The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-10-18
LIND ON TRAIL
OF ROBERT DUNN
FORMER GOVERNOR DOES SOME
PERTINENT ANALYZING.
He Reviews Dunn S Statements in Re-
gard to Land Settlements and Shows
Where the State Suffered Materially,
Particularly in Duluth & Iron Range
Case-Johnson' Career Reviewed.

SA~NAAss!@J |
Case-Johnson' Career Reviewed.
John Limbs opening campaign
speech in st. Paul last evening was
largely devoted to R. G. Dunn, the re-
publican nominee for governor. Mr..
Lind confined himself to- the official
record of the republican candidate and
to two samples from it, being cases
which had come to his personal atten-
ton. .'.. .s
His discussion of the Duluth & Iron |
Range railroad grant was sensational
stead of saving the state large sum
of money in settling this grant, as he
claims, Mr.. Dunn 'recklessness has
cost the state many millions. Just be-
fore leaving the governors office, Mr..
Lind prepared a deed closing up the
company's grant. Instead Of compel
Ing the to accept sppd this this deed
is still untitled. By neglect Of Mr..
Dunn, the grant in the courts decree
was allowed to include $4,000 acres of
valuable mining property belonging to
the state institutions. The railroad Of
fcials were prevailed on to restore this
land, but before the deal was made Mr..
Dunn broke loose at them with an abu-
the matter could be- Strengthened out
by other state officials, and then only
ever, the settlement that was made left
the railroad grant open, and it is still
untitled, while the Duluth & Iron Range
has the right to. fill it's selection from
any swamp lands it may fancy in that
the state has to give the company
"first pick" This means that as fast
as valuable iron lands are patented to
the state, the steel trust corporations
may add them to their possessions. The
loss to the state by this recklessness,
in Mr.: Lind's opinion, may run as high
as $5O,0OO,000.
With regard to the Buchanan tres
pass case, Mr.. Lind calls Mr.. Dunn
down for attempting to divide the re-
sponsibility for that settlement with
the other members of the state timber
board. He shows that the auditor alone
had the settlement of the case.
Farewell to Office.
The Lind meeting was held in the
Peoples church, st. Paul. c.: D.
o 'Blrien presided, and other speakers
were T. J. McDermott, Pierce Butler
and John S. erode. In beginning his
address, Mr.. Lind declared that after
his present term in congress ends he
WILL u6V6I dSdlu SUN VI dCCcpG puU1IC
office: After paying his respects to
| Ray w. Jones, republican candidate for
| lieutenant governor, in connection with
| the government suit against the Com
| mOnWealth Lumber company for tres
pass, Mr.. Lind turned his attention to
the candidate for governor, saying:
The Buchanan Case. =
Mr. Dunn, the candidate for' governor
! I know we'll. I bear him no Ill will an(
| shall not knowingly utter one word de-
rogatory to his personal character. Hi:
official actions alone shall discuss ant
criticize, and Of those only such as hav'
personal knowledge.
The state auditor has the sole manage
ment Of the state timber. He alone ha
i authority under the law as land commits
sioner to settle in case of trespass upol
state lands. The new law provides for;
i board of timber commissioners compose
of governor auditor and treasurer. Th
only duty of this board is to pass upo
the question whether any particular trac
of timber should be sold, on the groun
that it is liable to waste from fire., deca
or other cause, and these are the onl
i questions that came up before the ttmhe
4 board while was a member Of It, -: Asss
T. Mr.. Dunn is reported to have said tina
his alleged settlement with Mr.. Buckna
was brought before and approved by tn
only knowledge that I have in regard t
any trespass on state timber by Mr.. Buck
man was communicated to me by M
Dunn in Mr.. Buckman's- presence. Or
morning those two gentlemen called {
my office. Mr. Dunn stated that M
Buckman's men-that is. his logging ere
had by mistake cut some timber {
state lands in a certain section, that M
Buchanan had communicated the fact
Mr.. Dunn as soon as he discovered
and had now come in to adjust the ma
ter without suit. Mr.. Dunn asked n
what I thought about the propriety
Idoing so. I answered that under the la
this matter was wholly in his hands, al
suggested that he confer with the attorn
general. I added, however, that on ge
eral principles, / always favored an am
cable adjustment of differences rath
than litigation, and that, If fair settl
ment could be made, I thought it We
desirable. That Is the last and the on
thing that I have heard or known abo
the Buchanan timber trespass until t
appearance Of the public examiners r
port.
Unfit for High Office.
Recklessness is the marked characte
istic of Mr.. Dunn's official conduct, a
this in my judgment units him for
high office of governor In theipamph
. issued by his committee entitled "Ht
r. c. Dunn's Record as State Audito
, I find, among numerous other claims (
forward in behalf Of his candidacy,
following, I read from page SO:
'The litigation over the swamp la
grant of the Duluth &: Iron Range Ra
: road company is we'll known to M
citizens of the state, but it is not so "
r known that at he time Judge Lochl
: filed his decree affirming the validity
= the company's grant that there was
. cluded in that decree list of lands
, which the court declared the compa
}, was rightfully entitled, and that inclit
in that list was some $4,000 acres
state Institution lands on which are
!! | Gated at least three very valuable il
:, mines When the attention of Mr.. Du
was drawn to this fact the time for
pealing the case had gone by and
g state was threatened with a loss VIII
3 would not have been less than $4,000
, But by the use Of considerable diploma
and firmness the Duluth, & Iron Raj
J. railroad people were induced to consent
the degrees being amended, so as to
: clude all the state institution Ian
a which Judge Lochren very promptly
when the proper application was made
the attorneys fer the railroad compan
Let US examine the facts in regard
this claim:
I On Feb. IS, 1865, long before any grs
! of lands had been made to the Duluth
Iron Range Railroad company, the leg
: lature granted 100000 acres of swa
8 land for certain state institutions; g
375, 900 acres for the support Of the morn
/ schools then and thereafter to be est