The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-09-17
THE OFFICE OF
COUNTY ATTORNEY
To the Voters Of ST. Louis County:

To the Voters Of ST.. Louis. County;
The following Is part of my official
record as county attorney Of st. Louis
county during the three years and eight
months that have held the office:
The records Of the criminal branch
of the office for the above period show
$50 convictions and 80 acquittals in the
district court, or approximately twelve
convictions to one acquittal. The pen
atty inflicted has ranged all the way
from suspended sentence to the death
penalty. 1856 persons were sentenced to
the state prison at Saltwater or St..
Cloud,-three Of them for life, four for
80 years each, others for 20, Is, 10 and
a smaller number Of years. 40 of those
convicted were sentenced to Jail or fin
ed. The fines and forfeitures imposed,
collected. and paid into the county
treasury amounted to nearly $4,000, a
sum more than twice as large as the
entire salary paid me during the: entire
time have been county attorney, and
much larger than the whole amount
collected from the Same source through
the prosecutions OF former county at
torr1eys for the preceding ten years.
In conducting so many prosecutions I
have quite naturally made some enc
mics and they do not wish ME to
continue in office. Some OF them have
been frank enough to say that such
vigorous prosecution is not to their lik-
Ing and that they desire q change. I
understand the duty Of public prose-
outor to be to prosecute when the law
has been violated and the evidence is
obtainable. I have simply tried to do
my duty In this regard, and if renoni-
mated and Reelected, I Shall continue
to try to do my duty, no matter WHO
10 affected thereby. -.
Business Side of Office.
The office has also: business side.
The county attorney is the legal adj
wiser to the various county officers as
they conduct the affairs of this large
corporation, whose property is valued
on the tax rolls at over $80,O00,O00, and
whose annual revenue regularly distrib.
uted among all the subordinate divi-
sions Of the county exceeds g. million
and a, half dollars. When. elected .tG
the office named ais my assistant, Mr.
Wilson G. Crosby, to take general
charge OF the civil business. Mr.. Cros-
by has had fourteen. years practice at
the Duluth bar and Is well and favor
ably known throughout the state. His
connection with the Board of Educa-
ton of Duluth, az it's attorney, for the
four years previous to hts appointment
had given him experience in: the con-
duct OF public business. His recent. ap-
pointment a, second time by the SUI
preme court of the state as examiner
in, law for this congressional district Ga
purely honorary office) Indicates his
standing with our highest tribunal.
Aside from the frequent, advice fur
nished to the various county officials
as occasion. demanded; the following
are few of the matters of, Importance
that have'been met and disposed Of:
NO Money Lost III Commercial Bank.
Six matters Of dispute with adjoining
counties were presented to- the sta e
auditor involving considerable sums
one of which was taken: to the supreme
court. AL these, with. one exception
were determined in accordance with
the contentious Of this. office. The only
ty during three ana one-half years lit
igation do not aggregate $3.50. There II
not now a single disputed tax ca:
pending. and the custom Of continuing
theses cases from term to term :involv-
ing delay and loss sto*the county has
been stopped. The deposits: OF county
funds have been placed UP upon d strictly
legal basis and loose practices IN thfs
respect have ceased. %.Ass "a: result. + OF
this care and by reason, 81 the prompt
action Of this ONCE BID eposits Eof over
$4,000 In the defunct g omme rcial Bank
of@Dulutf was ma de- good pysz the surety
withi1Hthirty days = ter the bank clos
ed ITS doors lever ,before M the hts
tory sc tf1es col1 i1ty was such II thing
heard 4 +; =: 81 >.s
clintoek's Tax RECORD 81: ~
/. III. the maj 81 The collec ton q
.taxes ri is ace one its t.
sshortl Def terpi offic4 began
ia att efi1pt JRas MAJ tos zen t6 s. spec
zdlat6r I'VE