The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1920-01-10


picked up by the cunning McCausland
was redeemed, he pulled down what
many consider an usurious rate of in.
terest. When the property was not
redeemed, the thrifty old lawyer prac.
tically got something for nothing.
Baxter Baked Graft.
When mayor Baxter was state sena.
tor, he fathered bill that became a
law and that law cut off a consider.
able portion Of the McCausland graft.
All this saved thousands and thousands
to the general public, but it certainly
hit the Superior Schrooge in his most
tender spot-his pocket book leg.
This may explain the old Bourbon g
hate of Baxter and any efforts to see
him discredited or even hampered in
his official work.
Ostensibly dry, "Pappy" McCaus-
land is credited with dislike of bone
dry conditions. With booze absolutely
banished, people not only are sober and
sane, but they play safe by paying
their taxes. With a sober proletariat,
as the labor leaders might say, there
are fewer defaults. in paying taxes,
hence poor picking for the canny Nc.
Causland. Greed for gold is credited
with having heavily helped in lining
up lawyer McCausland with chief Nc
Kinnon and the Bingoland bunch.
Those Near Beer Cases.
At the hearings last week, much
stress was Laid on the fact that, dur
ing the past fall, 2% per cent beer was
sold in Bingoland, although McCaus-
land dug up an old law or an old deci-
sion to prove that malt drinks, contain
ing any degree of alcohol, whatever,
could not be sold in Wisconsin without
a license.
Mayor Baxter frankly admitted on
the stand that 2A per cent beer was
sold in Superior. Both the assistant
city attorney and the U. S. district
attorney gave opinions to the effect
that, under federal judge Sanborn' s de-
cision, nothing could be effectively
done to stop it. The matter was dis
cussed at the city hall, some time in
September, after the now famous Me-
Causland document began making its
rounds. City attorney Mcintosh said
in utter despair that he could see no
possibility of stopping the sale Of beer,
when he lost cases, day after day,
against men charged with selling
whisky.
For the benefit of those who have
not been informed of the incidents
leading up to the McCausland pronun-
ciamento, it may be we'll to relate some
additional intimate happenings of that
particular period.
The People Backed Baxter.
On Sept. 2, special election was
held in Superior to determine whether
or not the city was to change back to
the old ward system of government
from the commission form. The cleo
ton in reality was a camouflaged re-
call of mayor Baxter, heavily and espe-
cially backed by the Bingoland bunch,
the same old gang that now backs chief
McKinnon in his trial on twenty-five
charges.
The day following election, mayor
Baxter called for chief McKinnon s
resignation.
If left to himself, it is generally be-
lieved by those best informed that
chief McKinnon would have quit, then
and there, having heard the voice of
the people in loud and no uncertain
tones.
But, either from force of habit or
through an imperative command, the
veteran chief hied himself to the Of
flee Of the Machiavellian Bob Shields,
Superior evil genius, if there be such
with municipalities. Shields had been
Bingoland's easy boss for about quar-
ter Of a century and chief McKinnon
had been in the Superior police depart
ment a generation. : Naturally, it was
hard for the old veterans to realize
that they were licked; that times, vot-
ers and ideas had changed; that the
wonderful endorsement given mayor
Baxter at the September polls was a.
complete reputation of the Shields
Observation-Disclosures aggrega-
ton. ~ = -
Bingoland Bosses Forgot.
The bosses Of Bingoland not only
forgot that the pitcher can 90 to the
well once too often, but they permitted
the Bingoland bunch to believe that
Baxter could be discredited and the
old regime brought back, just as Kaiser
Wilhelm is credited with expecting to
play the "Back from Elba'' stunt in
Germany.
There was a gathering of the clans
in Bingoland. Bob. Shields, "Pappy"
McCausland, "Gefuellte M ak" Rosen-
berg, the king Of the underworld, and
many others were consulted by and for
the Big Chief. It was decided to make
one last stand, therefore McKinnon
was ordered to disregard the voice of
the people and to stick to his dear old
job.
"Pappy" McCausland then dug up
the old supreme court decision and cop
les were sent to the reformers and
bone-dry folk, presumably to insti1 the
idea that mayor Baxter was not trying
to do his duty. Some of the bone dry
folk carried one of "Pappy" McCaus-
lands copies to mayor Baxter. Then
followed the conferences with the city's
legal department and the U. s. district
attorney.
McKinnon Showed His Teeth.
Then the Bingoland bosses and all
their hellish cohorts in the Bad Lands
lined up back of chief McKinnon. The
old veteran cnrvad his nook oud nropood