Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1901-09-07
THE TEAsURY TROUBLE.
treasurer Showers suspended-G. W. Car
Iislo Appointed In His Stead


newspapers of this city on the 23d IN, tC
,tant, purporting to be signed anu b
5iven out by you to the puDlic IN eA. e.
Dlanation of the shortage OF the luhus b
IN the treasury when the money was C
by me on the 18th instant n
note that you say: t
q hrge on several occasions in the C
nas sructed nv cashier, Mr.. Raj c
ford. to place the funds in the diner
emf banks on good State and other S
honds because of the crowded condl- t
tion of the safe shelves, and in pur- !
suance of this authority the money /
shown not to be on hand last Thurs (
day could not be counted.
"Under the provisions OF section
2156 of the CODE paragraph l., nave
the honor to call on you to inform me
in writing: First, with what banks
were said deposits made? (a) HOW
much was deposited with each, and
date thereof? (b) What security was
taken by you as indicated in printed
statement? State fully or file list lc)
Has there been any consideration
paid or agreed to be paid by any De.
pository or any one else for the use OF
the States funds deposited with or
used by them? (d) Were entries OF
said deposits made by you on the DOCKS
in the treasurers Office? If so, give the
dates on entry, name OF book ana
pages thereof. (e) What evidence dld
Won take from the banks showing such
| deDosjts? Exhibit same or copies there
of with your statement. ID II there
are any other facts connected with the
treasury discrepancy which you deem
proper to communicate, please make
statement as if specially interrogated
by me. ,.
81 would thank you for the informa-
tion herein requested by o'clock a. m.
the 28th instant, If practicable
Respectfully,
"A. H. LONGING, Governor.
Treasurer showers Reply.
Mr.. Showers replied as follows:
TREASURY DEPT, JACKSON, MISS.
august 28, 1901.
"A. II. Longino, Governor Jackson
, Miss.
"Sir-Your communication of Au,
gust 27, 1901, was handed me at 4
5 o'clock D. m. In said communication
3 won call attention to my statement
, nrinted in the newspapers OF August
%. and call upon me for certain intor
nation under the authority conferred
: unon YOU by paragraph l. of sectloI
2i55 Of the code In compliance VIII
YOUR request beg leave to submit tho
following: Since my tenure OF the OF
T. flee of State Treasurer began ther
Il has been an unprecedented aceumula
a tion of money in the treasury so nue.
II so that it has been impossible to I'M
10 room for even all the currency Wlthl
6 the steel safe secured by the time locf
Often all the silver and part of tn
y currency had to be kept outside OF Tn
" steel safe in the insecure vault, and
this time there is $94 600 of silver /
, the treasury, which has to be Kept ou
" side of the safe. This insecure state
e, the money in the treasury has Deen
SIS source of alarm to me all the time; an
rd in this feeling of alarm for the dang'
,d of the situation you and other State O
fcers participated to the extent thi
d an extra guard was appointed by yo
Ill With this extra precaution the dang
ay of the situation is not renewed, !
m cause these two guards could easily
an overcome and silenCed by band
40 expert safe robbers after so valuable
'io nrize. Now am not lawyer and
by NOT pretend to be learned in t
lot technicalities of the law, but in rea
in ing the statutes upon the duties
.ba the treasurer of the State have CO
80 ceived it to be my duty to receive a
7io keen the moneys of the State, to d
IN bnrse the same agreeably to law, a
a to take receipts and vouchers
moneys disbursed and to keep prol
ybo accounts of the receipts and eXpen
l., lures For the faithful discharge
~ This duty | gave bond with good su
the ties and took the oath of office to
ler- form them. This l have honestly
Cir daavored to do and have done.
ion studying the statute ana laws Te6u
ot ing the duties of my office, nj
"a never found a requirement that all
money of the State shall be kept
rom the vault and safe, especially uh
,ich circumstances like those Whlcn
have encountered where the crow
puo conditions of the treasury made II
IL safe TO keep II there. | have concel
ONE tbe law to be the same with retere
con- to the State treasurer and cou
oor. treasurers. and it is well known
funds of nearly every county IN
hei State are deposited in bank, SUP
tlon' of course at all times, TO the cali
rom control of the treasurer, and read
,ffer. be counted. In reading section l5
Tho tbe constitution of the State, requl
the semiannual statement to be
III W licbed nv the treasurer, showing
con- - h, f,son with n e
dred ficate of the governor that ne
the verified the count OF the tunas Ill
anita. treasury and found the balance 81
,,,s. hv the treasurer actually IN
'n'' vaults. or as the truth may be,
ieast' not conceive this to be a fequlrel
e OF that the cash necessarily had to
ty of the vault at all times, ana uhoe
20 os circumstances, whether safe or ull
ON the contrary, | supposed that /
cash balance in the treasury WI
,f the the vault or in good faith under
. d;d control of the treasurer, sately KEEP
-, ready to be counted, the law an
III olu condition were strictly complled
list ~ Now. If | have made mlstaf
aying tbis view of the law and III q
o and Hereunder, 1t has been an honesl
tol,e. but be that as it may, II
> iohe In this view of the law and unde
leraCy ,,iiar in .hi9 oopditions of an oyerht
marks and unsafe treasury vault that I
Valley structions to Mr.. Raiford, ment
cl,son. In my published statement
a,,o,+, which YOU quote, were given. An
49, will observe that | was careful I
many tect the funds of the State ana tl
falter- them absolutely safe, by requlrli
Use he cashier to have an amount OIL
fought bonds or other gooo poius 40, ~ ha - =
,,,n;od cash. and the solvency OF the ban
ou''NN not even trusted. | can not co
how could have been more care
n The States interest. | beg lei
., further inform you that at no
llssisS with my knowledge and consent
his last anv funds that could be conver
ates OF and safely kept in the steel sale'
times time lock. ever allowed by me
!, o,1y main in a bank, and no very
~ amount in any one bank, anu
ereu a' was 1t allowed to stay in pa
reedom anv great length Of time, and
ze over allowed to remain in q bank at
do not less absolutely secured ana
es the was really say s o,,it IL a. The tr
peAe'e "The security taken by nae
his re money allowed to remain in pa
return state bond of equal amount W
ar fugi aenosit can not file a list,
when the casa was paid into thu