The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-17
MEENESOTA POLITICS
Dunn Reply to the johnson Reports 10
Deferred Until NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of
the Reports the Political Sen sation-The
Credit for the Gross Earnings Bill
Placed Where 1t Belongs.

Credit for the Gross Earnings Bill
Placed Where 1t Belongs.
D. c.. Dunn's defense against the state
ments in the reports of Public Examiner
Johnson is still in preparation. George
A. Finn and Swan B. Moander, former
land clerk and stumpage clerk in his
office, were busy yesterday and today
delving into the records Of the state
auditors office digging out the material
that is to clear Dunn and annihi1ate
Johnson. The reply was to have been
published in the official organ this morn
| ing, but the task was too great to be
| finished SO soon, and it is now an
nounced that it will be issued Monday.
/ Meanwhile the facts contained in the
reports have caused a profound politi-
cal sensation. The last reports covered
ground that was not touched by the leg
, islative committee last year. What the
| committee found at that time was suffi-
cient to recommend further investigation,
but the loose handling Of timber per-
n1its and the use of inside information"
| on mineral leases had not been discov-
| cred at that time.
| Indignation has been expressed by
many republicans since the publication
of the reports Thursday, and the COM
mon remark is that Dunn owes it to
the rarty to make complete defense
and clear himself of the charges, Or else
get off. the ticket. The candidates
| friends have little to say, and are de-
! cidedly glum and cross when the re-
jorts are mentioned. They realize that
the party has been placed on the de-
fensive and the state campaign is in
danger of disintegration.
When J. F. Jacobson. in his famous
speech at the extra session of 1902, ac-
cused State Auditor Dunn of claiming
credit for all the reforms and good meas
ures he (Jacobson) had initiated, Mr..
Dunn had not declared himself the orig
inator of the 4 per cent gross earnings
bill The Jacobson speech brought up to
date would prove still more Interesting
reading.
1t is a well-known fact as stated in
all the Dunn literature. that he recon-
mended the gross earnings bill in his
report of 1899. However, all these PAM
phlets omit to say that the bill was in
troduced by Jacobson at the session OF
1897 and passed in the house, only to
. meet defeat in the senate, as it did again
. In 1892 When the first bill was intro
duced and fought thru, the state auditor
, had not taken up the subject. He did
not do so until its popularity had been
demonstrated by Jacobson's partially sue
. cessful fight.
that all Dunn's success in office had been
due to laws which he had opposed at the
time they were passed, and which were
forced on him. One feature he men
toned is of special interest in the light
! of the reports just published. Jacobson
said that Dunn opposed the feature OF
the timber act of 1896 which required
: state timber to be scaled after it was
cut. This new plan. said Jacobson, had
tIoa tjr,oT,o a Ir9 n
derestimated by the state scalers before
If was cut In a newspaper interview
replying to jacobson, Dunn exhausted
=. his supply of explosives, which the Pho
. neer Press was obliged to express with
blanks. and then said that the require
9 ment for scale after cutting was fmprac-
q ticable, that he had always opposed H.
f and never enforced it.
n In his speech Jacobson also spoke OF
the law of 1897, granting Increased pow
: ers to the board of equalization. for
which Dunn had claimed all the credit
It Jacobson recalled the fact that he intro
e duced such bill at the session OF 1888
y and made a hard fight for 1t. only to
: have the auditor steal his thnnder 1our
: years later.
9 The Preston Times said this week:
- Bob Dunn wants that last report of Sam John
- son given to the public. He contends that 1t Is
neither fair to him nor the people to suppress a
{ matter of this kind. more especially now, when
e he Is candidate for an important office.
: The statement is not quite accurate.
. Mr. Dunn did not demand that the re-
}. ports be made public. He only demanded
:. copy of the report for himself. The
: demands made by several of his news
: | paper supporters that the reports De
!, given to the public. were criticised by
, some of Dunn's friends as "injudicious.'
The populists are counting on disaf-
- lection from the Bryan democracy and
a a good-sized vote for the electoral ticket
| they are soon to name. The W1llmar
s Tribune, state organ Of the party, says:
o The vote that Thomas E. Watson will get In
e this state will be truer index TO the real popu'
a list strength than the vote of two years ago.
( Charles B. Cheney.