The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-10-12
DISCUSSES STATE ISSUES.

There has been some intimation
from the fusion leaders that the Re-
publlcans would not discuss state is
sues. But such talk from the opposi-
tlon will come no more The shot of
State Auditor Dunn into their methods
of reform has kept them squirming
ever since it was delivered but they
have not yet been able to tell what the
taxpayers have received for more than
half million dollars added to the ex-
penses of the state by the Lind admin
istration. And now comes Capt. Van
SAINT in a speech delivered at Barnes
vile Friday last in which he discusses
state issues at length that ought to
fully satisfy the longings of the fusion
leaders to the fullest extent. The
claims of Governor Lind and his asso-
ciates to the inaugura&ng and car
rying out certain reforms were thor
oughly exploded. He showed wherein
in the matter of taxation that the gov
ernor was riding on the work of Audi
tor Dunn and claiming as his own,
work and recommendations which
Mr.. Dunn alone had done and bro ught
out. In the matter of railroad rates
he showed that Gov. Lind and his
partisan railroad board is entitled to
little credit further than doing their
duty as marked out and directed by
the law passed by Republican legisla-
ture, which directs that the board of
commissioners shall take up and regu-
late rates.
Point by point Capt Van SAINT takes
up Gov. Lind's claims of what he has
done for the people of the state, and
shows that it is either the work of the
state auditors Office or that where it
is matter, like the state grain inspec-
ton, or the management of the prison
Irvine plant it has been handled in
bungling and unbusiness-like manner
to the detriment of the state and the
taxpayer. Every position which Mr..
Van SAINT takes, he fortifes from the
records of the state thereby making
his point unassailable.
Two years ago Gov. Lind when
travelling through the state asking the
voters to make him governor charged
the Republicans with extravaganza in
the management of state institutions
and promised that if he were elected
governor they would be placed upon
business basis, but this promise, it
seems, has been forgotten, at least it
has not been redeemed. Capt. Van
der Governor Lind's administration
the per capita cost of conduct of these
institutions increased instead of de-
creased. He showed that in 1896 I'M
der Republican rule the cost per
capita for maintaining the state insti-
buttons was $191. 90; for 1897, it was
$176. 90; for 1898, it was cut down to
$3.50 90. In 1899 under Governor Lind
it was increased to $3.50. 90 and for
1900 it is about the same figure. In
1898 Mr. Lind said the management
was extravagant. yet he has spent
more for their maintenance than was
spent under the alleged extravaganza of
the Republicans.
Before election day arrives Governor
Lind and his associates are apt to get
all the discussion of state issues they
care for. The Republicans appear to
be loaded for them at every turn. The
hot shot of State Auditor Dunn is fully
sustained by the ruthless tearing away
of reform pretenses by Capt. Van SAINT
The exposure leaves the fusionists in
bad shape.