The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1905-02-15
JOINT COMMITTEE
MAKES REPORT.
Books OF Important Office
Badly Kept.
GARD OF SEC. GANTT.

Report of Investigating Committee Shows
Negligence or lncompetency in Office Of
Secretary of State-.-NO Fraut
Charged.
The joint committee appointed from
the Senate and the House during the
session of 1904 for the purpose of in,
vestigating the books and offices of the
various State officials has made it's re.
port.
The only startling feature of the re.
port is in reference to the office of j.
T. CAN'T, Secretary of State.
The report of the Committee while
charging no deliberate fraud goes to
show that the books have been kept in
most unbusiness like manner; that in
some, instances fees We're collected
which were not properly credited to the
State and in others the State was
credited with funds to which it had no
legal right.
The Committee states that the inves-
tigation entailed great labor and that it
was necessary to employ an expert ac-
countant to assist in the investigation.
Mr.. CAN'T published card in reply
to the report of the Committee, but the
card does not in any manner relieve him
from the charge of carelessness OF in
competency.
The following is clipped from The
News and Courier of February 10th, as
pertinent to the case:
''The Secretary of State of South
Carolina receives each year some $50, ,OCO
in charter and commission fees. 1t is his
business to turn these over to the
Comptroller General.
That an official who receives public
funds must be able to show the exact
condition of his account with the State
at any moment is not an open question.
The fact that controversy exists be-
tween Secretary of State j. T. CAN'T
and the Legislative Committee is prac-
tically conclusive that the duties of his
office have not had proper attention. An
instant's glance at set of books re-
cording merely the receipt and dis
bursement of $4,000, provided the
books are kept with ordinary care,
would necessarily tell the whole story
of the years transactions.
Such a set of books would have 81
lenceG an investigating committee even
had it been full of personal malice to-
wards Mr.. CAN'T. Mr.. Gantt's duties are
exceedingly simple and his transactions
with corporations and individuals
toucned upon IN the committees report
are never intricate or involved. 1t is a
damaging confession that anything
could be said even by "insinuation and
inuendo" that he should find necessary
to explain. His books should have
spoken for themselves, directly and to
the point and beyond contradiction.
An official or private person who han
dies other peoples money owes it to
the protection of his own good name to
stand always ready to make showing
that can be understood the moment
that it passes under an intelligent mans
eye. This is principle that is axioma-
tic among correct business men.
No charges of fraud have been
brought against Mr.. Can't. We have
only kind-sentiments towards him and
we express no doubt of his integrity.
The Legislative Committee substan-
TALLY and emphatically does charge
him with gross negligencesand we can
not read other than virtual confess
sion in his reply.
When a railway company finds the
business of one of it's agencies in con-
dition similar to that in which the Com
mittee found the business in the Secre-
tary of States office, what becomes of
the agent?"