The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-04-15

anything to snow nat MI. sJQ1nGOn mao.
been derelict IN his public duty it was
the business Of the committee on public
accounts to report the facts in the
proper way. iii plain English. a the.
proposition was that if SAMUEL a. ohm
son would sigma statement taking OF
the curse Of his report on r. g. Dunn,
he would. have no further trouble. John
son refused, and this report is made,
notwithstanding the fact that neither
he nor those Of his deputies referred to
in that report were ever given q hear
ing by the committee.
Now as to the report itself, the prin-
cipal item is that Of the use Of railroad
passes by Mr. Johnson while at the
same time charging the state for rail-
road fare. This Mr.. johnson did during
the first. third Of his official term. He
then began to realize that this was not
the proper thing to do, and voluntarily
discontinued it. No one has regretted
this action more than he, but he believes
it to be the only criticism that can be
legitimately made.Sof his official con-
duct. sit is4no Justification, of course
for him that probably mostIof the mem:s
tbers of the committee on public ssac-.
counts. and practically every member OF
the legislature is doing the same thing.
Tt is no excuse that this has been
common practice among state, county
and city officials for many years, but
the fact is likely to modify somewhat
the severity of the public condemnation
which the committee seeks to invoke
upon a man who had the decency to
discontinue this practice Of his own
accord. ae
This matter, however, is not new ma
terial, but something which was brought
out two years ago in an official report
and made the subject of newspaper
comment at the time. It may be that
>here is here something Of credit to
man who, conscious Of the use which
might be made Of such a fact, was still
willing to incur the, bitter .enmity ex-:
hibited by this report and proceed with
the discharge Of his public duty. \
The other items in the list Of charges
refer to failures to cover all the banks,
all the county offices, and all the state
Offices by annual examination. a feat
which has probably never been accom-
plished in the history of the state owing
solely to the inadequate size of the
force of deputies provided for by the
appropriation for the public examiner S
office. But as to these details, Mr..
Johnson, it is to be hoped, may be well
enough some day to speak personally.
Today his physician forbids him to give
any attention to these matters under
penalty of serious consequences.
The animus Of the report is further
exhibited in the picayunish character
Of some of the items found in the depu=-
!, ties expense accounts, such as tips to
walters, laundry expense while: out on
the service of the state-matters which
are usually allowed by commercial
houses in the travelling expenses Of their
agents.. ~. -: : - 49,.
OF course the committee could not be
expected to discover and report the fact
that owing to:.the greater efficiency OF
the office of public examiner during Mr..
Johnson's administration, $1S6,O00 in
actual cash was collected from the tele-
phone, telegraph and railroad companies
which had never been discovered by
any of his predecessors, and that
claim had been laid, on foundation
which it is believed will stand the test
to upwards of 100000 more money due
the state from the same sources These
things are forgotten while laundry bill
and walters tips to the amount Of Lie
are expected to fill the eye Of the pub
lie E...r. ~ --+ y.