Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1906-10-18
Auditor Malberg Defends Him.
self.


rem Registers malicious attack on
him in last weeks issue. He asked
the Register to publish this reply,
but was refused, although no reput-
able paper, in the name OF Justice
and fair play, would refuse space for
reply to an attack made in it's own
columns, provided said reply was
couched in courteous and gentleman
ly terms. Mr.. Malberg does not ex-
pect, nor can he receive the support
OF the Sheaf for the Office he is aspir-
ing to, but we believe in fair play,
and that he is entitled to a hearing
and chance to defend himself when
attacked in the public prints. Here
is Mr.. Maberg's reply
Warren, Minn., Oct. IS, 1906.
Editor Warren Register: AS you
have taken 4 good deal of pails
IN comparing and enlarging upon
my errors as county auditor, l hope
you will give me chance to reply,
not because l believe YOU have done
me any harm by your misleading
statements, but because tie readers
or your paper are entitled to know
the truth, as we'll as readers of other
newspapers.
You start with the statement that
when my predecessor passed out of
the county auditors office every
thing was in apple pie order and
that | could begin business with a
clean slate. 1t looked SO to me and
many others, but it did not take
long TO lind errors, and l have done
my best to correct and adjust them,
and | have had no intention to en-
large on them or to advertise them
know, and all intelligent persons
know, that the auditors Office is no
snap for any one to take care OF, and
good deal must be left for others
to 90, but SO far, l have not discover
ed that the county has lost anything
by any auditors neglect.
AS to myself, ] will say that | am
satisfied that | have not wronyed
either county or private person,
either in or out of office. Errors
have occurred in the office since |
became auditor, but no one has suf-
tered except myself, and | am not
afraid to compare my record with
that of my predecessor, and after
had the first years experience you
will find very little to pick at.
You state that the financial state
ment was not ready for the sigma
ture of the county commissioners un-
til February Goth. Did it do any
body any harm? Not at all. How
much more good would it have done
to have published it on the lst of
January? Some county boards refuse
to publish the financial statement at
all. l did not have it ready at the
annual meeting AID the board did
DOT meet again until February 10Th,
and therefor it made no difference to
any one whether it was ready Janua-
ry 9th or February 10th, aud good
many taxpayers wished, when they
saw the bill, that it had never been
prepared and published.
Your stat. .ment about the 1905
tax books is rank misstatement
and an insult to the taxpayers OF the
county. l believe the taxpayers
themselves are the most capable of
telling whether or not any of them
were ever refused the opportunity
to pay their taxes. 1t is true that
some OF the books were unfinished
on the first Monday in January, but
| have not heard of any one wanting
tc pay his taxes who was not accom-
modated by the treasurer, and the
taxpayers can lso easily remember
that they received the usual cards
from the county treasurer about the
middle OF January notifying them of
their personal property tax, and he
had made out and compared about
5000 cards before any of them were
mailed. The people can easily see
that the article in the Register was
not written and published for the
best interests of it's readers, but
solely for the purposeoi misleading
the voters of the county. As a can
didate for office my record is open
for criticism and will not deny any
one the privilege. I only ask that
my opponents record, his errors, his
faults, be enlarged upon and publish
ed the same as mine.
Hoping that the Register will. be
fair and give us an article on Hille-
boe's business methods when a
miller, city alderman grain buyer,
land agent and county commissioner,
and if the whole truth is told I shall
be satisfied with the result Of the
election November 9Th