The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-01

Mr.. Lind wanted to know what the
audience called that sort of thing.
hundred voices answered in chorus
"Graft.'
It was climax of dramatic intensity,
and the impression sunk deep in the
minds of every one there.
When Mr.. Peterson arose to reply,
there was the greatest curiosity to see
how he would meet this appalling series
of charges. In one sentence Mr..
Dunn s champion made his defense.
He laid the whole thing on the clerks,
Finn and Patterson. Finn, who had
come to the meeting as Mr.. Dunn g per-
stage at Peterson s side to coach him
in the debate, was made scapegoat.
Dunn himself, who had signed all the
deeds and made the deals complained
of, was relieved Of all responsibility.
1t sounded like one of those pleas for
DR.. Ames. in which counsel say that he
was innocent, and the offenses were
committed by wicked men around him.
No Defense of Dunn.
Then Mr.. Peterson came to his main
argument. Just as the tip was given
out before the debate, he started out to
hammer Lind. 1t was not a defense of
Dunn, but an attack on Lind g official
record. With great dramatic effect
and abundant sarcasm, he read from the
records to show that at state land sales
in Kanabec county, in 1899 and 1900,
Governor Lind bought some tracts Of
erson, was just as much violation OF
law as the mineral lease deals of Finn
and Patterson. To make this point he
misstated the law, declaring it to pro-
hibit state officers from buying lands.
The law as read by Mr.. Lind prohibits
officials who are concerned In making
contracts from having an interest in
q public sale from Mr.. Dunn, who
should not have accepted his bids if
there was anything wrong. He him
self had nothing to do with selling the
land, and the whole thing was done in
public and commented on by the news
papers. It was not legally or morally,
wrong. 1t was not like the mineral
lease deals, where the clerks who made
out the leases took the leases them
selves, ON the quiet, when others were
trying to get them, and the facts did
not leak out for years afterward.
Mr.. Peterson did not make these dis
tinctions. Next he took up the Duluth
greater part of his allotted time in de
Tending Dunn s course and in charging
that Lind had blundered in conducting
the case. This charge Mr.. Lind dis
posed of in about one minute when II
came 60 his rebuttal.
Ignored the Question.
Meanwhile the audience was getting
FESTIVE. 1t wanted to hear an answer
to the charges against Dunn. Mr.. Pc
terson was frequently interrupted will
calls of talk about Dunn. - Ignor
ing the fact that the interrupters were
republicans, Mr.. Peterson "rubbed i
in from time to time, telling then
that it was hard for democrats t,
listen to such hot stuff, but they woult
have to take it. The audience began
to get hostile under this treatment AM
soon every Interruption was a sigma
for cheer.
Once more Mr.. Peterson dragged il
their scapegoats, Finn and Patterson
4 and paraded them before the publ
view to the horror Of the Dunn mel
In the audience. Telling how the stee
trust officials, after returning the stat
institutions bind, immediately took on
i've mlneraI< Eases on valuable tracts
1r. Peterson said:
"I wonder where Finn and Patte1