Gov. John Pillsbury

The commissioners eventually sent a report to Gov. Pillsbury, based on the auditor’s figures, that Sanderson’s records were short in that amount and that he had failed to collect many property taxes for the grasshopper years and requesting him to remove Sanderson from office. The governor, who had made personal loans to many hopperstricken farmers, ignored the commissioners’ request, because he had granted a tax-time exemption for those years.

The commissioners started an investigation which showed that Sanderson had made such a loan to one Mr. O’Brien. The loan had been made only after consultations with the county auditor and the register of deeds. That $1,000 loan, incidentally, was paid in full as soon as O’Brien reaped a crop.

The commissioners, thinking they were acting in the best interests of Kandiyohi County, ordered Sanderson to post an additional $20,000 in bonds before Sept. 18. Sanderson obtained the bonds but held them until Sept. 19, making only one trip to the courthouse. the county attorney ruled that Mr. Sanderson had not complied with the commissioners orders, so the office was vacant.

This gave Kandiyohi County two treasurers. The commissioners appointed Andrew Railson to the office, although Sanderson still claimed that he was still the elected treasurer so he stayed in the office until the matter could be settled in the courts.

County attorney Arctander ruled that taxes should be paid to Railson in his temporary office in the courthouse. His opinion was supported by the attorney general.

In the next election, Sanderson was defeated by Railson. The election may have been influenced by a series of very nasty charges filed by Sanderson against the attorney general. He ended those with one final charge that he had been set upon by (the following is a translation for public consumption) the boss shyster and scalawag of the Northwest.