The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-27
a PLAIN STATEMENT.

Annually real estate is sold for non
payment of delinquent taxes. To the per
son who purchases property at the tax
sale is issued a tax certificate. The sale
is made by the county auditor, The pro-
cedure is technical and strict compliance
with the law is exacted
To induce persons to invest in tax GER
tifcates. the law provides for the re-
fundment of the money in the event that
the courts declare the tax sale void To
entiue a person to such recruitment
three conditions are requisite:
/ The person applying for the refund
ment must be the holder of the certli-
cate when he applies for refundment
. He must not be In possession of tie
real property himself or through others
8. He must present, surrender and can
eel the certificate and deliver it to the
county auditor.
Is entitled to receive warrant from the
county auditor for the amount of the re-
fundment drawn on the county treas
1irer.
Since w. R. Johnson, the present coun-
ty auditor. has been in office not less
than $4,000 cash had been paid out on
such transactions.
1t was the duty of the county auditor,
when any such application was filed, to
see that the applicant was the owner
of the certificate. 1t was his duty. be-
fore he issued the warrant, to procure the
surrender of the certificate 1t was his
duty, before he issued the warrant to pro-
cure an assignment of the certificate. if
the same was recorded Tt was his duty,
before the commissioners certified to the
application. to inform them that the ap-
pllcant was not the holder of the certt-
fcate
The auditor at all times had the records
before him
Gen. Pope charges that during the
month covered by his investigation, nu-
merous parties filed with the county au-
ditor applications claiming to be holders
and obtained warrants from him. to
which they were not entitled to, without
sumendering the certificates, and obtain
ed money on the warrants from the
county treasurer amounting to many
thousands Of dollars; in some instances
procured and surrendered the certificates,
not before, but only AFTER and with the
money obtained from the treasurer, and
- in several instances the certificates have
never been surrendered.
If Gen Pope's charges are true, the
parties who obtained such money are
guilty of felony. If GEN. Pope's charges
can be sustained. the county auditor df
party to the transaction is also guilty
OF felony and has forfeited his office
This is not question of Republicanism
or Democracy, but a matter VIII oh affects
the taxpayers-and party considerations
must not enter into this perplexed, yet
plain state of affairs
Gen. Pope is the public examiner Of
this state In his report he charges Mr..
Johnson to be guilty of malfeasance or
nonfeasance in office
1t becomes the legal duty of the gov
ernor, under section S94 of the General
Statutes, to appoint special commission
ers to examine into such charges.
The public is entitled to know whether
Mr.. Pope's charges are true or not. Gen.
Pope's report was flied over week
ago, yet no such commission has been
appointed
The grand jury of Ramsey county was
in session and adjourned to June with
out taking any action in the matter
It would be public scandal 20 allow
such grave charges against the county
auditor and some of his deputies and
clerks and the men who have profited
by the alleged swindling operation 20
pass without a judicial investigation.
Our courts. county attorney and grand
jury should take judicial notice of this
matter without delay. No other acton
VIII satisfy the aroused public sentiment