The Bemidji pioneer., 1900-11-01
LIND AS "A
6 PROTECTOR 2
THE RIDICULOUS POSING OF THE
GOVERNOR ON MATTERS
PERTAINING TO
RAILROADS. n,
MAKES BRAzEN STATEMENTS
which Have No Foundation what
ever--AIl to Glorify
Gov. Lind. As

In his speeches throughout the state
i Gov. Lind never fails to hand himself
large bouquets, and always poses as
| the implacable enemy of the railroad
companies. He never omits telling
about what awful things he is doing to
the railroads. and how he is saving to
the state thousands and thousands OF
acres Of land. The basis for these
1 claims is the wrongful deciding to the
Little Falls & Dakota Railroad COM
earned, and his own labors to have the
grant annulled; also of his refusal to
/ sign land grants "for thousands OF
| acres" II
Both these claims are ridiculously
false, and the governor knows it;;; he IS
simply making them with deliberate
! intent to deceive. The true history OF
these events and Of his connection
with the railroad companies Is as fol-
I lows:
When r. G. Dunn entered upon the
duties of state auditor In January, 1895,
| one Of the first matters to receive his
attention was the condition Of the DIFF
ferent railroad land grants. Among
the number was that of the Little Falls
& Dakota Railroad company, branch
Of the Northern Pacific railway, ex-
tending from Little Falls to Morris.
MINI. He found that the terms OF the
grant had not been complied with by
/ the railroad company.
The granting act provided that the
/ company was to receive ten sections OF
! state swamp land for, each mile of rail-
road completed, provided that the line
was built from Little Falls to the west
/ ern boundary of the state. 1t was fur
| ther provided that the company should
not receive or be entitled to receive any
lands until division of thirty miles of
| line was built, the grant only attaching
/ to a completed division of thirty miles.
State Auditor Dunn found that the
| grantee had not completed its line to
| the western boundary Of the state as
provided in the act, but had made the
village of Morris, in Stevens county,
| its western terminus. He found also
| that only two thirty-mile divisions had
| been completed and that the last di-
/ vision was not completed, only twenty
| seven and a half miles having been
! built. He further found that the pre-
ceding state auditor. Adolf Biernlan.
/ A DEMOCRAT. had decided TO the
company over $4,000 acres Of land o1
! account OF the incomp1eted division.
/ State Auditor Dunn took the position
| that the Little Falls & Dakota Rail
road company had received 13,00o acres
! of swamp land more than 1t was legally
entitled to, and he promptly refused to
| deed anv more lands to the company
| Further than this, he placed the facts
| before the next succeeding Legislature.
| In 1897, and strongly urged that pro-
| vision he made to enable the state 70
recover the lands wrongfully conveyed
to the company. This the Legislatures
| did and suits were commenced during
the administration of Attorney General
| Childs with that end in view. AS the
lands are situated in different counties
the litigation has necessarily been pro-
! tracted. but there Is not the slightest
doubt that Sthe astateswill recover these
lands-THANKs TO THE VIGILANCE
OF STATE AUDITOR DUNN.
In view Of these facts 1t is simply
| laughable to hear Gov. Lind now claim
ing in his political speeches that HE
was the mover In this matter, and that,
l.
will recover these lands. He had no,
more to do with this matter than the
babe unborn. The first steps were taken
by Auditor Dunn before John Lind was
thought Of for governor. and the case
was in the courts before Lind was
elected and as matter OF fact, the
governor has no more to do with tine
adjustment Of swamp land grants mads'
by the state to aid railroad construc-
tion than has his chief clerk or his
dairy and food commissioner. The
statutes place the control of such mat
ters ENTIRELY in the hands OF the
state auditor, and during the fncum-
! bency of Mr. Dunn the rights of the
commonwealth In all such affairs have
been carefully guarded.
During Gov Lind's fncumbency In
Office he has signed number OF land
grants to railroads, but he had to have
something to make a grand stand play
on. and he refused to sign one. AND
ONLY ONE. This was for 12O ACRES
of swa mp land to the Southern Mfnne-
sofa Railway company. This company
had earned Its grant and Is certainly
entitled to the 120 acres, and can coli
lect 1t: this opinion was submitted TO
the governor by the attorney general
But the campaign was coming on and
Lind found 1t necessary to create a lit
tie political capital; he had to have
new issue for the ones OF 1893 were
badly frayed--from a Democratic point
OF tview-hence his refusal to sign the
deed.
And this is how he is Saving this
state thousands of acres of valuable
land" This is how The viii Forever
stand protector between the railroads
and the people," To persons who are
conversant with the facts his sef-lau-
dation is not only ridiculous-it Is dis
gusting.
Gov. Lind, in his speech at Waterviile,
Oct. 12, gave gratuitous and uncalled-