The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-11-01
LIND AS A
PROTECTOR !"
GOVERNOR ON MATTERS
PERTAINING TO
RAILROADS.
MAKES ERAz.N STATEMENTS
which Have No Foundation What
eve---All to Glorify
Gov. Lind.

In his speeches throughout the state
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
claims is the wrongful deciding to the
Little Falls & Dakota. Railroad COM
pany of $4,000 acres of land it had not
earned, and his own labors to have the
grant annulled: also Of his refusal to
sign land grants "for thousands of
acres"
Both these claims are ridiculously
false. and the governor knows 1t; 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-
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 Norris.
Mimi 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.
it's western terminus. He found also
that only two thirty-mile divisions had
been completed and that the last d.
vision was not completed, only twenty
seven and a half miles having been
built He further found that the pre-
ceiling state auditor. Adolf Bierman,
A DEMOCRAT. had decided to the
company over $4,000 acres Of land on
account Of the incompleted division.
State Auditor Dunn took the position
that the Little Falls & Dakota Rail-
road company had received $1,000 acres
Of swamp land more than It was legally
entitled to. and ne promptly refused to
deed any more lands to the company.
Further than this he placed the facts
before the next succeeding legislature.
In 1907. and stronglv urged that pro-
vision b@ made to enable the state to
recover the lnnds wrongfuily convened
to the company. This the legislature
did and suits were commenced during
the ADMINISTERS tion OF Attorney General
Childs with that end I'm view. As the
lands are situated In different counties
the litigs ton has necessa rflv baen r~n-
tracted. but there is not the s't@htest
doubt that the state will recover Ties"
TO rur y'-~U.ANe,E
OF STATE AUDITOR DUNN.
Tn view ~ thesa facts " ia s'~'ofv
laughahIe TO hear Gov. Lind now clafrn-
ing IN his ~o,i+ioe1 speschAs th"+ HE
was the mover IN this matter. and that.
thanks to HIS EyFRTTONs the state
will recover thesa lands. He had no
more to do WITH this matter than the
babe unborn The frst stens were taken
by Auditor Dunn before John Lind was
thought Of for governor. and the eos
was In the courts hafore Lind was
elected: and as a matter OF fact. the
governor has no more to do with the
adjustment Of swa mp land grants made
by the state to aid railroad rconstrn"-
tfon than hos his chief clerk OR his
dairy and food commissioner. The
statutes nloca the control of such NIT
ters FNTTp-I " IN tha herds 81 +he
stste auditor. end during the incu-,-
bepcy OF Nv D,,r-t mo -,-~,,.s ne The
commemorative in ~ srch affairs have
been carefully guarded.
D,,rinr. CO.. rt~5'S trouoohaocv IN
OFFICE he has SIGNED a number of land
grants TO railroads but he had to have
something to make grand stand play
on. and he refused to sign one. AND
ONLY ONE. This was for 40 ACRES
of swamp land to the Southern Mime
sofa Railway company. This compa nv
had earned its grant and is certainly
entitled TO the 100 acres. and can COL
fect IT.: this opinion was submitted 70
the governor bv the attorney general.
Rut the campaign was coming on end
Lind found IT necessary to create 1T
tie political capital: he he'd to have a
new issue for the ones of 1903 were
badly frayed--from a Democratic point
of view-hence his refusal to sign the
deed.
And this is how he is Saving the
state thousands of acres Of valuable
land" This is how he will forever
stand a protector between the railroads
and the peon,a'' To persons who are
conversant with the fscts his self-lau-
dation is not only ridiculous-it is dis
gushing.
p Gov. Lind, in his speech at Waterville
Oct. IL, gave gratuitous and uncalled-
for insult to the country press, which
the newspaper boys will not forget in q
hurry. After a TRADE Of abuse. ne
went on to say that "the country news
paper amounted to nothing after all
but IL you did want them. why buy
Ut.ox, Pol1oxuoH ,.0a 0f the