The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-04-18
THAT .tWHITEWAsH.n
Lame Ending Of Attempt to Vindicate
Former Conduct Of Auditors Office.


committee on public accounts and ex-
penditures, it was a foregone conclusion
that the good offices of that committee
would be sought to nullify the reports
Of s. T. johnson as public examiner,
which had thrown the limelight on
methods in. the land department Of the
state auditor 3 office. These reports
had occupied prominent place in tho
state campaign, being printed by the
cast, and referred to frequently by
democratic speakers. They were re-
sponsible for much of the republican
disaffection from r. G. Dunn, who had
vehemently denied most of the state
ments in the reports, and insisted on a
vindication. .s.st9ys{.-z 4.
Governor johnson put the reports up
to the legislature, collecting them and
sage, Including correspondence with
the attorney general, who promised to
attend to the matters contained as soon
as he could get time He asked for
additional help, which the governor rec
commended. He also advised a change
in the mineral-lease, law SO as to re-
quire all leases to be put up at auc-
tion. @2.-:,-.-.....& s:s
The senate committee prepared to
take the matters up, but was left at the
post by the activity of Chairman Dow
ling and his house committee and did
nothing at all. The investigation was
entirely carried on by the house COM
mittee. ID. ft,g.,-sat,-r
The committee demanded and secured
two expert accountants to help in their
sonal charge Mr.. Dunn appeared be-
fore the committee to explain the trans
actions recorded in the reports, and s.
g. 1verson, the present auditor and
formerly deputy, took an active part
in Mr.. Dunn 3 behalf. Finally s. T.
Johnson was summoned as witness.
When he appeared, March Is, it was
;" loaded'' for him, and various sections
Of the report were brought up with
Conclusions of the committee APP
pended. Other members of the COM
mittee objected to adopting conclusions
before the subject was fully examined,
and also objected to the chairman 8
sesson waS decd beafed bs
session and two other long afternoon
periods following, Mr., j ohnson defend
ed the integrityiof hie reports and the
efforts of the committee were not able
to shake their; accuracyf as to- matters
of record. d tHowevef, the committee
went at length into ei plantations offered
by Messrs: Iverson AID Molander, the
der Mr.. Dunn. These explanations were
taken by the chairman and the majority
of the committee at face value. r..
The original intention had been to
condemn the former public examiner
for making his reports, and to declare
them untruthful. The showing made
in. these hearings made such a result
warm sessions over the report prepared
by Chairman Bowling, which was toned
down considerably before it's adoption
by vote Of 10 to 3, two members being
absent. AS adopted, the report admit
ted that there had been violations of
law in timber trespass cases and in is
suing permits, but declared that it was
not always, practicable to enforce the
law, and that where the law was not
observed, the state had not lost, or had
even been the gamer. It was also
claimed that the state had not lost by
the practice Of land clerks dabbling in
mineral leases, in spite of the suit
brought by the attorney general to va
cate the Mabel Evans contract. The
report then criticized the public exam
iner for not employing men skilled in
ton, and for not asking explanations
from the auditor of the facts stated in
his report. Its review of the facts was
singularly loose and disagreed with the
actual records in several cases.
R: H.. Jefferson of Bingham Lake, M.
S. Carl of Clara City, and w. G.. Fraser
Of Rochester. three republican members
Mr.. Dunn in the campaign last fall, re-
fused to agree to the Bowling report,
which was presented to the house April
and printed in the Journal They
hurriedly drew a short report and pre-
sented it next day. They declared that
the public examiner IS reports were sub
stantially correct, that the law had not
been complied with in many instances
and that the claim that the state has
with the law is not, borne out by the
record. They, declared that the laws OF
the state were binding and should be
enforced by state officers They recon-
mended reference of the&subject to the
governor and the attorney general fol
action in cases where the state appeared
to have been the loser.
NO action was taken for two days more
and meanwhile a caucus Of leading
! members member was held, at which it was
with all it's faults, for tie sake 81
party harmony It was also agreed
to have no debate and no rollcall. So
on April Z P. 2. Bowling moved the
adoption of. the majority report. M. S
Carl moved the minority report as &
substitute, and R. H. Jefferson handed
out some hot shot to the advocates 81
the majority report. No one else at
tempted to talk The minority repor
was laid on the table On motion Of w
a: Nolan, and the majority report
adopted, both with viva voce3 vote. M
one asking for rollcall or division.
! M: j. O'Laughlin, the democrati,
member OF the committees, was out
fianked by the majority, who got hin
on record as moving the adoption of til,
Bowling report in the committee SEES
8 sion. He would not sign it, and in fac
! lures. :. - = - -
4 The committee had report from It
experts on the public examiner 81 office
claiming some minor irreguhritie
there, and summoned 8. z. johnson (,
I explain them, but his serious illness in
4 terfered with this. hearing. Without
snmmoning any other parties .concerne,
MI. Dowling's subcommittee made s.
report on this Office. criticising man.
things. It found fault with failure /.
reach all county Offices and state bank
each year. Tt: then criticised Mr.. John
son for having charged the state 70
, railroad fare in 1902, when he wa
using railroad passes; question wliicl
: had been threshed ever two yeaYs ARC
!, The other criticisms were as to ekpens