The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-12-18
ASKED TO RESIGN
Michigan's Secretary of State
Leaves His Office.
CHARGES or MALFEASANCE.
Accused of Illegally Disposing Of Lsgis-
lati7e Manuals and Other Printing,
CHARGES or MALFEAsANoE.

when Governor Wluans Heard of the
Charges lie immediately Requested
secretary soper's Resignation Mono Of
the Accusations Are Denied Com.
mittoe of citizens of both Parties Ap-
painted to Investigate.
DEEoT, Dec. 1L-Daniel E. Soper,
cretary Of State, has rendered his res
i-uation to Gov. Wiuans. This is the
Gu Il act of the career of Mr.. Soper, who
assumed his Office in January last
ChacIes were preferred with the Gov
eruor aud verified by Mayor johnson OF
Lsns,lg, accusing him Of NAL feasasce
in Office, and specifying the giving away
Of several hundred copies OF the Michi-
gan Manual and fifty sets of Howell 4
Statutes.
1t is also charged that Mr. Soper
threatened his deputy, Lewis r. Rowley,
with dismissal unless he turned over
$500 of his salary. Gov. Winaus acted
very promptly in the matter. The
charges were filed in the afternoon, and
Soper' resignation was demanded imme-
diately Soper asked for time, but the
Governor said no, and on the advice of
M, W. Stevens Secretary of the Michi-
gan Worlds Fair Commission, the res ig-
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 sensation here.
Gov. Winans is here attending the
Water Ways Convention, and he has no
sympathy for the Secretary. He says.
"The first iutimatiou l had of these
frr rtr1 nrin Z ll f,r, ,.f
the Legislature. Several of the members
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 aud
other items which we're bought by the
Secretary at high prices, and upon
| which a commission was supposed to
have been received. One of these itetus
was a bill Of $3.50 for rugs, apparentl,
partly worl, which he bought aud dis
tributed d.tp1 the Off ces The clerk
called on u,. ..t. II times, not for the
purpose e, u.I...iZ complaint against
! the Secretar-, H... , Communicate some
inkuA=s OF Jnc stnte of affairs in his
| office.
"lhe favt is Supsr had it pretty much
| his own way in tho Board of Au iiJurs
/ "
for audit Sooer al ways met their presen-
tatiOn with the in formation that they
were all right, he had bought the goods,
| knew what they COST and so in this
| way they went through. | heard among
other things that Soper forbade his sec
retary opening his lctters, and it was
| supposed that this meant that he was
taking the small sums OF money enclos
ed in payment of orders for Howell 4
statutes and the public acts.
"Some weeks ago / called upon him
and told him l would like to see him in
my room as soon as he could make it
convenient. l am satisfied that the
State will not be "A loser in any great
amount. But the first thing did was
TO appoint a commIJtee of citizens OF
Lansing, regardless of parGy, both Re-
publicans and Democrats, TO make an
Investigation and ascertain precisely
what the amount may be. nave no
disposition whatever to allow the mat
ter to be husheI up"
"Will SOper be prosecutedY'
THAT will depend upon the result
OF the invesUigs ion -
Soper was elected on the Democratic
ticket year ago, and has heretofore
been considered an u..;lRht man. zl