Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-10-16
T4e SECRETARY OF STATES OFFICE.
a False Report Circulated by the Demo

a False Report Circulated by the Demo
tic Press Corrected.
A false report concerning tbs aPpro-
priarions Of the secretary ef states
ONCE is being circulated industriously
throughout the state by the Democratic
press. 1t is supposed TO have originated
from Represeatative eaumer, Of Rich
land county, and Is so far from the
truth that Il is a plain indication that
the Democrats are at their old tricks Of
fslstfying the record and misleading thu
people this fan. Il Is stated that there
Is an increase in the appropriations for
the running expenses of the secretary of
states oface Tar in excess of that Of the
year 1879. The truth Of uhe matter is
that the expenses duThS Secretary
Rvan's administration sTe more than
Sj.O30less than they were during the year
1889. Here are the facts: When SecTe-
tary Ryan tcok charge Of the office in
January. 1859. there were balances to
the credit Of the several funds of the
o-3ce amounting to $3l, ,SoL5a. The
legislature Of last winter, after full
hearing before the finance committee,
appropriated an additional amount Of
So, $50 Il, making the total amount ap-
propriatod 954, 4,ls1.75. On the 18th Of
November, 1889, there was balance in
the funds Of the secretary of state Of
$S.01130. The appropriations for the
fiscal year 1920, by the legislature
amounted to s57, $50. which, added to
the balance Oh hand, made a total Of
$50. 1Gl5o. st first sight that is an ap-
parent increase Of 81 ,55s.57 over the
preceding year, but this amount was
- fcr <ha a-ClT1ri-a
of the secretary Of states Office. That
Office furnishes ali the paper and print
ing for the legislature, and here is
where the misleading statement of the
Democratic press comes in. The legis-
Iature, by house joint resolution, pro-
vided for printing not to exceed G0,o00
coEies monthly bulletins of the Agri-
cultural Experiment Station. This
printing has no connection whatever
with the secretary Of state. Documents
Of this sort are not distributed by him,
nor has ne anything whatever to do
with them except furnishing the paper
to the public printer. For the purpose
of purchasing this paper to print these
reports on. the legislature appropriated
g 600. which is included in the appro-
priatiols for the Office of secretary Of
state. In common Justice, this amount
cannot be charged to Secretary Ryan
nor to his administration. He has no
c0nnecti II Whatever with 1t. except as
the law makes him the distributing
officer for paper for public printing.
The appropriation has no connection
with his Office, ard in no way be-
long. to his administration. Now il
you deduct this amor.at, $1,000, it will
leave the appropriation tor the manage
nent of the secretary of states office
for 1850. at the amount Of $50, T6L. so,
shows an actual decrease in the ex-
pense of managing the Office of the
secretary Of state in favor of Secretary
Ryans administration, of S5, 1908. In
other words. the Office is run at much
less expense than it was during 1889.
Franklin County Officials in Trouble.
There is CONSERVATION among the
Franklin county fee grabbers. At Mon
DAYS meeting of the city council the
special committee of investigation made
their report. Two Republicans and one
Democrat are on the committee, and
the report is unanimous. 1t should be
explained that the county officers i'm
plfcated were officers also of the city,
under a system peculiar to Franklin
county, and the investigation merely
covered city transactions and only for
1888 and the first holf OF 1880, although
the Illegal fee grabbing can be traced
back as Jar as 1882, and has been ap-
Piled to county affairs proper as well as
those of the city of Columbus. The
committee nd that Auditor Rheinhard
during the 1sSs-lSs9 period referred to
Illegally appropriated fees to the
amount of SiO,920, and that during the
same period Treasurers Hefner and
Pausch grabbed S, ,5S4. and of this lat
ter amount Heifner's haul was 5000,
Hetfrer is now member of the legis-