The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-11-02
Hurled Into the Camp of
the Enemy.
PICKS DEM CLAIMS TO PIECES
Shows That Governor Johnson Was
Not Guarding Peoples Interests
While a State Senator.
From Saturdays Daily.

night and the way he fired hot shot in
to the democratic camp was a caution.
He fairly riddled the johnson claims and
showed up many things that have not
heretofore been referred to by repub-
lican newspapers and speakers.
Il charge Governor Johnson with hav-
inc deliberately violated the timber law
of the state, and violated it in such a
manner as to cost the state thousands
of dollars way the shot hurled forth
by Robert c. Dhnn, former auditor and
candidate for governor.
Basing his statements upon exact fig
ures and records, Mr.. Dunn declared
that the governor had violated the law
by certifying for sale millions of white
pine, which was in no danger of tres
pass or fire and which could not be le-
pally offered for sale until such dam
ger.
81 will admit that fair prices were
obtained for the TIMBER said Mr..
Dunn; "but that timber would be
worth from 50 to Is per cent more, yes,
years hence. Not to exceed 5 per cent
of the l25, OOO, 900 feet sold under the
governors approval was liable to sale,
and there was no earthly excuse for
selling it, save that mmbermen made
application to nave it offered for sale.
Had the timber not liable to waste
that was sold at the last two sales,
been withheld from the market until
five or ten years hence, the state would
have been the gamer 20 the extent of
at least 100000. When l assert that
the major portion of this timber was
sold illegally, 1 know whereof 1 speak.
| have a transcript of page after page
of the record of appraisals, signed by
John A. johnson as governor, in which
no scratch of a pen appears to show
that the timber was liable to waste by
fire or other cause"
Mr.. Dunn gave part of these records
to his audience, giving the exact de.
scription of the land, and the amount
of timber sold. He explained that the
timber laws prohibit the selling of any
state timber until it is in danger of fire
or trespass; and that the laws of 1905
provide that no timber can be sold until
the record of appraisal is approved by
the governor and one other member of
the timber board. The burden of APP
proving the appraisal, he said, rests
primarily on the governor.
Mr.. Dunn's speech fairly bristled with
denunciation of the claims made by
Governor Johnson. He declared that he
held no personal feelings against the
governor. and that he regarded him as
an excellent man. The governors claims
to credit for great things accomplished,
however, were riddled by the former
state auditor, who spoke from the
book, and gave records to prove his as
s%ertions.
He declared that Governor Johnson's
claim that he had secured 100000 to
the state from timber trespassers was
absurd, as the state has thus far secur-
ed but $2O,474, and part of this was for
trespassing committed since johnson
had become governor.
Mr.. Dunn declared that the claims
made by Johnson, that the Democratic
board of equalization had boosted the
steel trust properties l5,OOO,OOO, were
equally untrue. He showed that the
board, to increase the value of the steel
properties, had been compelled to boost
the valuation of every foot of land held
by settlers and pioneers in the town
ships where the mines were located.
The steel trust, said Mr.. Dunn, had
been increased only 50, 100000, while the
small land holders and settlers were
compelled to stand the balance of near
" Sc 600 900. He also called attention
to the reductions made in the valua-
tions or wholesalers stock in Mime
apolis.
The famous Mable Evans mineral
lease case, on which the Johnson forces
based much of their campaign attack
two years ago, was taken up by MIR.
Dunn at some length. He recited the
history of the granting of the lease to
the valuable property, and also the his
tory of his fight to secure title of the
property to the state.
The case has gone through the dis
trict and supreme courts, said Mr.
Dunn, and both of those tribunals up
held the acts of the former state audi
tor.
There was just as much truth in
the allegations of fraud in connection
with the issuance of the Mable Evans
lease as there was in any of the accuse.
tions made against me in the last cam.
paign," said Mr.. Dunn. "My zeal fol
the state will probably enrich one OF
the permanent funds to the extent OF
several hundred thousand dollars, but
it lost me the governorship."
The former auditor referred to the
attempt to drag the state board of con