The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-24
The Resolution to Investigate All
State Offices Adopted.
Auditor Will Be Stopped In His
Examination OF Accounts.
Charged With Impeding the Invcs-
tigation OF Tate's Affairs.
Some Go so Far as to fmpiicate Hewitt
In the Defalcatlon--The Auditor
Makes a Statement OF
Defense Himself.

LOUISVILLE, KY, March 81. This morn.
ing the two houses OF the kentucky Leeis.
lature suspended the rules and passed tho
resolution agreed upon at the Democratic
caucus, calling for an immediate and full
investigation OF all OF the State Offices.
AT a secret caucus Of tho Democratic
members Of the two houses resolution
was adopted directing committee to call
upon Gov. Buckner and ask Of him that
he stop Auditor Hewitt from taking
further part in the investigation Of Treas.
urcr Tate's aiThiIs and the status Of the
State treasury. This was done, and the
Governor promised the committee that
the auditor should be kept from the
treMurer's office. At the caucus men
toned those who attended made no effort
to conceal the TACT that n great deal Of
feeling has been aroused against the
State Auditor. There Is every indi-
cation that trouble is brewing, but
no one ventures Ia make specific
charges against any one, except the miss
ing State Treasurer, There WIS no heslta-
ton on the part Of the assembled legisla-
tons In declaring that Auditor Howitts
actions had impedod the Investigation of
Treasurer Tnic's accounts. This was the
sense of the meeting and each movement
oi the auditor In the niIair was discussed
nj length The oXprrsscd opinion that the
examination Of the dciaulting treasurcr's
accounts had been purposely retarded by
| Auditor Hewitt was not contradictcd, and
some went ~ far as implicalc the auditor
IN the dcialcation. II was the almost
unanimous opinion OF the oaucus that ai
Investigation will develop more rottenncss
than has yet seen the light
In defense of himsrlf against the charges
made that he did not conform with the
statutes in his settlements with Treasurer
Tate, Auditor Hewitt saws AT the end
of each month a balance sheet IL made
up In the auditors ollicc showing the
amount Of receipts, amount oi cNpcndi-
| lures aud the balance In the treasury.
| This sheet is then compared with similar
! sheet taken from the trcRsurcrs books,
and II they 10 not ngrce the error IN hunt.
cd up until II Ia found; and when they Il,
agree, ! consider that idy duty has been
performed. The law snys that the auditor
shall ascertain whether the money ia th,
treasury agrees with the balancc shown by
the books Of the treasurer.
II do not understand that u IA the duty Of
the auditor. under that section, 10 count
the money in the treasury every month. l
never had heard Of this construction II
that section until yesterday. | tab il
that II II tho evident meaning Of the law.
that w. upon monthly comparison oi The
balancc-shccts OF the two Offices ihorc l. u
discrepancy, that II should be- reported ~
once To the Governor who has the author.
ity 10 orler the cash 10 be counted. Tho
treasurer ia an officer Of equal dignity with
the auditor, u under larger bond than
the auditor, and N not necessarily the OBJ
jecl Of greater suspicion than any other
officer of the government. A monthly cx-
animation, such as Is now contcndcd for,
Is virtually impaciicablc, aud is worth
nothing, u the exact condition of the
treasury Is not asccrlaincd. To do 40, IL
would bc necessary Ia cntin'ly suspend
the routine work in both offices Tor the
space Of eight or ten days in each month,
and devote the whole time in making this
settlement ! have tried 10 faithfully per
form my duty 10 the people Of Kentucky,
and honestly believe that ! have done
NJ under the requirements Of the law
lie adds that hc always urged upon the
Legislature It's duty 10 make thorough
examination at the opening OF each -cs-
sion.