The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-10-11
telligencer.

c,,c,,, DIspatch to the Intelligencer.
CHARLESTON. w. Va. Oct, 1O-For
more than a year past' there has been
MINOR aaoat that the late Democratic
secretary OF state, William e. Chiffon.
was short in his accounts several thou
sand dollars. During the campaign
NJ last year the report was current, and
Il was denounced by the Democrats as
A campaign canard. Recently the re-
mort was revived, and 1t began to be
nretty clearly understood that there
was n discrepancy of some sort, and 1t
Is now confirmed in q way by the eN-
secretary of state himself, though he
states in a published card that the
shortage Is not defaication, but that
he is indebted TO the state several
thousand dollars, due to an enforced de-
Law in settling up his accounts; that he
h able to settle with the state and Will
do so.
The matter has caused so much gos-
sin that the press here has endeavored
10 get at the facts, with the result that,
while they find abundant evidence that
Mr. Chiffon has not settled his account
with the state, the exact amount OF the
alleged shortage or Indebtedness has
moi been nscertained. The Charleston
Gazette tDemocratic) states that 1t is
estimated at the auditors office to be
about $4,000, but no official statement
has yet been made. The Gazette states
that neither the present secretary of
state, Mr.. Dawson, nor the auditor, Mr.
La Toilette, can more than approximate
the amount and that 1t is variously es-
timated at from $4,000 to $4,000. This
Mr.. Chiffon states is too high, and that
he does not owe any such amount.
THREE ACCOUNTS.
1t appears that there are three ac-
counts Of the ex-secretary OF state un-
clOsed-the book account, the state seal
account and the initial tax on char
ters. The first covers the revenue de-
rived from the sale of books published by
the state. such as the Code, the reports
Of. the supreme court &c. 1t appears
Secretary Chilton's last report from the
sale OF books was on January 10, 1879,
more than a year before the expiration
Of his term In the seal account the
last report OF money received from the
tax on the great seal OF the state when
attached to instruments was February
.j OF the same year.
or the charter tax the Gazette says:
Under this head the following payments
are entered. November 6, 1895. $4,000;
December /, 1896, $3.50; December /, 1896,
5000; January s. 1897, $4,000; January 3,
1897, GOOO; January 3. 1897, A,5OO; later
date. $500; March 3,lS9i $l,6SO.
These payments completed a bal
ance on corporation taxes due on June
80. 1896. According to sworn statements
Of Secretary Chiffon there was bal
ance due on corporation taxes on De-
eember 81, 1895, OF S9,93Q. There was no
report made from that date until his re-
tirement from the office"
It Is probable that II will be several
days before the real state OF affairs is
definitely known. The matter which
causes the most comment here Is not
particularly the Indebtedness of Mr.
Chiffon, every dollar OF which he as
Eures the public will be paid, but the
fact that the secretary should be In
debted to the state at all, since all
transactions Of the office are supposed
10 be In cash: also the fact that the late
Governor MaeCoTkle. In the face OF the
Indebtedness, should have reported TO
the legislature in his last message that
every account OF the state was correct
CHILToN's STATEMENT.
In reference to the publications made
by the Charleston Gazette, above re-
ferrcd to .Ex-secretary Chiffon wrote n
statement for that paper. in which he
stated that the publication did him an
Justice; that 1t is wrong to call the in
debtcdness a shortage; that he is not a
defaulter. and continues:
"rhc truth Is that for reasons, need
less now to discuss. / ascertalned n
while before the 9TH of March last that
would be Indebted to the state at the
close OF my term Shortly after the 4th
Of March | told some of the state otil-
c.als Of the situation, and said to them
that ] wanted a short while In which to
make up my reports and settle the ac-
count have been working on the nc
count at odd times since, and finished
them some time ago. II was. and Is,
my intention to obey the orders Of the
administration whenever given, ana
settle an Of which / am able TO do.
am giving away no confidence IN saying
that this course has been followed by
other state officials sbefore; and II ls
known tocvoryone that thereare dozens
Of shcrlns in the state who ask time In
which to make settlements, and they
gft H., and there are many OF them
with accounts against them In favor OF
The state now Therefore took the slt-
uatIpn In good faith. and did not feel
then and do not feel now, that did
anything wrong In not sacrificing my
property during these stringent times.
As lu the statement above that my bond
Us not good, II " m error II In good and
sufficient, and everyone who knows me
NlI Join mo IN the statement that
Wills have paid many bonds M surety.
nn man on my bond will Buffor one cont.
The whole matter In In process OF set
u0nout and my arrangements now nre
Hu.h that / viii settle without ever be-
lnr called upon. rhlB can do easily,
and mo- friend Of mine need give himself
ono moment of pain ON that score"
Tho hJndHmcn NJ Mr.. Chiffon are u.
q chitBn. If Charleston; A -, LcwlR,
n 49, Albnns, and II. u. l3nalow, OF
Huntingdon
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