The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-30
What the Editors Say

Public Examiner Johnson has been
looking into the condition of affairs of
the state auditors Office while Bob
Dunn was state auditor, and the latest
report of his findings was a staggering
blow to the much-prated honesty of
the former state auditor. The report
deals with the leasing of state lands
Tor mining purposes and bears the
Tact that considerable acreage of this
land was parceied out to clerks in the
state land department and to favorites
of the department., contrary to law.
These things have been known to
range people and others interested in
mining matters these many years, and
accounts for the fact that leases to
valuable mining lands have not been
acquired by any of the common herd.
1t is notorious on the ranges and in
Duluth thatz;in order to secure lease
to mining land that had a possibility
of value the applicant must have a
pull at the state capitol. Those who
have seen fortunes slip through their
fingers by reason Of lack of this
pull" viii rise up and warmly thank
Mr.. Johnson for having probed the
matter to the bottom and made public
his findings. Characteristic OF, Mr..
Dunn, he rushes into print to refute
the charges and indnlges in a lot of
bombastic rot that does not explain.
His explanations made the matter the
worse for the reason that there was
the evidence that he was trying to
hide something. Mr.. Dunn claims,
among other things, that the Johnson
report was produced for political eff
feet, and whether that be the fact or
not, Mr.. Johnson has done the state a
great service in exposing a graft that
was practiced in the state auditors
department during the Dunn admins
Misunderstanding Ore (Rep).
The recent report of State Examiner
Johnson. unless it can be lucidly and
satisfactorily explained, will cause
Dunn to go to his opponent. An open
denial of the existence of the facts
contained in this report will not suf-
lice, nor viii any amount Of white
wash, however ingeniously applied,
satisfy the thinking public; there
must be an open, clear and convincing
explanation. with no guilt or simula-
ton. If Mr.. Dunn has been guilty of
the Offenses Mr.. Johnson brings
against him he is unfit for the position
he aspires to-if he is not guilty of
intent he must clear his skirts of the
other charge implied, to-wit: Care
lessness. We hope Mr.. Dunn can ex-
plain away the bad intent and the
lack of care in the conduct of his Off
CIdl UIIciIS.-SdSS Lake I1I0GS.
The public examiner of the state of
Minnesota, a Republican state official,
has examined the books and records of
the state auditors Office covering the
time of r. G. Dunn's incumbency, and
reports that Dunn was careless, negli-
gent and incompetent, allowing. frauds
and losses to the state to be made
| while he was in charge of the Office.
M voter these RI, stat a.
nents by as campaign rubbish. They
are made by member of Dunn's
party. in his official capacity.-Litch-
field Independent.
There is much truth in the follow
ing from the Sank Center Herald:
Great numbers Of men will vote for a
candidate for Office that they wouldn't
hire for a clerk" 1t is only too true
that men will vote for candidates that
they would not be seen aSSociating
with, and the primary law in it's pres
ent condition is an open bid fer such
candidates to try their luck. In four
years from now, under the present
system, a decent man will not care to
run for office.-Northfleld News.
Because the property of public serv-
| ice corporations is not always tangible
| they generally fail to pay as much
taxes in proportion to their earnings
or their incomes as do private indi-
viduals. There is no earthly reason in
discriminating in their favor Their
tax rate should not be lower in pro-
portion to their profits than that on
farms, factories or stores.-Le Sueur
| News.
It is noticed that the morning paper
does not quote anybody who applied
for a mineral lease from Mr.. Dunn
and failed to get it, Yet there were
many of them. Those who got what
they wanted are perfectly satisfied, of
| course. Why shouldn't they be?-Du-
luth Herald