The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-06-13
A CARD.

were embodied utterly inconsistent and at
variance with the real facts, and calculated
to do me great injury among those who may
not understand the animus which inspired
these unfounded aspersions upon my 9TH
cial integrity.
These gentlemen of the Grand Jury with
seeming sense of the county's interest al
heart, and deplorable ignorance of its at
fairs, and with an utter disregard for the
honor and good name of myself, have false
" carbled statements, facts and figures per-
tanning to the business of the School Com
| missioner during my incumbency OF that
office; and with en- apparent object OF
throttling truth and justice have presented
me with inaccuracy and negligence in my
conduct of the business of my Office and
with having used money in excess Of the
salary allowed by law, without having given
me any notification Of what was being done,
that might have had the poor privilege OF
making an explanation which could and
would have been gladly and satisfactorily
given.
To show the conspicuous fslhbility OF
these ''Star Chamber" gentlemen only wit.
ness the glaring inconsistency apparent up.
on the face Of the Presentment itself.
In paragraph -" they say that l q. ].
Conyers) collected S667.UU and S. J. Bow
man 90 on account of salary for fiscal
year 'S4-5 making 6. total Of $4,000 the
amount allowed by law for compensation OF
School Commissioner.
So far so good. They further say that on
Jan. 2, IS I gave draft in favor of w. D.
Gamble on Treasurer for 5000 and draft
on April "a IS to N. Levi for the sum Of
Sl44 .25 together with an assignment in
that amount to the latter of my salary as
Schl Com. for said Fiscal Ir; that the
amount of both of these drafts were ordered
by me to be charged to account of Schl
Com. S salary All Of which is correct.
Now these expert accountants work out the
following remarkable and false results from
the foregoing premises. "Tlis shows that
during Fiscal Year 'S4-5 an d on account of
Schl Comr's salary for that year there was
paid the sum of SS94.25. S33 to S. j. Bow
man and 1851. % to j. J. Conyers and 9TH
ers by his orders. No notice is made ofthe
draft for $1,000 or the draft and assign
ment of Sl44.25 in either the Treasurer's or
Schl Comrs report. Neither does any men
tlon of either appear on Books of Treas. or
Schl Comr"
Now, in no case have they, or could they
show that these drafts were paid in addition
to the s7O0 allowed, beyond their bare as
sertion contradicted by their own preced-
ing statement. simply made out my
whole account allowed me, at the end of the
Fiscal Yr; including in the S700 the drafts
in favor Of Mess,s Levi and Gamble rs De-
fore stated. These drafts were simple or.
ders drawn by me to be charged against my
salary and had not been made out in prop.
er form and approved and therefore had
not, nor could have had, any place on the
Books of either the Treas. or Schl Comr:
But the Treas. did give himself credit fo,
the account Of my years salary, when made
| out in the right form. which became bis
proper and only voucher making his entry
correct The very small negligence (and
the only one brought to bear) is the omis
sion on my part to take credit on my books
for the salary allowed me. Where persons
are not apt to commit errors of this kind as
against themselves as did in not taking
the credit allowed, any person of ordinary
comprehension will at once see how fa1
from criminal this act is found, more es.
pecially when all the regular vouchers were
there to show to any one wishing to know
the real 1actS rs they existed.
first deducted amount of my salary and
contingent expenses allowed by law and
made my apportionment of the balance o.
school fund as the law directs, not deeminc
it necessary to credit the Treasurer with 8
fund not included in the general fund sub.
lect to my warrants, thought. and still
think, the vouchers fled in bis Office at the
end of fiscal year for whole amount Of my
salary sufficient credit in favor of Treasure,
when properly accounted on his books.
The omission, if a mistake at all was
mistake as against myself and not sgainS
the County's interest.
In paragraph Il of Presentment an
charged with having omitted to carry for
ward and charge against the Treasurer up
on my book the sum of S90.69 In reply tc
this charge I refer any person, not wilfull,
| blind, to the book itself, where it will ap
, pear that this allegation is equally false
with the others.
There is slight discrepancy of ~ cent.
between the amount as calculated by the
Jury and the amount SO carried forward or
the book of the Office. Only this and moth
ing more. I am further charged with hav
ing paid IS school claim in Fiscal Year u
to w. I. Conyers and failed to give credit on
my book. This statement is so totally an6
palpably false that any fair minded person
cannot fail TO regard it as wilful, f:grant
and ineIcusable perversion of the truth
1st. Because the account is dated Nov. 90
1886, and approved Nov. 20 1856, and doe.
! rot belong to Fiscal Year 'S4-5, but to Fisca
Year S6-7.
End. Because entry of same is properly
made upon the book in large round snc
legible hand.
3rd. Because am reliably informed by
present Schl Conlr that he showed thu
Grand Jury the entry of this item and e1
planned to them that it was properly &C
counted for.
The Grand Jury in paragraph IA further
gays: Furthermore in Fiscal Year 'S4-5 the
Treasurer paid on Schl claim for Dist. No
SlG.45 in excess OF the amount apportion
ed for that District" This last statement i:
not only untrue, but on the contrary the
apportionment for Schl Dist No. was no
! exhausted in Fiscal Year '84-5. A reference
! to nv books for Fiscal Year S5-6 will show
the sum of S90.27 brought forward from,
preceding 'S4-5 as an unexpended balance
from School Dist No. 9.
In the way Of cenSilre of me this immac
ulate and infallible Grand Jury expresses
an opinion that the intention of the law is
that there should be voucher for every
check, warrant &c issued from the Office Of
Schl Ccmr. etc. This merely as an opinion
is not likely to be highly valued when il
emanates from Gbody who must hereafter be
proyerbial in the County for incapacity and
Il, i H..