elected-to anything by the
votes of the people and without regard to
party he was in favor of passing the bill.
There had been some talk about the ap-
pointments made by the present execu-
tive, but from what he: knew about the
men some of them Weresof the same class
and just as bad alb eany that had been
made In former years:.S
The bill was recommepded to pass
INDIAN WAR ECHO.
An echo of the Indian outbreak at Leech
lake last fall was heard in the house yes
terday when the committee on appro-
| priations recommended the passage of q
bill giving Cass county $500 for expenses
incurred In putting down the threatened
| uprising of the Pillagers.
| The same committee also reported with
out recommen dation the claim of W. Nc
Knight. of LIE Roy, MIMI, who demand
| ed $1,000 for injuries received while
patient at the Rochester insane asylum
| In 1895. The bill was ordered placed on
| general orders
! REINSURANCE BILL KILLED.
| The bill of Senator Potter (Rep), of
Hennepin prohibiting the reinsurance by
| fire insurance companies in other than
companies doing business in the state was
beaten In the house yesterday afternoon
| in the committee of the whole There
We're but half dozen who voted against
the indefinite postponement Of the bill.
| WAS A DISPATCH FAKE
Mr.. McGrath (Repo. of Clay, arose
to a question of privilege yesterday
morning, and explained to the house that
the statement In an afternoon paper re-
lative to fstic encounter between him
self and Mr.. Abbot Rep). of Faribault,
was unture in every particular
| He had had no row or even words with
| the member from Faribsult, and the
story was started in the way Of joke.
1t had been copied In tthe state papers,
| and had caused him much humiliation
| beside doing him great injustice. He
| had requested the representative of the