Soper Slinks Out

There is blood on the moon. 'iiiciv is a bad shmci! trom Denmark. On Wedneeday evenlng of last werk, Bov Wiii.ins, after bearlng the b train "r ""' eomdud oí Secretary of State Daniel E. Soper as long as he posBiMy oould, demaaded lii.s reslgnatlon, iiich was at aneé compUed wlth and at ouco accepted. The grounda foi aclJon were based on charges made by oaie Frank B. Johnsnn, the mayor oi Lansing, and i democrat. .Mayor .lohnson's letter to Gov. Winau Ib giwn Ín full, that. our demora tic íriends mny know what the Ohargee are: To Honorable Edwin I!. Wlnana govwnor of tjhe state of Michigan ïour ,u-t,Uom..-. Fraak B. JohiSSS a reafdent ot city oí Lansing [iiglmm county, Michigan, respcctfuly ropivsent.-i Miat UanU'l 10. Soncr wcrctary of state of fche statr of Michgan, lias bean guüty of ocwrupt conluci and malfeaaance in office In hla saui office (1I seeretary o stat., in nat has, f,-oin Oa or about the nst „t May. A. ü., 1891, and up to lic present time lispoed of and disributod without recelvlnjt nav or or without exactiag pay therew .mil tor personal emolumen.1 and ansUteratione, a large number, torn: 00 of Leerteiatíve manuals of k' state ni Michigan, belanging to he stete oí Mlohilgan, wrhich said nannals ware so distributod without auihorhy and coutrary (o law: uw ateo ihat hf has, durlmg the same erlod and tor the same purposes as ïerembeïori' assigned, disponed of a arge number oi sets, to-wit lift v eete of Howell's Annotated Statutea af the state oí .Michigan, without iithority and contrary to law, and vithdiit recelvlng cw exacting pay aea-eíor; and aleo tiiat he has. withn the aame perlod of time, disposed r a Large number of volumes of pubïe acts of t'li sta.tfi nf Mlohfo-nn woperty oí said Btate reeelvlng pay neretar, wiiicii has failed bo turn over in tiir state of Michigan and has approprLated to hls own ase, and which said dlspoeitlon erf sald public acts was without autliority and coutrary to law; and also tliat he lias withjn the same period of time purchased a large quanti-ty of unnecessary supplies tor the use oí ih rarioua of the state. Whlch said purenae b were made thai he mlght pereanallj protlt by making same; and alao that hfi haa durlng the said turne apppoprieted money received tor me state, and als . tha.1 he iris durinir said unie negotiated tor and purchai ed STippliea ;n,i received a money muerttuuu irom tne partiea ho contractdmB and fn-rnishing the Bame: and alBO llinl hfi has said time attempted to Bel momey as eoasidera";.'" "ir PwöhMüig ror the Btate suppltes; and als., ii1:l! i,,. ]las iu tne ,.lst tiurty days pur&haaed a l&vae quanmty ui tiank paper, to-wit: ttvo carInaüs mwe at the old contract priöe, wluch sai.l contract prlce is i.iu' lialf cent Der ])ound in excesa of tne contract price of snid paper onder me contract whicli would become in ii:c. .nul operative on the lst il.iv of lanuary, A. I). 1892, and all oí which Kani paper la at bhe present time, was at the time o: siid oarchase and uüi w. next ew more unnecea -;ll'.v loi1 se to any of the departrnents of the state, or any puriiis.- whatsoever connected wi'th the state pui-poses, and whiuh eaid paper i.v reason oí the pureii.-ise thereol lavlng been made as aforeaald und the oW coatract, was purchaeed at oost to the stats of $500 in the o gregate in exceee al what it won cot under the contract wiiicli wou become operatLve and be In forue o lic lst day oí January, 1892; al tliat he, the said Daniel E. Sope did. on or aboul the 23d day of o obei-, A. D. 1891, demand óf Loule :. Rowley, deputy secretary of state lis (lepnty) that lie pay a jiortiom . wip saiary lo min, t.o-wit: p.iUO to ini. K.ii.I Daniel E. Soper, saitl socreirj o! state, ana reportad thereafter mi unicss he, the Baid Louis B. Kowlry. ,lid ek pa.v Kuch sum, ie would be removed troto bis poaitíon aa dcputy secretar? oí state, and u-hich salid Mini was souuiii to be exacted i'i-om bhe saia Louis E. Elowley ae i -o!iditio:i oí lns being retained In his aiii jiesition as depnty secretarr oí si ate. Virar ]ctitoiifr tlirrcfori' prays tliat an aininatioii ina.v be made liy your excellncy tnto tibe canddttion and affaii-s of sald offica of secretary of tate, ana uro and eoncerníng the ficta] ro.iduct of the sald Daniel :. Roper, secretary of state, and such oíflcer, as secretary of state." The ibinv petLUoo is signed and duly vcriü'd by Frank I!. Johnson, mayor oí the city of Lanelng. Gov. Wluane then oalled Mr. Soper into hls office and demanded hls rei-nat on. wliii-h was glven and promptly accepted. 'J'lir next mornIng the governor went to the state departiiK ut and placed lt in charge of Deputy Bowley. He appointed as commiibtee to tn-restlgate the afiirs oí the department, Meesrs. Wm. Donovan, Qulncy A. Sniitli and L,. E. Sowley, all of Lanetng. It Ie thonghit thnt the worst is not knoun, and may ncvcr be known, for there now appoai-s to be a disposition to cover up everything. However, the action of Gov. Winans In demandlag the resignation of a recreant official is to ba coramended. He propases to do the best he can, bnt has ;i difficult task on hand. If ve ture not greatly mistaken, this Sopor ie the same man who once made tlie assertion that he "never ■vould step foot in Lanfllng agaln nntil there was a democratie administration." And after being elected, refused to go tO Iansiüit? until Jan. lst, 90 tliat the threat could be carried into execution. Perh.'ips Uiis outcomft gives a good and sruífictem reason why be felt so. Muy wnii ue, raciona Saylour, stay Ule frlenda muí topes depart ■ ' FWnting, on thee we wfsh tc lav l je burden of out beart. - Horatio N. Póy