Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1904-05-21
THE KERNELS OF THE CONTROVERSY

| 1ins-Dunn controversy with a Stevens county
farmer who had read only the Dunn side of the
case, and as he went away a strong Collins
sympathizer, we have decided to use the same
kind of candid statement as our leading edi
torial this week.
During the last two weeks, K. G. Dunn and
L. w. Collins with their friends, managers and
newspaper supporters have been engaged In
wordy controversy. The editor OF the Tribune
is in favor of the nomination of Mr. Collins, but
we do not believe that the party would make
any more serious mistake than to stultify itself
|if Mr.. Dunn were nominated. AS there are
many of our readers who have heard only one
side of the case we will endeavor to give fair
and impartial review of the whole matter.
The leading personages in the mix-up were
J. J. HILL the greatest railroad man in the
world, Democrat by profession but actually a
business man who is interested in politics prin-
cipally from the business standpoint. Hills
best friend is Hill, and he looks out for him
first of ALL After that he looks out for his other
friends.
r. G. Dunn is positive, vigorous man, with
much of the frontiersman in his makeup. He
loves his friends and hates his enemies. When
we simply add that these men sometimes lack
the conception of the finer obligations of public
service, we believe our meaning will be suffi-
GENTLY clear.
L. w. Collins is we'll educated, fine
grained gentleman, who has long held a posi-
ton of honor on the state supreme bench. He
is clean man of the Mckinley type, who inn
presses you with his force of character.
The controversy started over a report which
p public Examiner johnson made which reflected
on Dunns record as state auditor. Mr.. Jchn-
is probably good official, but very poor
politician. A Legislative committee had already
reported favorably Mr.. Dunn's conduct of
the auditors office, but had recommended that
the examiner investigate certain other matters,
among which the matter of settlements
with lumbermen who trespassed on state land,
and stole timber therefrom. Mr.. Dunn was
originally elected auditor for the cry he raised
against these timber thieves,
The examiner reported many cases
which had been settled by Mr. Dunn at the APP
praised value of the timber and less, while the
state law provides for triple damages and new
bad for Mr.. Dunn, especially in view of the fact
that it thus cheaper for the lumbermen to
steal state timber and pay damages than to buy
stumpage, and in view of the further fact that
that these same lumbermen now have no other
hard feeling against Mr.. Dunn than to wish to
see him governor. Mr.. Dunn however, says he
did the best he could.
Mr.. Dunn had also been charged with be-
ing the the merger candidate for governor,
partly on account of an interview which he had
given out criticising Van SAINTS stand against
the merger He has been smarting under this
charge, and trying to get away from it, so when
this examiners report came out, he got mad
clear thru At public meeting he charged
that Hill had contributed $25 900 to elect Collins
judge and also that state Librarian Nelson had
gone to Hill this year for contribution of $780,
900 to Collins campaign fund, giving Mr.. Hill
as authority for the statements
Mr.. Collins wrote Dunn asking him if he
had made these charges, but to this letter Dunn
refused to reply Collins then wrote HILL The
first letter received from Hill was on-con1nlit-
tai, and Collins wrote again. This time Hill
stated POSITIVELY that Collins had never solicited
any money from him, nor had he contributed
any to him when Collins ran for Judge. This
exonerates Judge Collins. The cor
is given in full on page I.
State Librarian Nelson also wrote to Mr..
Hill regarding the charge that he had this year
solicited funds for the Collins campaign, and