Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-10-29
Uolitital.
THECASE OF E. A. SPENCER.
of the Republican state
Central Committee.

ANc~'
10 The Republicans Of Wisconsin:
Charges having been made that q. A.
Snencer. Assistant Secretary of State, and
Rapublican candidate for Secretary OF
State. had in his official capacity, appro-
priated certain funds paid in for licenses
bv insurance companies, to his own use,
ard that there was deficiency In the State
Treasury of such funds. to the amount OF
from $4,000 to 5000, the Republican State
Central Committee was called to meet In
Madison on the 9Th inst, to investigate IN
to the truth of the charges, and to take
such action in relation thereto as should
seem best for the protection OF the state
and for the interests OF the hepuDlcan
marty. The committee met, fully appre-
ciatine the responsibility of the matters IN
volyed. and with desire to do exact justice
to both the accused and to the party they
represent.
Mr. Spencer was invited to and did APP
near before the committee, with his attor-
news and made his statement From the
Investigation itappeared that Mr.. Spencer,
durino the wears 1866 and 1867, was
charged with attending to the insurance
business of the Secretary's office; that
some of the companies were in the habit
of sending money to that office instead OF
the Office of the Treasurer, where the law
declares it shall be paid, and that money
go sent was at once passed ever to MIR.
Spepcer. whose obvious duty it was to pass
if Immediately to the treasury; that he
failed to do this but on the contrary mace
deposit Of it in some bank, or put IL 10
other uses, until the amount so Kept rom TON
the treasury amounted to nearly s9o,uoo
that the usual certificates to insurance
companies, required to be gwen on tnef
making their report, and paying the money
required by the law into the treasury were
Given by said Spencer; and that, on the
dav of the meeting of the committee, Mr.
Spencer did deposit, in the State treasury
sS 00O To make up the deficit in this
amount.
This statement of facts was admitted by
Mr.. Spencer. 1t will be observed that 1T
is about two years and half since the last
money was sent by any insurance company
that was not paid into the treasury; and
that for that length of time Mr.. Spencer
must have retained the amount OF the de-
ficlt TO his own use; or to the use OF some
other persons, instead OF putting 1t INTO
the treasury, but it is proper to say tnat
Mr.. Spencer protested that he never IN
tended to defraud the state in the least de-
gree that he clai med to hold himself per-
sonally responsible for the amountso with
held. In view, however, OF the fact that
public money had been so long withheld
by an official who had assumed to act as the
agent for both the state and the insurance
companies, the committee were unanl-
mously of opinion that such conduct,
whether with intention to deiraud or not,
had rendered the person SO conducting
himself unworthy of promotion to higher
position of honor and trust at the hands OF
the republican party. This decision was
at once communicated to Mr. spencer, anu
he was roonested to withdraw from the
ticket as a candidate for Secretary of State.
This he at first declined to do, insisting
that his doing so would be looked upon as
a confession of guilt on his part; but on
subsequent conversation with the commit
tee. Mr. Spencer himself made the propo-
sition TO withdraw from the ticket If the
committee would make the request in such
form as not to involve this conclusion.
Thereupon communication was prepared
by the committee which was accepted as
satisfactory by Mr.. Spencer. On receiving
his letter of withdrawal, this communIca-
ton was handed to him. 1t read as follows:
Rooms REPUBLICAN STATE COMMITTEE,
MADISON, Wis, Oct. 6, 1863.
E. A. Spencer, Esq:
DEAR S1R:-Tho Republican State Central
Committee having had their attention called
to charges preferred against b. A. Spencer
Esq by some portion OF the public press,
take occasion to say that while they are not
satisfied that he has been guilty OF an inten-
tionaI wrong, and believe that he never in
tended to defraud the state, and admit he Is
not q defaulter, he having paid INTO the STATE
Treasury all moneys coming into his hands
belonging to the state, yet believe the inter-
a. xr;n No tp1 "
withdrawal from The Republican ticket.
E. w KEYEs Chm, o. b. THOMAS,
f. G. WINKLER, HENRY hLE1NPELL,
FRANK LELAND, A. SCOTT SLoAN.
q. ". HAzELToN, Ct. Nj. WOODWARD.
john II. BENNETT,
The letter of withdrawal rendered by
Mr.. Spencer is as follows:
MADISON, Wis, Oct. 6. 1869.
E. W. Keyes, Chairman, &C.:
Believing that the interests Of the
Republican party will be subserved by my
Withdrawal from the ticket as candidate for
Secretary of State, hereby tender my with
drawal the State Central Committee, and
ask that they nominste some person in my
E. A. SPENCER.
In this whole matter, the committee acted
upon the principle that IL was its duty to
treat Mr.. Spencer as kindly as the circum-
stances would permit, consistent with its
duty to the Republican party and the peo-
pie of the state. The committee were
unanimous in the opinion that the people
would not for one moment justify the re-
tention of candidate upon the ticket, upon
whom suspicion even of O misuse OF the
public moneys could be fixed. While, as
they say, in their note to Mr.. Spencer, the
committee was "not satisfied that he had
been guilty of any Intentional wrong, they
were satisfied that there had been aorong
committed that could not and mould not be
justified by the people. This opinion was
frankly expressed to Mr.. Spencer, and his
statement that the committee verbally ex-
pressed themselves satisfied with his expla-
nations is wholly untrue.
It is now understood that Mr.. Spencer
claims that soon after he had rendered his
withdrawal, he took it to his own office,
made certificate copy of it, and then re-
turned to the committee room and asked the
return of his letter of withdrawal Admit
ting this to be the fact, it only proves that
Mr.. Spencer intended to play trick upon
the committee by obtaining certificate. the
best they would give him, retain copy of
it, and then claim that he had not with
drawn Would such conduct be honora-
BILE in any man We think not. On the
contrary we look upon such course as
scarcely less discreditable than the retain
ing of the money. 1t was q breach of con
Il ience with the committee, every member
o. which had tried to treat him
with the tenderest consideration
But it is not true. For some time
after the withdrawal had been received by
the committee, Mr.. Spencer remained with
them in conversation, never indicating any