The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1915-11-12
An Unprecedented and In
vulnerable Record
(From st. Joseph Observer

The members of the legislative investigating committee
appointed to examine various departments of State were nan
mous IN their findings the Office of Secretary of State Cor
nelus Roach Mr. Roach may well be proud of every COM
ment made on his conduct of the Office
ms committee appointed criticise No one who
KNOWS either Hon. Amon Ing of Butler county Hon. Frank
Hr OF Clark county will doubt the repubcanism of those
emen Both typical standpattes plus ambitions to win
place the Republican State ticket the former beno
tied with aspirations be Attorney General and the latter State
Auditor
These partisan rivals subscribed their names officially to
the following statement of fact:
Your committee finds that the clerical force employ
ed IN the Office of the Secretary of State authorized by
law and by specific appropriation to cover the same and
nat no new positions have been created in that office or
salaries raised except authorized by law and by appro
priatons made to cover the same"
This formal admission subscribed to by these eminent re-
puocans ought to be sufficient to forever the false
beous charge made by medaou and hostile partisan papers
that oach mas numerous members of his family the pay
roll The people mot Roach speaking through the law limit
the number of employees of the Secretary of State the pep
mot Roach) speaking through the law the wage paid his
employees and the people Roac through the law
ate every dollar spent to pay his clerks.
These republican investigators critics further find and
officially report
1.-THE total expenses of the Secretary of States DEPART
ment during the last full term 1912 inclusive were
$OOOOO less than they the years 1908 ncl
sVe and the receipts during the 1909 to ~ nclu
sive We're in round nubers$220 100000 greater than the
These republican committeeman Join their democratic
colleagues in appendng their signatures following find
ing:
THE earnings of the office of the Secretary of State
for the two years 1918 and H. practically same
($830OOOOO) the total earnings of the office during the
four 1905 to 08 nclusve practically equal
receipts Tin half the time) obtained (by Roach at
diminished expense of SOL 100000"
How would it be possible furnish better evidence of
Roachs practical and business efficiency listen
further to the concluding paragraph Of the findings
these Republicans attached their signatures: l
t"Your committee finds and reports that the office of
the Secretary of State is being efficiently economically
carefully managed and conducted and that it sug
gesons to make which it believes would make the service
better to the public and for the State expense
than conducted"
When these eminent republican parsans put sigma
lures to the statement that impossible them to make
suggestion that would add the efficiency economy or the
character of the public rendered in this office
minded people must be forced to conclude that public
ca Mr. Roach has attained perfection any mortal can
hope to achieve.
On such record and with such finding black and white
from such opposing partsans Secretary of State Cornelius
Roach well indulge aspiration the public more
exalted station but whether he does he will leave his
counymen and that progeny of his the priceless
heritage of an honest faithful and capable public