The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1870-08-24
TColumbia Cor. Charleston News
81 The Land Ring.
COLUMBIA, august II.


The land commission still lives, and
its operations have lost nono of their
interest. In tho absence of all official
reports, facts are reporting them
selves. They como forth in spite Of
every effort to veil, disguise, or to
distort them. They come in figures
and in form. We are getting them
from the mountains and the seaboard.
AS to the mountain regions, several
lively rumors have been anoat recent
ly Of lands sold to the State, through
the agency of one Mr.. Cochran. The
reply Of the anti Roforn,crs was, Why
not? Why should Mr.. Cochran sell
lands to the State ?-and the answer
was sufficient. But others went far
ther, and asserted that Governor Scott
and General Harrison had sold some
Of these lands TO Mr.. Cochran for him
to sell to the State. The reply Of the
anti Rcformers was the usual one =
Democratic insinuations !-fabrica-
ton of The Reformers !--all bosh
But it won't do.
From Anderson, Oconec and Pick
ems, there come definite voices. Fig
urcs and facts in form coulc pouring
IN like sunshine upon tho veilcd
proceedings.
We are told that Mr.. John Cochran
sold to the land commission four tracts
of land in Anderson County, rucasur-
ing respectively ls5 acres, 223 acres,
aud 2Gl which make IT, acre S
for S5 an acre that lie sold in Oeo-
nee five tracts Of 1915, 1913, 3j7, l3I,
and 2Gl in all 20l0 acres at ST an
acre aud that he sold in Pickcns six
tracts of 42S. 327, 363, 40, l35, aud
2l0-in all 1903 aurcn---at $3 80 an
acre. These fifteen uacts, aggregate
equities sold te the State for S2l $50
so. The purchases welc completed
on Friday, (unlucky day y the 20lh of
May, 1870; and about that sano date
three drafts were drawn in favor of
john Cochran--thrcc drafts of nearly
equal size. Why We're these drafts
so ,,carly equal They arc said to be
$1,000, $1,000, and SG2G2. There is
a balance still but that is no. OF in
tcrest. Now, we have all heard and
these gentlemen do not deny, because
they havo explained it--that large
portion Of these lands. if not all : was
sold to Mr.. Cochran by Governor Scott
aud General Harrison. The connyc-
tion of the latter gentleman appears
to have been regular that is to say,
it appears that he made n regular sal %
of HIS portion to Mr.. Cochran in the
first instance. He, of course, had a
right to do So. HIS Excellcnoy, how-
ever, appears to have first offered his
portion directl ly to the land commits
sion. Will Treasurer Parker tell us
what Comptroller-Ge Genera! Noagle said
whom lis Excolcncy made this offer
of sale TO the advisory board? Didn't
he SAY it wouldn't do? Aud was not
the same lands then sold to the land
commission in the name Of John Coch-
ran. ~ E-s .ss! .! .s
But Governor SCOTT is the, friend of
the negro, and he wants to benefit that
race by selling lands to the land COM
mission. Then, isn't it q little re-
markable that his Excellency's lands
lie near the mountains, where there
are very few negroes to buy lands :
In tho figures above it will be OBJ
served that tho Oconoe lands the
largest number of acres, that is 2Ol0
acres-are sold for the largest price,
to wit $50 an acre. alAn $50 "
Will 'Attorney-General Chamber.
lain deny the fact that Governor Scott
urged the purchase Of these Cochran
lands in tho advisory board z
We ask the editor Of the Kcowee
Couyia. to tell us whether those lands,
in the market, would average 81 an
acre, or $2tan acre. +t9s1
If we subtract $4,000 from $2l,-
$50, we shall have $3.50, which
would be little over 81 SO an acre.
Lab0ron,us. ~ CoRsAIH. :
Up to, o very recent period, wc
have had butzlttle hope Of sceing the