The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-06-16
BEFORE AND AFTER.
A Chapter of History is Rewritten
Which May Refresh The
Memory of Some.
SomeSVery Loud Echoes of the Cam.
paign of 1900 That Are Strik-
ingly Significant.

"One of the most amusing things
aboutSthe campaign of Judge Loren
W. Collins of St. Cloud" says an old
time Republican, who watched the
trend of Minnesota politics for score
or more years. is that the efforts to
besmirch the reputation of r. c. Dunn
are made by the same Office holders
who praised Mr.. Dunn's record as
State auditor in previous campaigns.
: | remember we'll when Gov. Van
Sant,sthen Capt. Van SAINT, was MAX
ing his campaign in 1900 against John
Lind, who had been governor two
years Often in his political speeches
he referred to Mr.. Dunn as our splen-
did State auditor, and he told how
the Democrats claimed the credit for
all the good things that Mr.. Dunn &C
compished, including Mr.. Dunn's
success as State land commissioner in
dealing with State lands.
"The Democrats boosted how they
had Instituted tax reforms. Capt.
VansSant showed the voters of the
State. that Mr.. Dunn was the real pro-
moter of tax reform and that the Dem
ocrats were merely stealing his thun-
der. The Democrats pointed to the
fact that Gov. Lind had recommended
an increase 1a in the gross earnings tax
on railroads to four per cent. Capt.
Van SAINT maintained that Mr.. Dunn
was the first man to make this recon-
mendation.
Again the Democrats boosted how
we'll they had managed the system of
State lands and how the permanent
school fund and other funds accruing
from the sale of State lands had
grown during their administration.
Capt. Van SAINT punctured their argu-
ments by showing that Mr.. Dunn, as
State land commissioner, had accom-
plished these results.
'JEst to show how Capt. Van SAINT
praised the record of the former State
sa az q s,as i which his; appointees are
now trying to injured will quote a
few lines from Van SAINTS speech de-
livered at Barnesville.. Mimi, Oct. 6,
1900, after Mr.. Dunn had been State
auditor six years. The following are
few extracts:
F" The plain fact, my friends, is that
our political opponents have made a
desperate attempt to steal our thunder
and are trying to persuade the people
that the ideas and plans they advance
for carrying on and improving our
State government are their own, while
as matter of fact every substantial
thing they possess or present they
have purloined from the Republican
cupboard.
The Democratic State platform
proceeds to indorse whatiU terms Gov.
Lind's proposition to the last legis-
lation for tax reform, by which the
cost of the State government would
be betrayed from corporate taxes
only. Let me draw your attention to
the fact that this proposition is not
original with John Lind by any
means. I find on page four of the
biennial report of the Republican
State auditor, the Hon. Robert c..
Dunn. which was laid before the State
legislature when it convened in Janu-
airy 1897. The modern tendency in
taxation by states is to lessen tax rate
upon realty and derive increased rev.
enue from taxes upon corporations,
inheritences, etc. This, it seems to
me, is the proper time for our State-.to
make an advance toward this system
of taxation
In these speeches the Democrats
crate upon what they have accom-
pllshed during the last two years to
protect the State lands and officials
have had no more to do with this
branch of the State government that
with the distribution of the rainfall.
The State auditor is ex-oficio land
commissioner, and it is due to the
present Republican State auditor, the
Hon. r. c. Dunn, and to no other
official that the many complex and
troublesome questions connected with
State land grants to railroads have
been so satisfactorily adjusted and the
States interests therein so efficiently
protected.
"These are only few instances
where Capt. Van SAINT saw fit to praise
the record Of Former State Auditor
+. 9. Dunn. Practically the entire
Republican campaign was based on
Mr.. Dunn's record for the Democrats
had been in two years. The campaign
was winner because the people had
confidence in Mr.. Dunn as they have
now It will be long time before
they will believe that Capt. Van SAINT
did not tell the truth in 1900. '''-Pio-