Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1857-10-16
rhe sundnr sehool pernlca,lon.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT.


the Institution stands as one Of its oldest
and most cherished benevolent organiza-
tions and to the Board Of Officers and Man
ayers, that some explanation should be fur
nishcd, and tho following statement is sub
mitted with that view;
@E'pery dollar Of Tie contributions TO the
.Societys funds has been scrupuloasly APP
Piled 10 tie 5cne0olent objects chich the do
nors desigaed to promote; so that whatever
losses or disasters may have befallen the
business interests of the Society, its charity
fund has been sacredly protected. Our pc
riodicals have contained an Acknowledgement
Of all donations received, and our annual
reports have faithfully accounted for their
disbursement.
"The Book Department has always been
selfsupporting. The large distribution OF
stock required by the Student Missionary
Service las il was termedD occasioned not a
little embarrassment while heavy advances
to the Missionary Department from the ac-
tive capital of the Society, and the reduc-
ton of the price Of some of our most sala-
bic bo3ks still further diminished our busi-
ness means.
"But there was nothing in all this to
alarm or discourage us. Our ability TO
meet the existing engagements OF the In
stitution was not thereby essentially i'm
paired, and arrangements to carry us through
the present crisis in commercial affairs were
so far completed as to remove any serious
apprehension of difficulty from the minds
Of the Finance Committee, when a suspic-
ion arose of some delinquency in the official
proceedings af Mr.. Porter, who has held
the Office of Corresponding Secretary from
tho first year of the Society's organization.
"This officer has always been intrusted
with tho general oversight of the Society's
business, including the money transactions.
He is required to pay over to the Treasurer
whatever money he receives. The claims
against the Society, after being duly audit
cd by Standing Committee, are submit
ted to the Board at stated monthly meet
ing, and, if approved, orders on the Treas
urer, signed by the presiding officer of the
meeting and couutersigned by the Recor
ding Secretary, are then authorized fol
their payment. AT the same meeting a re
port is also made by the same Committee
of all the liabilities of the Society and o
its resources.
ain the prosecution of the business, anC
especially in transactions with paper-dealcrs
printers and binders, it has been customary
for Mr.. Porter to issue notes and acceptan
ces, in his name, as Corresponding Secre
sary. The most unqualified confidence be
ing reposed in his integrity, no particula
Investigation was made into these tranasac
tions beyond what appeared in the month
ly statements of the Committee, which were
founded on the books and were sustained
by the representations of the Corresponding
Secretary. So that whatever was duly en-
tcred on the Society's books, came to Tho
knowledge and passed under the scrutin,
of the Committee of accounts and tn
Board.
"Distrust of Mr.. Porter's faithfulness wa
awakened by the approach to maturity o
one or two acceptances which did not ap
pear upon the books. But this might char
itably be ascribcd to some oversight which
could be explained On further investiga
ton, however, it was ascertained that he hac
used the Society's credit and his official re
lation to it for private purposes, to very
largo extent. Engagements of this Sort il
which the Society has no interest or con
cern, but for which Mr.. Porter, by his sig
nature, has thus secretly pledged its credit
have been already asccrtained to the amour
of $sS,ss3 o9,* no part of which eve
camo into the possession of the Society, G
appears on the books to its credit.
awhile it is confidently believed this
these unjustifable proceedings have extenC
ed through series of years, nothing hs
occurred until the present crisis to brin
them to light, though not little ingenuit
has been displayed in evading an earlier d
lection.
"Mr. Porter at once resigned his offic
but no disclosures have yet been made, n
have we been able to ascertain with any ce
tainty to what use any portion of the mo
ey thus fraudulently obtained has been pu
1t is hoped that some portion of the una
thorized claims may be covered by prope
{ ty which has been made over to the Soci
ty for that purpose.
''The official unfaithfulness which has il
volyed so many innocent parties in seriol
: endorsements, brought dishonor upon Il
$ cause Of religion, and done irreparable mi
Q chief to one Of the most important and us
/ full institutions in the land, was such as
e ordinary vigilance could have prevented
Q detected. Confidence must be repos
'e somewhere, yet who will guarantee that
4 will not be abused? II will be understo
1T that, so far as we know, no funds in the
g tual possession of the Society have be
d abstracted, since no part of what was th
70 surreptitiously obtaiucd was ever in its c'
rs tody; and tits TO be especiaHyremarked, a,
matter of Mankfulness, that not a .farthi
of of tie contributions to our benevolent FL
ID has been lost or naisappropriated. I
10 wrong which we suffer, results wholly frC
G. the use of the Society's name and credit
Id tho Corresponding Secretary without
If thority in violation of his trust and for P
I'd sonal or private ends, and the burden II
d. wholly on its business department.
es ain the meantime, may we not conhde
lr- " appeal to our friends to come to our
n in these trying circumstances into which
he have been betrayed, not by our own n
lie lect or error but by the abuse of nee
th sary conlldencel We have satisfactory
rs, surauces from parties who hold these un
we thorzed obligations, that they shall not
ng urged to our prejudice, and we must besp
nd the indulgence Of others until we can re'
in or from this severe shock, and put the