The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-03-30

ANOTHER sensation was produced last
week when Assemblyman Wildes intro
duced a resolution providing for lega
proceedings to compel Secretary of State
Kelsey to refund to the State fees which
he is alleged to have pocketed illegally. L
VIII be remembered that the Investigating
Committee which spent so much time in
discovering abuses, found that Mr. KELSEY
had not been acting according to law. 1t.
report on that point was quite lengthy
and recited that the Secretary COLLECTED
several classes of fees, of which he is to
render quarterly report, under oath, to
be audited by the Comptroller No re-
port of these fees has ever been filed.
About 5000, 900 has be en- paid into the
states revenues by the Secretary of State.
No examination of the account has ever
been made, and there is no public record
thereof The only account seems to be in
the private books of the Secretary of State
which contain also fees received BY him
and retained to his own use. There is no
public record to show whether any partic-
ular corporation has paid its dues, nor
anything to indicate from whom the State
has received these vast sums of money.
The evidence shows that the Secretary of
State mingled the moneys with his own,
and, to use his own expression, they were
absorbed in his personal affairs, never at
any time being kept separate. In fact,
they were all invested in his personal
business enterprise, the money not being
Kept on hand. We commend the passage
OF an act explicitly requiring the Secretary
OF State to turn these fees into the State
Treasury at the end of each term. Wheth-
er they belong to the State or to the Sec
rotary, a sworn statement should have
been made quarterly, as required by the
acts of 1887. No statements whatever has
been made since 1891" These were the
recommendations made by the committee
and up to Monday night of last week no.
body had taken the trouble to see that
they were even referred to. The New
York Tribune thinks it is odd that the
demand for action has been DELAYED till
this late day. That is what Assembly
man Wildes thought. At the session in
June, 1895, to hear the report of the com
mittee, there was an urgent demand for
the impeachment of Secretary Kelsey but
it was waved aside. During the session of
1896 the subject slumbered, and Mr..
Wildes, finding that none of the so-called
leaders had the requisite courage to move
in the matter, presented the resolution de.
handing action. He has done right, and
should have the assistance of every men,
Der. The report of the investigating COM
mittee clearly shows the opinion held by
its members that there is every need of
thorough search into the methods of an Of
fcer who has grown rich-how? If not
honestly he should be compelled to make
restitution or suffer for his acts. Odd it
may be that nothing has been done in this
direction, but it will be matter of greater
surprise if the white-wash brush is applied
at this time. No social or political pull
should be allowed to intervene to the
prejudice of justice. If Mr.. Kelsey is in
debted to the state let him pay. He is
now under cloud from which he should
be given a chance to clear himself. But |
while he is given every opportunity to