The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-09-30


and especially after it became known
that I would be a candidate for the Re-
publican nomination for governor, moth
ing has been left undone by the admins
tration and it's chief henchman, Public
Examiner Johnson, that would tend to
besmirch my official character as state
auditor and belittle my efforts in behalf
of the state. I will waste no words de-
mandatory of the means and methods
employed by Mr. Johnson and his satel-
liteS. Suffice it to say that false and
defamatory statements were put in cir
culation concerning me in every nook ana
corner in the state. The editors and re-
porters of the city dailies have had 1t
drilled into them that when Mr.. Johnson
got through with his examination of the
auditors Office bob" Dunn would be
doomed to political oblivion. The reading
public know the result of the lneVstlga-
ton of the state auditors office by the
committee on public accounts and ex-
penditures of the legislature. The COM
mittee reported, after thorough inves-
tigation in which they had the assistance
of experts, experts who were prejudiced
against me, that they found nothing TO
codemn and much to commend in my adj
ministration. Mr.. Johnson, however, was
not satisfied. He pretended to beleve
that the legislature had authorized MN
togo ahead and make an lnvestlgatlon
on his own account, which was totally
unwarranted assumption on his part be
that is it may, State Auditor lverson
gave him access to all the books ana
papers in his office. After spending thou
sands of dollars of the states money, ne
made several reports which on their race
bore evidence of falsity. The general
public paid very little attention 10 any
thing that emanated from his ofhce, as
it is well known that he was bitter per-
through the preliminary campaign, after
his first report was made pubic.
81 Ignored Him Altogether"
I think I referred to him and his report
lust once in the newspapers. absolutely
refused to be placed on the defensive III
my campaign for the gubernator1al nom
nation. I had supposed that AFTER the
convention Mr.. Johnson's MALICIOUS at
tacks would cease. Several weeks since
I learned that he had filed another report
with the governor, having previously
taken good care to give synopsis OF the
same to the newspapers that were I'M
friendly to me- and also having taken
care to instill into the minds OF tine peo-
pie with whom he came in contact tnat
his latest effort would, metaphorically
speaking, wipe me off the face Of the
earth. / waited patiently the publication
of the same until became convinced that
it was being held back to be sprung on
the eve of election for the sole purpose Oh
influencing voters against me anu III
favor of the Democratic candidate LOT
governor. Then it was that determined
to request q copy of the report In ques-
t;on from Gov. Van SAINT in order that l
might refute the charges therein contain
ed being fully convinced that could do
SO before I went out in the state to COM
mence my canvass.
NV Intention was to make pubic MI.
Johnson's report after I had examined
into it and at the same time give my
REPUTATION of the same TO the pubic.
Evidently Gov. Van SAINT knew ful wen
that I could refute and prove conclusive
1v from the records that Mr.. Johnson's
report was totally devoid of truth, and
before I received a copy of the same II
was given to all the newspapers Tor pup
LEGATION.
A. Lie Travels Faster Than Truth.
The Democratic newspapers, under glar-
Ing headlines, gave Mr.. Johnsons ola-
tribe the benefit of their circulation The
reader should bear in mind that In MS
last report as far as timber matters are
concerned, Mr. Johnson deals with per-
rnits issued under previous admlnlstra-
lions, long before assumed the duties or
state auditor, with the evident intent OF
confusing dates and deceiving the people.
Let 1t be thoroughly understood that
when I assumed the duties of the office
of state auditor there were no timber
records to speak of in the office, every
thing being in q chaotic state. More than
that the appropriation for caring for
state lands had been exhausted and was
Obliged to wait several weeks for the pas
sage of a deficiency appropriation to
enable me to put cruisers in the field. AS
soon as funds were available L employed
three reliable cruisers and put them to
work and later employed several adj
ditional cruisers temporarily. AS far as
possible the timber covered by every legal
hermit outstanding was looked over and
every precaution taken to protect the in
terests of the state. Several scores OF
permits were arbitrarily cancelled by
me. Of course, there were some permits
that were legal on their face and the
bonds required by law were on file and 1t
was not within my power to cancel such
permits. It must also be remembered
that the timber belt of Minnesota at that
time extended over an area Of 10000
square miles, an empire in itself. 1t
would have been a physical impossibility
for a score of cruisers, much less three,
to cover the territory in question inside
of twelve months. Our cruisers worked
night and day and Sundays and were un-
permits that was investigated covered
land in twenty sections in township 81,
range IA, and had been issued to man
named Murray in 1892 to run for period
of five years. The permit showed that
the timber was estimated at seven mil
lion feet and the price was S1.75 per
thousand. The permit and bond were in
conformity with the existing law, but I
came to the conclusion that there might
be more than seven million feet, as the
estimates were far from being correct.
The states cruisers were sent to the
town In question and after making a
rough estimate, which occupied three
weeks time, they reported that there were
over thirty million feet standing on the
territory covered by the permit. 1 i'm
mediately notified Mr.. Murray to come to
the office as desired to talk with him in
relation to the permit in question. in
formed him that his permit was legal on
its face but that 1t had already run for
two years and that the state would have
NO redress ifsthe timber In question should