The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-03-10
HARD UP FOR POLITICAL CAPT.
tai

HARD UP FOR POLITICAL CAPT.
tai.
Public Examiner johnson fired
bis deputy, P, A. Gunders, of Man
kato, because he refused to with
draw a letter to Mr., Dunn in which
be (Gupders) had stated that he did
not find anything that would reflect
on Mr.. dunn or on anyone con-
nected with his Office.
This only goes to prove to what
desperate means the Collins sup
porters resort in order to make a
point for their candidate. When
an official cannot make an honest
report for fear of losing his job
there is something radically wrong
and it is the more exasperating
when the ''boss' is actuated by per-
sonal malice. Mr.. Gunders is a
Swedish-American citizen and one
of the best accountants in the pub
lie examiners Office and his per-
emptory removal under such a
fimsy pretext will no doubt be fit
tingly resented by his many friends
and admirers throughout the state.
st. Peter Free Press.
And we are Just beginning to
hear from the Gunders' incident.
When Mr.. johnson gets through
with it he may wish he had never
started to investigate Bob Dunn"
Alexandra Post-News.
1t seems singular to us that repu-
table newspaper men will print stuff
that any intelligent person can dis
cover is misrepresentation on it's
face. We are not an apologist or
defender of Public Examiner John
son. On the contrary we think
much of his work is open to- legiti-
mate criticism, yet there is not a
person who reads the above items
but knows they are bald misrepres-
entatlon. Mr.. Gunders was not
discharged because he refused to
"withdraw" the letter he wrote to
Mr.. Dunn. He could not have
withdrawn it if he wanted to. And
what good or harm would a with
drawal have done even if one could
have been made after the letter had
been printed and scattered all over
the state?
The simple facts of the case are,
Mr.. Gunders and a Mr.. Barry were
directed by Mr.. Johnson to ex-
anime the books and accounts of the
State Auditor and to make report
to him. Mr.. Johnson not only had
the right to give these directions
but it was his duty so to do under
the law. Before the examination
was finished Mr.. Gunders reported
by letter, not to Mr.. Johnson, but
to Mr.. Dunn. Mr.. Gunders had no
more right to report to Mr.. Dunn
either favorably or unfavorably,
either before or after his examlna-
ton was finished than he had to the
editor of the st. Peter Free-Press
or the editor of the Alexandria
Post-News. That he wrote to Mr..
Dunn at the time he did and in the
manner he did at the solicitation of
Mr.. Dunn or his friends and under
promise that he would be taken care
of no matter what happened is evil
dent. Suppose Mr.. Dunn as an
official should direct one of his sub
ordinates to examine and report on
the work of some officer or depart
ment under his jurisdiction, and
the man would report to the man or
head of the Department investi-
gated before he reported to him.
We would like to see the things
that Bob would do and hear the
things Bob would say to an official
that would pursue such a course.
The man would wish that he could
fall into the hands of hundred Mr..
Johnson's if he could only get shut
of one of Mr.. Dunn.
The Free-Press skillfully en-
deavors to stir up a nationality feel
ing by saying that Mr.. Gunders is
a Swedish" American. Is it any
worse to discharge a "Swedish"
American from aposition than it is
an Irish-American, a Norwegian
American, a German-American or a