The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-02-17
OF THE COMMITTEE.

OF THE COMMITTEE.
Offers to Resign II His Statements Are
Disproved. The Secretary Reviews
the Report of the Committee
and Denies Some of The
Charges Made.
Secretory Of State CAN'T gave out
the following, which has been sent to
the general ASSEMBLY:
Gentlemen OF. the General Assembly:
l beg to submit to you herewith a
full report OF \e finances Of the Office
OF the secretarySaf state and detail
ed itemized statenfent of all Official re
ceipts and disburseEents during my
entire term In Office. Nheg to inforno
yon that l have this day placed III the
hands OF the State printer as sup
elemental report to the general as.
semb]y full, accurate and complete
list Of all persons or corporations who
have paid any fees TO the office, which
in its every detail proves the state
ments handed you herewith to be cor.
rect.
In doing SO beg to make the fol
lowing statement In reply to the re-
port OF the committee appointed to
examine the books and accounts of nv
Office:
l have been continuously since the
appointment OF the committee willing
and anxious to make up and present
5hlB statement to them, having Uffer-
ed TO do so open their first visit to the
ohce, but was informed that they de-
sired the papers Of the office turned
oyer to them without any checking,
verihcation or statements in the con
dition In which they were at the time.
Presun1ing the committee competent
to come into the Office. take the books
and make up correct statement of
Its affairs, the entire papers and books
OF the Office were turned over to them;
they were furnished key, which the
chairman retained for three months,
and which was used to gain entry tc
the office when none of the clerks or
employees thereof were present. This
was permitted to allow the fullest and
ffeest opportunity for full and COM
prehensive Investigation Of the Office.
During most of the time of the first
investigation was confined to my
house by sickness. During the progres
Of this investigation reports were
brought to me OF statements by mera.
bers OF this committee Of shortage
In this office. Upon the conclusion Of
the investigation, which was during
the week prior to the filing OF the
pledges by candidates for State offices,
L secured an opportunity to state to
the committee the reports I had
heard, and asked that they state to
the public what they bad found. In
response I'd thi3 request, the commit.
tee published a communication in
which 1t was asserted that no books
we're kept, which was false, and that
they had collected certain vouchers
from which they had made up set OF
books, which was equally untrue, as
there Is not now and never has been
any vouchers" to be collected, and
the original declarations and returns
Of corpOrators could not be so de ,ignat-
ed, and principally from these l under
stood the committee had made It's
statements. AS l was assured that
the committee had found nothing
which they especially criticised, l
supposed the statement they had Sc
cured to be accurate. / had repeated
assurances given me that nothing
wrong was found. Consequently my as
constituent at the remarkable state.
ments made therein was as profound
as was my surprise at the partial, in
complete and inaccurate statement OF
the financial affairs thereof
When reduced to its logical conclu-
sion and freed from the insinuation
and innuendo in which it Is clothed,
the report charges that no accurate
books are kept, or proper record Of
the receipts and disbursements OF the
ffice, and that the management of
the Office has been deficient. The ONLY
reply which it is In my power to make
! to this charge Is the renditi IN at once
or full statement OF every financial
transaction OF the office, properly bal
ancing the cash found on hand durlrg
my term OF Office. assert to be true
that, though prepared u-on less than
"a hours notice, this statement is sub.
stantiaily accurate, and l will forth
with and Immediately resign as secre-
tary OF state IL cannot prove to the
satlsfacii lion OF any competent aud un-
prejudiced bookkee per that it Is a sat
sfactory statement Of the condition
OF the Cifi ;e. ard that the statement
or the committee purrorting to be
such Is not true statement OF It's af
tairs and contains many errors.
REPLIES TO ASSERTIONS.
Replying to the several remarkable
assertions Of the committee, I wish
TO quote them as follows:
When we went into the oflice we
were informed that we could con-
clude our labora in 10 minutes" l de.
ny absolutely aud uns quivocally that
| made any statement at all in re fer
ence to the time it would require to
make the Investigation to any mem.
Der OF this committee.
'On insisting that we came for a.
real examination, we were begged for
time to prepare books" I neither beg.
Red or cared for any time whatever: