The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-12-28
THE ARMS SWINDLE.
ASTONISHING REVELATIONS OF THE
JOINT COMMITTEE.
Enrolling the Milftia-Where the
Money Went-The Conversion OF Arms
Frauds.

"UuCy SuhN Va Skhht'
Frauds.
We print below an additional chapter from
the report of the Joint Investigating Commit
tee, all the members of which are uncompro
missing Radicals:
The Enrolment and Organization o1
the Militia, and the Employment o1
an Armed Force.
This part OF the work OF the present admin
istraliOn, so severely and eXtendedly criticised
at home and abroad, so fruitful OF suspi
cion and opposition among large portion oi
our citizens. as well as dissatisfaction tc
another class, while intended for the preser
vation Of the peace, lives and property OF the
people of the State, has not only failed in It's
ayowed object and been managed unwlsely,
but also proved an expensive experiment, as
the charges for such purpose will show.
The first payment for the enrolment an6
krganization OF the militia was made in July
n69, and, if the payments on the appropria.
As for that purpose correctly show the pro-
eSs made In the effort, twas not very great
htil about April, 1870, from which date, ac-
Eording 10 the monthly disbursements, we
cost of the enrolment and organization OF the
militia, as far as known, up to May, 1871, ia
$l0S,472 50. The expenses paid for armed
force do not appear in any reports thus far
submitted, but will be found in the supple
mental report of the committee, the a2gre-
gate of which is s23,747 IS. German to these
expenditures are the charges for the purchase
ofarus and armament, authorized by an act
of the Legislature, March l6. 1869. which en-
powered the Governor 10 purchase TWO thous
and stand Of arms, with the usual complement
OF ammunition. and pay for the same out OF
any money in the treasury not otherwise APP
propriated. 1t is found that the Governor de-
Cided that one thousand arms Of the Winches-
ter pattern would be sufficient, and gave his
orders accordingly. For these arms Qt the
cha, e to ''The Purchase of Arms'is In &C
cordance with the appropriation er law author
izing the same.) and 'the usual complement
of ammunition" for one thousand Winchester
rifles, the State has paid s3S,7S9 33, which
makes the total outlay for the enrolment and
organization of The militia, now entirely With
out organizalion-the armed force now vlrtu-
ally disar%ea5ne purchase & arm one
throughout the thirty-one counties OF the
State-the sum of Sill ,009 So.
The committee are, In this connection,
forced to the acknowledgment, however un-
pleasant or humiiiating it may be 10 such as
are connected with the fact, that the moneys
expended las vouchers Indicated the direction
In which the funds were used) were not all
paid out for such purposes. In the enrolment
and organization OF the militia, as well as In
the armed force employed by the Governor,
there was most ample and complete oppor-
tuyfty for ambitious political partisans and as
piRhnts for reelection TO arm and equip q
force of personal friends and advocates, and
pdy them 'when on service the same pay and
allowances as are given to officers aud soldiers
of the same grade In the army of the United
States" not out Of their own purse, but ''out OF
any moneys in the treasury not otherwise ap-
propriated; the State to be reimbursed by
special TAX upon any county into which the Gov
ernor was compelled TO Sand an armed force"
And to carry outthese provisions, the Governor
was to exercise all The powers conferred upon
him by an act entitled an act to suppress in
surrection and rebellion, passed September p
1868. Beside, as he was to be the Judge or
the existence, in any county, Of the neces-
sity of an armed force 10 preserve tie
peace" and it was his own prerogative
to commission the officers and subalterns,
mAnd endorse their pay accounts. An en-
rolled, organized and armed retinue OF per-
sonal favorites or advocates were commits
stoned and placed upon his staff at the proper
time, as well as ordered to form companies,
battalions, regiments and bTigades throughout
the State, into what was called 'The National
Guard" alias ''Scotrs Militia" This state.
mept Is made from undoubted evidence in the
premises. and cannot be controverted. The
election In 1870 was carried, in part, by the
means herein stated, and while some portion
of the funds appropriated for the purposes
specified were, no doubt, expended for the
same, the largest amounts were diverted to
secure the reelection of Robert h. Scott, as
Governor of South Carolina, but not for the
success Of the Republican party. That the
adjutant.general has not known OF this d.
version OF special appropriations, udnR2 t1be
possib e; for, being member OF the House Of
REPRESENTATIVES, the speaker of the House
and sgner OF all bills pas" naibu branches Of
the General AssemhlaSS - be familiar
with the laws passo. --L, as the elected ad-
ju,Ant general. the principal staff officer OF
the State. whose recognized duty Is 10 assist
the commander-in-chief in the details of
military organization, and promulgate his
orders, he Certainly cannot claim entire igno.
rance In the use of the funds which are here
referred to.
Nor is this all. more glarlng robbery OF
the treasury, for personal ambition and gain,
in that part Of this report which covers the
investigation Of the financial agents books
and papers. The enormous sum OF s2O2, COZ 66,
(two hundred and TWO thousand SIX hundred
and TWO dollars and sixty-slx cents,) not ap-
pearing anywhere upon the State treasurer's
books, and never intended for the pubic eye
or ear, has been paid, in addition to the
amount already aggregated, for the al
teratlon OF arms, which swells the account TO
1871, 500 50 (three hundred and seventy
four thousand six hundred and ninety-six dol
lars and fifty-nine cents.) The committee are
officials have been privy to this last aud chief
est expenditure, ior no such amount could
ever have been paid Tor the work done, and
the charges themselves are the evidence Of
fraud, ami the officials could not have sane
toned or wnked at II unless in completely
with il.
1t would be proper here 10 say, the commit
,tee believe that the amount charged for ''Adju
INT. Generals Contingent" viz, $4,000, the
)1djntant and assistant adjutanl's salaries,
$4,000. and the state constabulary. viz, $685.
1853 u. would most assuredly belong to this
class OF expenditures, being Kindred in their
offices, purposes and uses. Therefore. The
Enrolment and Organization of the Militia"
ssThe Armed Force" The Purchase of Arms"
1.-THE Adjutant-General's Department" and
i'The State Constabulary," have cost the State
the alarming sum OF four hundred and twenty
one thousand one hundred and tifty-rine dol
larSend seventy-one cents (s42l, l59 7l,) near
Iy sufficient to pay the interest on the pub
lie debt for one year (as per statement OF the
comptroller general, October 81, lS70.) equal
to a special tax of two and One-half mills upon
the whole taxable property of the State, or a
per capita of 50 Is upon the whole voting pop
ulation of the State Further remarks upon
this subject will be reserved until the financial
agents accounts are presented.
sArmsAccount."
FREQUENT reference has been made to an &C
count on the agents books, called the Arms