Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-11-05
p GOOD RECORD.
What Has Been Accomplished
by the Republican State
administration.
Extract from Speech Delivered by Hon. M A
Kendall, State Treasurer of West Virginia

yet there was harmony in the State
house. Printers and stationers' con-
/ tracts which smacked Of all kinds OF
fraud and jobbery and out of which
printers aud stationers were getting
rich at the States expense and yet
there was harmony in the State house
Hundreds OF foreign corporations do
ing business in this State and only
/ paying one.fifth the amount OF tax
the law requires, aud yet there was
harmony in the State house. A fifty
thousand dollar shortage in the Secre-
tary ofState's office, considering which
the Auditor and all the other depart
ments were fully advised and yet
there was harmony in the State house.
A trusted clerk III the treasurer of
fee holding up the State repositories,
and robbing them OF thousands of
dollars, and yet there was harmony in
the State house I'm sure / never
heard of such harmony.
A prominent Democrat said to me
some time ago, why don't you fell
lows send Bill Chiffon to the peniteu-
tiary2" ! said "My friend, don't you
think, after all that has been going
on for the past twenty-five years, if
we were to serd William up. all by
his lonesome, don't you think it
would kind 0 spoil the harmony
Now my friends, have been in.
dulging in some pretty plain talk for
the last few minutes, but l want to
say to you that | am not talking
merely for my health. nor for your
amusement. have come from head.
quarters and am talking by the books,
and if you wish to send disinterest-
ed party to the capitol, and / can't
convince him that every charge
have made is absolutely true, l will
resign my office.
spoke of a fifty thousand dollar
shortage in the Secretary of States
office. The time refer to was the
time of the election two years ago
On the fourth day of March, 81, tbs
shortage was not that large. 1t fel
to my lot to investigate that MATES
after the present administration came
+ in. reported to my colleagues OF
the board of public works that thu
amount OF the shortage, concerning
which no sort of a defence could b.
made, was in round numbers $27,
900, 90. These figures Mr.. Chiltoi
himself never disputed and they have
been made the basis of the proceed
, ings which have been had in this case
But have discovered another very
peculiar circumstance. The books il
myoffice show that beginning with tn,
; sixth day of November, 1896. anC
ending with the third day of March
1897, $40 $4,000 was actually paid II
on this account. Prior to Novembei
6, 1896, nothing had been paid fol
months. Do you think it was CO.
incidence that these payments began
on the 9th OF November No, my
, friends, it was not coincidence. The
, election was held on the 3rd, by the
9th the returns were all in, and they
knew beyond a question that the State
was lost to them and it would only be
a few months until the books must be
turned over and the whole situation
exposed and they rushed out on the
streets and into the banks in their
scramble to raise the money to fill
that hole, and actually raised SEQ,
q3o. 90 and paid on that account. The
present administration believing that
it was its first duty to try to save this
money to the State, subjected William
to tremendous pressure and have
succeeded in squeezing nearly $751;
900 90 more out of him. The balance
we believe is secure and we expect to
get it. But if it should never be l
want to say to you that the taxpayers
of this State are $40, ooo.o 90 better off
on that one account alone than they
would have been if they had voted the
Democratic State ticket in 1896.