The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1870-07-20

Total payments, current ex
penscs, &C., year ending September
30, 1860, s549.25l.09; year ending
October 81, 1866, s266,24S.O4 Eek
elusive Of interest on debt not
paid; year ending October 81
1869, 81, lO3, 1920. Comptroller'<
report page II.
Bear in mind in this connection
that jurors, constables and many
other expenses paid by the State
in 1860 are now paid by the coun
ties, and the public treasury thus
relieved Of q very heavy amount
and that an examination of the
conduct Of the County Commits
sioncrs in many instances would
show the same prohigacy in rails,
ing and expanding money, where
thousands have been extorted from
the people by false estimates and
assessments, and not one hour ot
labor bestowed upon the public
highways, and scarce a dollar to
any county improvement.
Shall we look for a high motive
to Justify such increase of taxation
upon a people so ground down by
poverty as ours Shall we find
the public debt greatly reduced,
or the public assets greatly in
creased in the hands fthese reck-
less fnanciers ? Let US sec:
Public debt, September 80, 1860,
S4,04G, $40. l6; November27, 1868
Governor Orr's message, principal
and interest, excluding war debt,
S.: :2O5, ,227.74; or, by Comptroller's
report, excluding war debt, ST.
426,446.46; October 81, 1863,
Comptroller's report, Sc, 6,lS3,349
II.
For a people whose ability to
pay was so reduced, it would seem
that this was sufficiently reckless
increase Of debt to induce q call
for a strict accounting; but, as
usually is the case with defaa!ters,
the result is worse than their er
parte showing. Items are excluded
from this account, properly be-
longing to it, which present a fear
ful condition, and demonstrate
that, unless this wanton proAigacy
and waste be checked, the people
of this State, white and colored,
arc to be reduced to endless slave
ry or be relieved only by rcpudia-
ton.
The Comptroller reports the
debt, October 81, 1860, s6,1s3, ,349.-
II; ad d Blue Ridge Railroad
bonds, which the State is rcspon-
sible for, and from which able,
disintcrested and honest manage
ment would scarce cxtricatc her,
s4,000,000; bonds issued to Land
Commission, 100000; bonds is
sued TO redeem bills OF the Bank
Of the State, sl.25O,000; bonds
pawned by the Financial State
Agent, s2,70O,000; total, S14,S33,-
349,17.
Now. what value have the pco-
pic for all this expenditure? Shall
VIC be pointed TO the fruits Of the
Land Commission? Where are
they? Who knows of any benefit
TO the poor and worthy in this
great Gland to tn c landless"
scheme? Who docs not know,
spite Of their efforts at conceal
ment, that the funds entrusted to
this Commission have been used
only to swell the ill-gotten gains
Of the administration and its
friends? Within the observation
Of almost every one, poor tracts of
land have been bought at immense
prices, and, so far as this commit
tee have been able to learn, with
no eye to the benefit Of those
whom this scheme was protcssedly
intended to provide with land and
homes.
With the partial exposures al
ready made, the administration
party Consisting largely Of indi-
viduals holding four or five paying
Offices cach), acknowledge that
reform is needed, but insist that
they must carry on the reform
that this acolf must be the nursing
mother of our lamb. If their re-
pcntance is sincere, they should
pray to be delivered from tempta-
ton, not to be forced to hold
watch and ward over the tempting
treasury.
Let US see how the increased
receipts of the treasury have been
and are to be expended:
Salarles-lSbI, SoU,OOU; 1SU,
s167, 800.
Contingent Funds-lS67, s25,-
900; 1870, $4,000.
Legislative Expenscs-1 s 67,
$4,000; 1870, s144,790.
Educational and Military-1SG7,
$4,000; 1870, s125,0o0.
Extraordinary Expenses-1SIO,
$4,000.
These are few items from Off
cial sources. indicating the suffer
ingso of our people, the faithlo>sncss
Of the unjust stewards who have
gained control and disposition of
the affairs of the State. But this
is not all. In many of the cOun-