The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-10-04
DEMOCRATIC MANAGERS FAIL TO
RESPOND TO TELLING BLOWS
ADMINISTERED BY "BoB.
DUNN IN HIS MILACA 4
SPEECH.
STATEMENTS CONSERVATIVE
Losses by Democratic Mismanage-
ment Run up into the Hundreds
of Thousands, and the Sur
plus Is Rapidly Disap-
pearing

The speech of Hon. r. c. Dunn at
Milaca Sept. q was such body blow to
the Lind administration that the Dem
ocratic machine was fairly paralyzed
and has not even yet recovered. On
the Sunday following the speech the
Globe, Gov. Lind's official organ, had
only recovered it's breath sufficiently
to make the feeble defense that the
old railroad bonds voted by the Demo-
cratic legislature of 1857 We're stood
Tor by the people; that majority of
the people were Republicans and that
the Republicans were therefore really
responsible for the issue of the bonds,
even If Democratic legislature did
pass the act.
And right there the, Globe stopped.
Even Gov. Lind, in his opening speech
OF the campaign at Red Wing the
evening following Mr.. Dunn's speech,
could find no excuse to make for the
extravaganza and waste in the grain
inspection bureau or the shameful in
competency of those in charge of the
was no explanation that could be made
nothing but eXcuses-and the DEM
ocrats would gladly drop the subject
where is it, bad plight as that leaves
them in. Mr.. Dunn's statement of the
case was so conservative, and his Ian
guage so, mild, that few, even among
Republicans, appreciate their import
ance and gravity.
The statement as RI tho in IN
spection bureau is plain enough, and
any one can see the point of it, 1t is
mathematicahy demonstrated propo-
sition. the figures being furnished by
the Democrats themselves and the con-
Viction coming out of their own mouths.
The last year of Repub-
lfcan administration of
the bureau cost. 1871, 6S1.12
The first year of Demo-
cratic administration of
the bureau cost. 2O7 1856 50
Difference in favor Of Re-
puDl1cans .................. $16,274.47N
Now, if there Was any difference in
the cost of maintenance in the two
years the excess should be in the year
when there was the largest crop, but
such is not the case, for the crop that
it cost 100000 to inspect was about
one-fourth less than the crop that the 4
Republicans inspected for $191, 900. And
it must not be forgotten that the Lind
administration also had board Of APP
peals to fill with it's heelers at a cost
of $4,000, bringing the total excess
over the expenses of the last year of
Republican rule quite up to $4,000;
The cause of this difference in ex-
pense is not far to seek. It can be
found in the fact that Gov. Lind ap-
pointed to the chief places in the
bureau men who were totally unfa-
miliar with the work, and who were
given places for purely political rea-
sons, and this compelled the depart
ment to enlarge the pay roll in order
to get men to do the work. The ex-
cess in the pay roll Of 1900 over that of
1898 would, as Mr.. Dunn has pointed |
out, pay twenty-seven inspectors sal
aries of $500 a year each. The depart I
ment has simply added to the pay roll |
enough Of these $500 inspectors to do
the work of the $1,000 to $1,000 men
who devote their time solely to Dem
ocratic politics.
But it was Mr.. Dunns expose of the
mismanagement-to call it by it's mild
est name---in the prison Irvine plant
that appalled, the people and dumb
founded the Democratic managers. /
They could not deny the accuracy Of
the figures, for they were taken from
Warden Reeves official reports to the
state auditor. In making his report Of
the facts Auditor Dunn speaks almost
as a reluctant witness, disliking to
attach discredit and reproach to the
state of which he is so proud He
simply gives the official figures that
show an excess of $341, 651.45 In the
operating expenses Of the prison for /
1900 over those of 1899.
He then points out that, according
to Warden Reeves report. there is on
hand at the prison 1,175,000 pounds of
sisal for which the managers paid S1s
cents pound, and which can be
bought in the open market to-day for
51s cents pound, showing loss of 8
cents pound on 1,175,0O0 pounds, or
total loss of $4,000. That is as far as
Mr.. Dunn carries the figures, but those
who have read and followed his speech b
go further. They face the fact that +
the state has been disgraced If not |
robbed, and want to know the worst.
The fact is that the managers of the
wine plant bought, as Warden Reeves
'eport to the state auditor shows, moreNI
han 100000 pounds of sisaI costing,
according to the same authority, not
ess than 81s cents pound. Now, this f.
s about the highest price ever paid for
hat product, and that price ruled for
,ut a short time, that time being when /
he Philippine insurgents were making
heir most successful fight against the
American forces. 1t is most singular
hing that Col. Reeve, who had just
'eturned from the Philippines as.
nominal officer of an American regi-
nent,. should be so sconvinced Of the |
of the Aguinaldo govern
nent" as to stock up the prison Irvine
liant for years to come at a fancy / |
rice that could hold good only in the
went of the failure of the Americans
o subdue the rebels in the Philippines
Z Col. Reeve had ever followed his
men into actual battle in the Philip 4 4
line war he would have seen enough /
o convince Him that the Tagals could |
lot hold out long against American
rms. and he would not have paid out 4
he states money on q speculation, the