The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-07-09
90
100000 90


terested and honest manage
ment would scarce extricateher. 100000 90
Bonds issued to Land Commission. 100000 90
Bonds issued to redeem Bills Bank OF
state. .......................... 100000 90
Bonds pawned by the Financial
state Agent. 2,10o,oo 90
Tota! $l4, ,s33, ,34s II
Now, what value have the people for all this
expenditure Shall we be pointed to the
fruits Of the 'sLand Commission ?" Where are
they? Who knows of any benefit to the poor
and worthy in this great "land to the landless''
scheme? Who does not know, spite of their
efforts at concealment, that the funds entrust
ed to this commission have been used only to
swell the in-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 committee have been able to learn, with
no eve to the benefit Of those whom this scheme
was, protessedly, intended to provide with
land and homes.
with the partial exposure already made, the
administration party, consisting largely Of in
dividuals holding four or FIVE paying offices
each, acknowledges that Reform is needed.
but Insist that they must carry on the Reform :
that this aoolf must be the nursing mother OF
our lamb. II their repentance is sincere, they
should pray To be delivered from temptation,
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:
SALARIES.
1867 $4,000 1s7o... sl67, 800
CONTINGENT FUNDS.
1857. $4,000 1870. So, 800
LEGISLATIVE EXPENSES.
1861 67...........$43,0oo Sl44, ,79o
EDUCATIONAL AND MILITARY.
1857 .s3s, 900 1S7o........... s1e5, 600
EXTRAORDINARY EXPENSES.
1867 7..............s- 1s7O............. s14o, 900
These are few items from official sources,
indicating the suferings of our people, and the
talthlessness Of the unjust stewards who have
gained control and disposition Of the affairs
of the State. But this is not oil. In many
of the courties, the county officers and
county funds are held by individuals irre-
sponsble and notoriously corrupt, and dis
posed of for the same illegitimate purp oses.
Add to this, that large monopolles ore passed
the Legislature through the medium of
open and notorious brlberY-that fran
chises are seldom obtained but by private
purchase or for corrupt and fraudulent
ends-that the commonest acts Of Justice re-
quiring legislation must pay their passage
that votes of members of the Legislature are
bought and sold as merchandlse-tha public
officers prostitute their positions, and even the
Legislature OF the State, to the purposes of
stock jobbing and speculatlon-that SO stu
pendous fraud is pernetrsted Hs rnar wfrorv
the land commission, aided by the advisory
board, OF which the Governor of the State is
the official head, acquired ninety thousand dol
lars Of the public money in a single transac-
ton; add, ABOVE all, that the administration OF
the State has not dragged to light and to pun
ishment even one of this Infamous band, and
say where, In all the catalogue OF iniquity
which disgraces the history Of fallen humanity,
can be found parallel to this picture. family
but faithfully delineated.
This is the carnival Of vice and corrup tlon
fowingf from that Pandemonium of ruin and
disgrace into which the antagonism of races
has converted the Government Of South Caro-
lima. The question for you to decide is, shall
these things continue 80 tobe Is no effort TO
be made to rescue from utter ruin the vast
materials of wealth and prosperity yet remain
Ing, which require only good government to
make you great and q happy people Will
YOU continue to be the slaves, the hewers
of wood and drawers Of waters, of this
abominable faction Of plunderers who are sus-
tanned by your divisions! If not, how then
will you achieve your emancipation ? 1t Is
evident that one of the two things must be
done-elther, first, unlvenal suffrage must be
abolished; or, second, the absolute and sharp
antagonism of the races must be 30 far remov
ed as to enable the good people of both to COM
bine for the purposes of god government. Let
us examine these alternatives in their order:
First. Shall we undertake to abolish uni
versal suffrage? Where is the hope of
success? The principle of universal suf-
frage constitutes the basis Of Democratic
Republlcanism throughout the world. 1t Is
the cornerstone of all existing government In
the Southern Ststes. Tn, American Demo-
cracy, In 1858, warred notasalnst the principle,
but contended only for the light of the States
to control it. The stronges Democratic States
of the Union have incorporated 1t into their
practice and their laws. Tie American people
in the last Presidential election, by large ma
jorities, pledged themselves to maintain it in
the South. The Fifteenth amendment, pro-
hlbiting Its abridgement BY the United
States or any OF the Sr;tes, has assumed
the form OF law, aid is sustained
and enforced by the Genera Government with
all its power, and by tie enactment Of the
strongest legal sanctions. che executive, the
judiciary and the people d the country are
we'll known to be In harmOly with the meas
ure. No party has ralset the standard Of
revolution or repeal" Where, then, shall
the crusade aglinst a PRINCIPE, thus fortified,
begin? Let him who will, Undertake the task;
we push the argument to his own con-
clusion, and meet him there. Assume that
the technical exceptions 20 the Fifteenth
amendment should be sustained; that
the Supreme Court Of he United States
should declare the Recontruction acts un-
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