The Minneapolis journal., 1904-05-06
SAYS IT'S But A
CAMPAIGN MOVE
DUNN DISCUSSES PUBLIC EXAM
INER'S TRESPASS REPORT.
He Insists That the Settlements He
Made Were for the States Best In
terests and That the Report Was
Made for Political Purposes.

R. c. Dunn, former state auditor
and candidate for governor, whose
record in office is under fire in the
report of Public Examiner S. T. John
son, gave out lengthy interviews to the
morning papers. The burden of his
statements is that the report has been
prepared and given out for political
purposes; that the matter has already
been threshed over, and that his tres
pass settlements were all made for the
best interests of the state.
He said ne had collected fifteen
times as much for trespass as had
been collected before in the states
history.
'If the attorney general thinks that
he can do better than did in collect
| ing on these timber trespass cases.
said Mr.. Dunn, "the records are all
there in the state auditors office. and
| let him proceed. The fact of the
matter is that every settlement made
by me was for the best interests of
the state. Every report made by
| every state cruiser was on file in the
auditors office when I turned it over
| to the present state auditor, s.. G.
Iverson, and in every case of trespass
where dollar was collected, every
! cent of the amount collected was ac-
Ecounted for by4me. livery settlement
| was in the best interests Of the state,
| and the legislative committee last
winter, after a thoro investigation of
| every case, SO reported to the house
of representatives. This present re-
port is nothing more than rehash of
| what the public examiner has given
out, time and time again.
"For Political Effect"
''The public we'll understands why
this report is made at this time. It is
simply a political move and done for
political effect. It seems as tho the
whole state administration had joined
in a last desperate effort to injure my
lcandidacy with the people, and thou
sands of dollars Of the states money
has been squandered in an attempt
to assist the candidacy of Judge Col
Inns by this means.
Il make this charge openly and
squarely. and if it is libelous, let
Governor Van SAINT and his hench-
men make the most of it. / am re-
sponsible. The conduct of Governor
Van SAINT in directing the attorney
general to make such report as this
public, without giving that official
time and opportunity to examine it,
is contemplate in superlative de-
gree, especially when it is considered
that this report is made by man
that I, in common with thousands of
other people in the state, would not
DCAiCNS ullucl oetlll, eilu LlldC II Is an
ex-parte statement bolstered up by
the alleged evidence of a man who
does not know pine tree from a bass
wood"
Letters Are on File. -
Mr.. Dunn criticises the report for
not giving the explanations on file
showing why settlements were made
} The fact is that the correspondence
: in most Of the cases Is given in the
: report, and that Mr.. Dunn has moi
seen a copy of it. But one copy was
y now in the hands of the attorney gen.
eral. It was open to the newspaper
e men yesterday, but Mr.. Flinn's re.
!, quest for copy could not be com.
= piled with. Il
Mr.. Dunn also says that his sue
n cessor should be collecting more fol
8 trespass settlements than he did, be
cause the price Of pine stumpage ha
Z gone up. The record shows, however
n that Mr.. Iverson is getting more fo
p trespass settlements than for timbe
:, sold at auction, while the reverse i
l, true in Mr.. Dunn's record.
l. With regard to the Buchanan case
:, Mr. Dunn says the settlement wa
- made since he left the office. Thi
l. does not appear from the record. Th
payment was made in two drafts 70
$4,000 each, one dated JAN 6, 1902
S. and the other May 8, 1902. Mr.. Dunn
/ was in office until Dec. 81, 1902.
,f 1t Is "simp1y Damnable."
Le In his conclusion, Mr.. Dunn goe
~ after the governor and other official
~ in the following style:
S, II had labored under the impress
,f sion that l was entitled to fair treat
ment at least at the hands Of tn
IL present administration. I certainl
,e expected no favors and I leave th
:. public to judge whether or not I hay
8 been treated fairly. The campaig
rs that has been conducted against m
, for the past five or six months Ia
been one of villiication and misre pre-
y sentation, and what ought to DISCUS
K every fair-minded man is that til
4 state administration lends itself t
"A such plans and schemes, and that til
v states name is being used by the1
y. to injure me. 1t is bad enough
have all the officeholders, with on
g.. or two exceptions, against me- an
K out thru the state spending the state
:. time but to have the state of Mime
Is sofa expend thousands of dollars I
besmirch my character is simpl
Il damnable.
II am not rich man by any mean
/ hut i would. wager every cent po
sess in the world that the state
Minnesota will never collect additions