The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-27
MORE BRIBERY RUNORS
MINNEAPOLIS PAPERS CONFIDENT
THAT THEY HAVE FOUND
MARES NEST
SPRING TWO LURID PIPES
Committee Appointed to Make In
VestiEatiOn Has Not Yet
Achieved Any Def
mite Results

The bribery investigation committee of
the house has not yet arrived at definite
results and it is not likely to if the al
legged hriberies continue to multiply as
they have been doing for the past few
days. The latest report, that of the
county officials of the state trying to
force a certain bill through the legisla-
ture that it is claimed, will increase
their terms from two to four years, was
given d fun hearing yesterday, but as
evening drew on the members became
more skeptical and last there were some
at the Windsor who were actually ready
to declare that they didn't believe there
had been such a thing as a bride offered
since the session began.
The bill which the county officers are
said to be interested in was introduced
by Representative Sweet of Minneapolis,
January II, but it's application would
have to be misconstrued in order to
make it affect county officers now in
office.
The provisions of the bill read as fol-
lows:
1.-The term OF every county auditor,
county treasurer, sheriff, register of
deeds, clerk of the district court, county
attorney, county surveyor, county sup
erintendent of schools and court COM.
missoners elected in this state shall be
successors are elected and qualified;
provided, that nothing herein contained
shall construe to extend or lengthen the
terms of any such officers who have al
ready been elected"
Instead therefore, of applying to pres
ent incumbents the measure specifically
states that it does not so apply and
consequently it is possible that no
brides have yet been offered to members
they will vote for this bill. On some such
theory there might yet be established
a degree of fallacy in the reports con-
corning tile alleged brides on the gross
earnings bill.
Prior to the introduction of this bill
Mr. Sweet introduced another which pro-
Vided for the increase in the term of the
probate judges of the state. This was
defeated and the author decided that it
would be of little, if any, use to at
tempt to pass his other bill, which in
cluded all the county officers. AS a re-
suit the bill in question was left with
the committee and has never been
printed or given an further considera-
ton. 1t is said to be a fact however,
that when there was a probability of
getting one of these measures through
pool was formed by the county officials
of the state, some of them at least and
certain fund, perhaps not as great as
that mentioned above, was raised for the
enterprise. But it would be impractic-
able to think of pushing the bill which
is now a dead letter, since it does not
apply to present incumbents nor pos
sess any material strength as to the
possibility of passing.
The stories which were circulated
through two Minneapolis papers yester-
day regarding the Sweet bill pool toll
that the $4,000 are in a certain vault in
St. Paul and that two county officials
in Ramsey county are the engineers of
the enterprise. The names of two Off
Gals said to be thus involved were given
yesterday, and both these gentlemen as
well as all of the others deny any knoWl-
edge of or connection with any such
a scheme.
Regarding the work of the inyestica-
ton committee Chairman Mallory. who
is opposed to giving any information I'M
iii the matter is in a complete form,
stated that a meeting had been held
during the day. 1t is supposed that at
this meeting Mr.. Jacobson presented
what he had to aid the committee in it's
arduous undertaking, as he gave out the
statement that he was ready at anv
time to go before the committee He
was asked by Mr.. Mallory if he would
wait for a summons or appear volun-
tary and made this reply Mr.. Mallory
refuses to speculate upon when he thinks
the committee Will be ready to report.