Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1890-04-04
TREASURER ARCHER'S MALFE.i
SANCE

State on Treasurer Archer's deialcaiiOn is
of sympathy Tor him Nothing harsher in
this respect has happened than the attempt
Of the Republicans in the House Of the late
Legislature 10 take steps 10 impeach him,
bnt il was defeated BY full party vote. Mr..
J aird, al this -esan,y, leading the Demo
Gratis will, ability
the accounts Of MIR. Archer has discovered !
that they are about $l97,000 short, and
when the coupons are accounted for and a |
fuller investigation is made 1t is thought the |
defalcation will amount Ia about *l40,UO
or $l50,OO0 The State securities have been
Hypothetical with the banks Of Baltimore
city.
Mr.. Archer's b0ndmcn are Col Edwin
II. Webster, Henry w. Archer, Jr., Allen
Hoffman, Stevenson Archer Williams, Muir
ray Vandivcr, J. Thos. G. Hopkins, Jos. NJ.
Street and Patrick Howard. They contend
that they should not be made 10 pay the
amoun, OF deiacation to the State rs Gov
jackson has been derelct in his constitu-
tipnal duty, 10 examine the Treasnrcr's ac'
counts semi-annually. Still they regret that
Z MIR. Archer did not inform them of his mis-
! fortune, as they would with pleasure have
paid his Indebtedness and ayerted his shame.
The amount of his bond is 100000.
Gov. Jackson's neglect To fulfill his duty
under the constitution is severely criticised,
and he states that his attention was never
4 a., IN
nor does he think that the trainers Of the
constitution included the supervision of the
sinking fund within the meaning of that
section.
The question what he has done with the
money? is the absorbing one. Different
purposes are assigned. Its application 10
State campaign funds TO the repayment OF
trust funds, so many of which he held in
his large law practice; to gas speculation
and to debauchery, none Of which no one
knows to a certainty, and will not until after
the investigation is entirely completed, If
then. Its appropriation to politics is de-
MED with good reasons by Senator German
and other prominent Democrats The com
mittee began its investigation again Tues
day last al Annapolis in earnest.
MIR. Archer is home still sick, with in
creasing dvbiitation. lie has been inform
ed of his exposure and grew weaker under
il. lie has not as yet made any explana-
ton in the matter. The Office can be made
vacant by his resignation, by removal by
the Governor and impeachment. The AT
i torney- General has been consulted on the
law points in the case, but refuses to give
any nj This time. lie concurs in the action
vi the Legislature authorizing an investiga
ton ut the deiacation, and the further in.
teu,ion To remove the incumbent from the
Office when it appears clearly that he is
guilty Of malieasance by the authority Of
the Governor Several gentlemen have been
spoken oi IN the succession, but ex-Con
pressinan and cx-Treasurer Barnes Comp
ton il is predicted will be the successor.
The sinking fund law of 1884 has now
been amended by requiring that every bond
and coupon AS soon as bought shall be
stamped will, the words, purchased for the
sinking fund.- and the date OF purchase
written in red ink on the bond The sug-
gestion Of the Governor for u record of all
transactions in this relation is embodied in
the new law Both the Comptroller and
Treasurer are Obliged 10 keep Il book OF this
sort, and The books are made accessible at
all times 10 the Governor, TO the ways and
means Committee Of the House and the
finance committee .! the Senate. The law
does not make the books accessible Lo the
public. The Governor is gwen the author
ity to appoint the pcrsun 10 attend the
Treasurer every time the box in the Safe
Deposit Companys care is opened instead
of the board Of public works.
The discovery OF the delalcation was first
made by banking officer of Baltimore city
Hissuspicion Of Mr.Archer wasf first doubtful,
but following it up by his connection with
several banks OF the city, through which he
had access 10 all the papers oil the several
banks, his suspicion was realized by wit,
Messing Mr. Archer's transactions with the
banks in State securities he finally recog
nized and informed Comptroller Baughman
of their hypothecalion. Mr.. Baughman up.
he had, but Tue latter denied that any Balti-
more bank held his paper, and offered Mr.
Baughman the key To the box belonging to
the State in the Safe Deposit Company's
care at Baltimore, and it was declined. Mr.
Baughman informed the Governor and then
the investigation was begun after the Gov
ernor informed the Legislature.
Mr.. Archer was also chairman oil the Dem.
ocratic State Central Committee, and it is
reported that State Senator John Walter
Smith, Of Worcester county, will succeed
him TO that position.
Since the above was in type. the follow
ing resignation OF Mr. Archer has been re-
ceived by the Governor:
BELAIR, MD, March 81, 1890.
To His Etcellency, Elihu b. Jackson, Coo
eraor Of Maryland,
Sir herewith tender you my resigna.
ton AS treasurer of Maryland. During the
four years of the incumbency OF the office
by me, over $13, 100000 have been received
aud disbursed by my office, every dollar Of
which has been scrupulously accounted for
by the efficient, laborious and honest en-
ployes in my ollie, SO that the books cor
respond exactly with the charges against
me in the comptroller's office. lsay this in
justice to those officers. The Safe Deposit
boxes in Baltimore, which held the sinking
fund belonging TO the State, were under my
sole and exclusive control, no other person
ever having had access to them since have
been in office. ANY irregularity IN the funds
in those boxes is attributable To me alone.
Ii this cannot be explained, then | must
submit myself To the majesty Of the law.
Respectfully,
STEVENSON ARCHER
Gov jackson has not decided either to
accept the resignation or remove Archer,
who after the partial confession is enjoying
an ease of conscience and consequent i'm
movement of health