The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-04
TUnNING LoHNsoN LOOSE

Gross Irregularities existed in the con-
duct of the business of the office and in
some respects the plain provisions of the
law have been ignored"
If there were nothing else in the re-
port of Gov Van SAINT showing it's au-
thors search after excuse or apology
for Auditor johnson this sentence would
furnish convincing evidence of itself.
irregularities" existed and the law had
been ignored"
Glib a talker as Gen. Van SAINT is
misunderstanding of the meaning of
wopds.
The disbursement, day after day. of
public funds. in sums aggregating thou
sands Of dollars, to parties who had not
even a shadow of right to them, and for
which no receipt or voucher can be
produced-this the governor designates
official irregularity! 1t is, according to
him. mere ignoring of the law!
Let us help the governor out on his
vocabulary: The statutes of the state of
Minnesota apply a different expression
to that sort Of thing. They call it
FELONY. If his excellency' will turn
to page 1726 of the General Statutes and
run his eye down to section 6421, he will
find this language:
"A person who, being or acting. as a
public officer or otherwise, by willfuIly
auditing or paying, or consenting to or
connlVlng at the auditing or payment Of
false or fraudulent claim or demand,
or by any other means wrongfully OBJ
tains, receives, converts or disposes Of
or paying or aids paying out any money
or property held, owned or in the posses
sion of the state, or of any city, county
or village is guilty of a felony,
punishable by imprisonment in the state
prison for not less than three nor more
than i've years, or by a fine not exceed
ing i've times the amount or value of the
money paid out or by
both such imprisonment and fine"
The crime here specified was committed
time and time again, according to
the governor, by Johnsons deputy
under Johnson's nose; but johnson
couldn't see it. Johnson is none the less
an honest man, says the governor, and
his title to his Office is clear. He mas dis
charged his wicked deputy, and there
upon he must be protected
The truth is, and Gov. Van SAINT knows
it, that Johnson tried to brazen this
thing out and, in the choice vocabulary
which he has at his tongues tip, abused
and vilifed everybody who imputed
wrong-doing to him or his official asso-
GATES. State Auditor Dunn, according to
him, is an ass who should fasten his ears
back behind his head, because ne aver
red his refusal to accept Johnson's Off
cial assurance as safe guide for his
direction
The truth is, and Gov Van SAINT knows
it, that Johnson up to the day CT the
governors report kept GriswoId in or1ce.
and announced in the public press that
he would stand by his deputies to the
end. Mr.. johnson, as everybody knows,
is no mean buffer. If the whole truth
We're known it would probably be found
that Griswold was let out at the suggss-
tion of the governor, and that the only
cost at which the whitewash was ap-
piled was that of Johnson's dispensing
with the valuable services of his deputy.
Let the governor go. He had an op-
portunity in this case to show his SUI
periority to the influences of petty roll
itics. He wasn't equal to 1t. The pub
lie must look elsewhere for the punish
1nent of those Who either through the
connivance or gross. negligence of Coun-
ty Auditor Johnson -juggled 50 cleverIy
and successfully with the county runds
in this tax certificate business.