The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1911-07-07
THE CONTINGENT FUND.
Statement BY Senator Clayton
d. Potter.
Reproduced bv request. J

house ana SENATE On rAethaiNci
fund. of which com
lnittee | was member, | feel IT |
my duty TO present the matter
to the people Of the state as
understand it in the light OF the
report signed by Us, including
In my summary, testimony OF ere
aitable Witnesses before our com
mittee and whose explanations of |
this matter have been wholly ig |
nored.
In the first place. | invite the
attenti ION Of all fair minded peo-
PIE TO thefact that Governor Var
daman 5 report was examined, i
and approved by the committee
jor the years 1904 and 1903.
Hon George Edwards, treasur
or OF Mississippi, and whose cor
rect administration Of his high
trust recommends him 10 your
credence. testified such report
was kept with proper vouchers.
Our committee OF 1910 found too
that Governor Vardaman had
made his repour and it was on
file ready for examination when
he retired from office IN l9OS-
but through an oversight. we TAI
Ell TO check over and approve
same The fault was ours, and
not his 1t is absolutely lindisput
ed that these accounts were mad
out as reqlnrd by law. and had
the same been published IN the
lournasl no further examination
would have been made
Governor Variaman invited an
examination of the details of his
official account in 1908 Mr.
Buck testified that such account
was made at the request of Gov
ernor Vardaman and was on file
in the office until destroyed sew
eral months after Governor Var
daman 5 administration terminal
ed. Had the Governor not been
DESTROYS Of rigid inspection Of
bis account he would have sim
ply sent his report to the legis-
lature with Il message, the same
woitld have been accepted and
approved with question, printed
in the journal and the matter
ended there But deerning it his
duty, he very proprely had his
seeretar, make out his report.
and keep it III the office, where
the vouchers are kept, IN order
that IT might he checked up l.
tenn Tor item hrs. | believe
You will agree with me, Is the
correct business method of deal
ing with this account Had the
committee Comet the executive
offic in 1908 and checked up the
account, as did the committee of
1906, the vouchers om file would
have probably been examined
but had Governor sent his ac-
count direct to the legislature I'M
a message, il would have been
received, printed IN the journals
and no further questions asked
Such was the course of action
with reference to Governor Noel
account when sent in, and the
only reason III the world his add
mlmStraton was included III the
resolutions TO examine for SIX
Years WAS to make II appear thai
The resolution was not adopted
ms direct thrust AT Gov. Varda
man Had il not been for the
newspaper articles with reference
10 the Nartiaman contingent fun4
no examination Of Gov Noel S
expenditures would have been
made. So all fair minded
men will ut least concede tina
Governor Vardaman invited IN
spection of his accounts such
would not have been his course
had such accounts not been cor
reetiy kept. This fact alone
ought to clear him of all charg
es of an unbusiness like mana ge-
meant OF such funds.
Hon George r. Edwards was
Governor Vardaman.s private sec
rotary for two years and 10 mo-
ntlts and Mr.. W. j, Buck for
the remaining fourteen months.
During the fourteen months MIR.
Buck was secretary there were
onl, three small items FOR which
there are no vouchers or self ex
plaslatorv proof to-wit: 2-27.O7.
contingent expenses $1,000; 5.24.
OF, contingent expense, 5000; g.
5.O7. contingent expense, 800.
total. 500. 0O.-snan amounts evil
IDENTIFY drawn for trips or some