Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-12-18
ASKED TO RESIGN
Michigan's Secretary of State
Leaves His Office.
CHARGES OF MALFEASANCE.
Accused of Illegally Disposing of Legis-
lative Manuals and Other Printing.

When Governor Winans Heard of the
Charges He Immediately Requested
Secretary Soper's NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of
the Accusations Are Deniod-A Com
mittee of Citizens of Both Parties APP
pointed to Investigate.
DETROIT, Dec. 17.-Daniel E. Soper,
Secretary of State, has rendered his res
ignation to Gov. Winans. This is the
final act of the career of Mr.. Soper, who
assumed his Office in January last.
Charges were preferred with the Gov
ernor and verified by Mayor johnson of
Lansing, accusing him of NAL feasance
in Office, and spscifyin g the giving away
of several hundred copies of the Michi-
gan Manual and fifty sets of Howell s
Statutes
1t is also charged that Mr.. Soper
threatened his deputy, Lewis E. Rowley,
with dismissal unless he turned over
$500 of his salary. Gov. Winans acted
very promptly in the matter. The
charges were filed in the afternoon, and
Soper resignation was demanded imme-
diately. Soper ask ed for ii me, but the
Governor said no, and on the advice of
NJ w. Stevens, Secretary of the Michi.
gan Worlds Fair Commission, the resig-
nation was promptly handed in. None
of the charges was denied by Soper.
The resignation of Secretary of State
Soper and the disclosures which seem
inevitable created a sensation here.
Gov. Winans is here attending the
Water Ways Conven ton, and he has NO
sympathy for the Secretary. He says:
The first intimation 1 had of these
irregularities was during the session of
the Legislature. Several Of the me III bers
came to me with complaints that
they could not get their legislative man
uals from. the Secretary. After that
the clerk of the Board of Auditors came
| to me regarding bills of furniture and
other items which were bought by the
| Secretary at high prices, and upon
which commission was supposed to
have been received. One of these items
was bill of $3.50 for rugs, apparently
partly worn, which he bought and dis
| Gributed among the Off ces. The clerk
called on me several times, not for the
purpose of making complaint against
| the secretary, but to communicate some
linking of the state of affairs in his
| Office.
1.-The fact is Soper had it pretty much
his own way in the Board of Auditor
| When these bills were brought forward
for audit Soper al ways met their presen
| ta5ion with the in formation that they
we're all right, he had bought the goods,
knew what they cost, and SO in this
way they went through. l heard among
other things that Soper forbade hi sec
rotary opening his letters, and it was
| supposed that this meant that he was
taking the small sums OF money enclos
ed in payment of orders for Howelli
| statutes and the public acts.
"Some weeks ago l called upon him
and told him 1 would like to see him in
my room as soon as he could mako il
convenient. 1 am satisfied that the
State will not be- loser in any great
amount. But the first thing did was
to appoint committee of citizens O.
Lansing, regardless of party, both Re-
publicans and Democrats, TO make an
investigation and ascertain precisely
what the amount may be. 1 have nc
disposition whatever to allow the mat
ter to be hushed up.
"Will Soper be prosecuted?"
"That will depend upon the result
of the investigation -"
Soper was elected on the Democratic
ticket year ago, and has heretofore
been considered an upright man. Gupaa