The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-24
SENATOR NELSON
80 ~.
SPEAKS FOR dunn
q
Defends Republican Candidate
in Connection With the
Timber Cases
Special to The Globe

y
Special to The Globe
MADISON LAKE, Minn., Sept. 23A
Senator Knute Nelson, in a speech here
tonight, took, up in earnest the defense
of r. G. Dunn and sounded the key
note of the campaign for the governor
ship. In "a general way the senator
covered the national issues. following
the lead of President Roosevelt's letter
of acceptance and standing upon the
defensive. Going to the governorship,
the speaker warmly espoused the
cause of Mr.. Dunn, defending. him from
the attack made in the report of the
public examiner SO far as the timber
trespasses- were concerned, but he
made no reference whatever to the
mineral leases signed by Mr.. Dunn and
which are now in the hands of his
former clerks. Senator Nelson said,
among other things:
do not understand that the militant
Democracy of this state question the
character, integrity and qualifications of
any of our candidates on the state ticket
save one, the nominee for governor,
against whom their chief attack is made,
They have a faint hope-but it is vanity
u s1hiieiCS--llicil USCduSG Ol the ACOQIllCC OF
candidates in the Republican state con-
vention, and the soreness and disappoint- :
ment which they fancy resulted there-l
from, that they can make such inroads
on his vote among the. Republicans of
this state that they can elect their can
didate. There were three candidates for
the office of governor before the Repub-s
Gcan state conventions: Mr.. Dunn, Judge
Collins and Mr. Eddy, all men of integ-
rfty, ability and considerable experience
IN political affairs The good character of
none of them had ever been questioned
before they became candidates for this
office although all of them had been
many years in the. public service. Be-.
cause of their good qualities each of them
had multitude of Jealous friends who
were anxious to secure their promotion.
There was enough of closeness in the
strength of the leading candidates to breed
the usual fervor and strenuouSneSs that
prevails in conventions under such cir
cumstances. But one of the three could
secure the nomination, and quite natu-
rally many Of the friends of the other can
didates were disappointed. Such is al
ways the case after strenuous and ex-
citing convention But the defeated can
didates5 and their friends are all good
Republicans, who have the welfare of the
country and their party at heart and who
will not for moment cherish the idea of
putting tuS Ol our state
In the hands of the Democracy. There is
no valid ground on which any good sound
Republican can vote against Mr.. Dunn.
Origin of the Candidate
Let us briefly for a moment scan the
man and his record. He was born in the
county of Tyrone Ireland, in February,
1885, and came from a good Protestant
family of the middle class At the age
of seventeen he came to the United
States, working first on a farm in Wis
consin. He soon moved to st. Louis,
where he learned the printers trade and
wrought at the same until he moved to
Princeton, in this state, in 1876, where
he founded and has ever since published
and edited the Princeton Union one of
the spiciest and most interesting and re-
liable country weeklies in the state. He
has always been one of the most ener-
getic and public-spirited citizens of his
town and has always had the confidence
and good will of his nefghbors. He has
been clerk of his town for many years;
and although not a lawyer his fellow
citizens have had such confidence In his
integrity and ability that they have twice
chosen him for county attorney. His dis
trict has twice sent him to the legislature
and in the legislature he was the pio-e
neer in initiating legislation for the
safeguarding and proper sale of our state
lands and timber thereon.
In 1894 he was elected state auditor, and
was reelected four years later. During
his eight years service in that most i'm
portant office no one questioned his integ-
rity, his energy, and his zeal for the well
fare of the state. AS auditor he was not
only eX officio land commissioner, and had
charge of the care and sale of all the
state lands and timber thereon, and the
minerals therein, but he was also the
clerk the bookkeeper and the auditor of
all the accounts of the state. Through
his office were drawn all drafts on the
state treasury. No state money could be
drawn for any purpose except upon his
warrant. Whoever heard of his issuing
an unauthorized or excessive warrant?
Dunn and the Public Lands
His success in disposing of our lands
and the timber thereon at a high price
higher than sbefore-and thereby increas-
ing our permanent school fund during his
term to the extent of four and half mil
lion dollars, was most remarkable, and
was noted from time to time in the public
press with praise and approval. When
ever he found legislation wanting or in
sufficient to safeguard the interests of
the state, he did not sit idle in dignifed
apathy, but he went energetically to work
to secure the necessary legislation -
1t was through his efforts and on his
suggestion that the timber trespass law
of 1896 was passed. Most of the state
timber is in the northern part of the
state. This region has until quite recently
Continued on Sixth Page