The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-09-01
SOME COUNTY OFFICERS
SHARPLY CRITICISED BY coMpTRoL-
LER GENERAL sLLgReEE.

General Ellerboo Have Some Interest
Ing Correspondence About 1t.
CoLUMBIA, s. g., Aug 21.-The
Register, of this morning, says the Coun.
ty officers ali over the State have had
their settlements with Comptroller Gen.
eral Ellerbee, and the result is that many
OF them wish they held other offices or
none at all. The reasons for this wish
are many, but the principal one is that
several of these County officers have
been keeping their books and handling
State fands in such q careless manner
that they do not know exactly how they
stand with the State.
In one case this amounted to abso.
lutte theft and in several others the care
lessness was so great as to become al
most criminal.
Governor Tillman has heard Of the
Irregularities that exist and he and
Comptroller General Ellerbee have had
some interesting correspondence in re
gard to them.
MCGOWAN GUILTY.
William MCGOWAN was School Com
missioner for Union County previous to
and during 1890, and during his term
obtained several hundred dollars from
the County Treasurer for school pur.
poses which he applied to his own use.
MCGOWAN has paid the money back and
the State will suffer no loss on account
OF his populations, but the fact that ho
stole the money remains, and he has
been reported to the Court of General
Sessions of Union County by the Comp
trollsr General.
The correspondence is interesting
reading and will doubtless be an eye
opener to many. 1t is rs follows:
GOVERNOR TILLMAN'S LETTER.
COLUMBIA, S. c., August 10, 1891.
Hon. w. II. Ellerbee, Comptroller Gen
eral, Columbia, S. e..
SIR: Information has reached me
that in making the annual settlements
with the County officers you Lave dis
covered a shortage in one or more Coun-
ties and various Irregularities. AS this
Is q matter OF Importance, L ask of you
to report to me in writing what progress
you have made in making these settle
ments, and what, If any, wrong doing
or illegal acts you have found.
Very respectfully
CSigned) B. II. TILLMAN.
The Comptroller Generals reply il
clear and covers the ground fully. 1t
shows that a state Of affairs exists in
South Carolina which certainly needs
attention and correction.
THE LETTER IN FULL.
COLUMBIA, S. c., August 20, 1891.
His EXcellencY d. II. Ti!lman, Cover
nor South Carolina.
DEAR SIR: Your communication OF
the 10Th Instant, requesting a statement
in reference to reported irregularities
and shortage of accounts in one or more
Counties as developed by annual settle
~~ncnts with County officials being con-
Quoted by the Comptroller General, was
handed me last evening.
In reply to this official request on
your part l beg to state that while so
lar / have found several instances of
gross carelessness in the handing of
public funds and Indifferent methods OF
discharging public duties imposed by law
upon officials, only one case has been
detected where there was an absolute
and undeniable appropriation of public
funds to privete use.
William MCGOWAN, School Commits
sioner OF Union County for 1890, and
previous, obtained from the County
Treasurer several hundred dollars of the
school fund of that County for the fiscal
year $4,000 and applied the same to
his private use. This money, 1 am
pleased to state, has all been paid back
into the County treasury.
While unpleasant, my duty to the pub-
lie and oath of office under the law force
me, not only to report such transactions
to you, Chief executive officer of the
State, but also to the Court OF General
Sessions for Union County. The mat
ter has accordingly already been report
ed to the court as required by Section s
OF an Act of the General Assembly, ap-
proved December 23d, 1889, regulating
these annual settlements with County
officials. Orders made on school fund
are usually on forms denominated
''original" and duplicate" and signed
by the trustees Of school district, coun-
tersigned by the School Commissioner.
MIR. McGowan's method was in some
instances to approve these CLAIMS, origi.
nal and duplicate both made on the
form ''origlnal," he himself collecting
the money for tho one properly on file
! n his office, and applying such money
to his own use, while the same amount
was paid to proper party. In other in
stances duplicates were changed into
originals in ink, and presented to Coun-
ty Treasurer, who paid them.
1t Is not possible for me to examine
critically all the vouchers upon which
money is paid, but l cannot refrain
from calling attention to one particular
class which l must regard as a woeful
waste of public funds.
AS much as 1867 being paid by one
school district for maps, charts, globes,
etc. School Commissioners in some in
stances have failed to certify apportion.
ment of school funds for the school dis.
tricts to County Treasurers, and some
irregularities followed in the payment oil
each school districtits legal quota.
l find a careless method of issuing
checks upon County Treasurers by some
Board of County Commissioners in that
they sign check in blank, names and
amounts being omitted, and leave with
their clerks, and in allowing vouchers,
upon which checks are issued, TO be mis-.
placed Oh carelessly scattered.
This and other Irregularities grow
from a want of systematic methods Of
handing public papers and in the dis.
charge of public duties under the law
Sometimes the carelessness of officials
almost reaches the point of criminality
in caring for the public interests. Some
cases have developed where County
III - lo - -