The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-23
Mr.. sDUNN,s DERELIcTIoN

The Duluth Herald, which has been i'm
his record, is convinced by the record Of
his mineral lease transactions that he is
unfit to hold high office. From it's
knowledge. of the practices on the iron
range the Herald makes most damag-
ing arraignment Of the former auditors
policy. The Herald says editorially:
The mining lease record is a blot upon
his Ounn's) official record that cannot
be erased. His defense of the manner in
which he permitted officials In his office
to take advantage Of and profit from the
special knowledge which they obtained
Of the value of the state mineral lands is
no defense at all. On the contrary, Mr..
Dunn's own admissions drag him still
deeper into the mire. He admits that
valuable mining leases were made indi-
rectly to clerks in his office, and that he
signed one lease to Mabel Evans, sister
of one of these clerks, without even
looking at the name and yet that lease
covers one of the most valuable pieces
Of iron land on the ,Mesaba range, worth
several million dollars, according to Mr..
Dunns own showing.
Mr.. Dunn claims that there is nothing
In the land Or mineral laws of the state
that prohibits such sale or lease to any
official or employee of the state" Sec
ton $685. of the General Laws of 1894 says:
"A public officer who is authorized ito
sell or lease any property, or to make any
contract in his official capacity, or to
take any part in such sale or lease, or
contract, and voluntarily becomes inter-
ested, individually. in such sale, lease or
contract directly or indirectly, is guilty of
a misdemeanor. MI. Dunn's assertion
IF In aro1 tot, ,toc
DO not agree But, as. the Herald has
previously said, even if the law did not
prohibit the granting of leases Of state
lands to employees In the land depart
ment OF the state auditors office, Mr.,
Dunn should have had q higher concep-
ton OF his duty to the state and a more
sollcltous regard Cor the good name of
his department Of the state government
than to permit any clerk to avail himself
OF the special information he had &C
| quired in the states service and secure
valuable leases. The application by or on
behalf Of a clerk in his land department
for such a lease should have been fol-
lowed Immediately by a demand for his
resignation. Such action by Mr.. Dunn
would have shown that he would permit
nothing that would create even the sus-
p1c1on of corruption. When he failed to
take such action, he placed himself on the
same level as his clerks who sought to
cial knowledge they had gained as Of
hc1als Of the state. Mr.. Dunn, in further
attempt to condone and excuse the grave
disregard of official obligations, says that
the public knew as soon as did the clerks
in the land department that these lands
were open to lease In regard to the
lease OF the so-called Virginia silver, =
he claims that any one could have leased
1t for whole year before the lease was
granted to sister Of one of the clerks
during the last days of his administra
ton, "altho, : he says. 'the state had not
at that time received patent for the
land from the United States government. =
BY this last statement, Mr.. Dunn has
made a most damaging admission, be-
cause 1t Is well known that persons who
have applied at the auditors office for
leases of lands embraced in the states
swamp land lists have been refused leases
| because, they were told, the state had
| not vet received patents from the govern
ment. And, even after the state. had re-
cetved patents to certain swamp lands
from the government, leases have beer
refused, for the stated reason that tho
Duluth & Iron Range railroad had moi
1 secured all its swamp land grant and was
| entitled to f1rstssselection. If the "vir-
gfnia silver could have been leased for a
whole year previous to The issuance of the
lease to Mabel Evans, 1t Is utterly alb.