The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-05-12
THE STATE FINANCES.
A BUSINESS AAN'S HIEW OF THE
ca S e.


| A-
BUSINESS 1IAN'S HIEW OF THE
ca S e.
Remarks OF Colonel Richard Lathers,
of-CharIeston, in the Taxpayers Com
vention at Columbia, Tuesday, May g.,
1871.
In the Taxpayers Convention, on Tuesday
last. Colonel Richard Lathers said that he felt
that if would be proper for him as a represen-
ta,ive of the Chamber of Commerce 10 state
the views entertained by himself and other
gentlemen at some length. to the end that the
objects of the convention might be clearly un-
derstood. i,
By the reconstruction policy, he coStinued,
system of government was instituted in
the State which is without example in the
history of civilization for fFand, ignorance and
oppression. The rights of property were lg-
uored. intelligence dlsfranchised, laws and
usaoes abolished, and the Legislature, and in-
deed every junction Of the Judiciary and gov
ernment, State, ,couaty and city, was exercised
with few exceptions) by freed slaves without
education. and white adventurers without
conscience or the least sympathy in the rights
and interests OF those they undertook TO gov
ern. The few exceptions in the way Of hon.
esty or capacity which brishtens this dark pic
tnre of legislative deprayity, more Frequently
iust;fes the conservative claims Of the colored
man to a patriotic regard for his native State,
,,an the production ofany well.grounded hope
of practical reform on the part of the over
whelming majority, whose aim seems to be 10
acquire wealth BY The most unblushlng cor
ruption.
indeed the members of the Senate and the
House of Representatives. as well as the off,
cials, do not hesitate openly to charge each
other with fraud and corruption; and there Is
well-settled tariff for legislative action Of
this kind most accurately graduated.
A considerable portion of the last session
| OF the Legislature was consumed in mutual
ordinations of this kind, and one oi the sena-
tors actually proclaimed his independence cf
investigations of fraud and corruption on the
ground that his own frauds would bear in
vestiralion quite as we'll as those OF his ac-
cusers. and the challenge was not accepted.
Tie Governor Of the State, ip his. veto Of
a bill ier legislative expenses the last ses-
sion. says: ~ regard the money already
appropriated during this session and the sum
included in this bill, amounting in the aggre-
rate TO four hundred thousand dollars, as
simp)y enormous for one session. Ills beyond
the COMPREHENSION of any one how the General
Assembly could legilimately expend one-half
that amount Of money" And the matter turR-
ed out to be fraud, as the Governor insinu-
ates. Last winter committee Of both
branches of the Legislature was appointed TO
Investigate the frauds and backmailing con-
nected with the Blue Ridge Railroad legisla-
tion OF the previous session. The Governor,
the main witness, appeared before this COM
m1ttee, and accused the former Legislature Of
all sorts of vllany. Abiding TO the bill grant
ing aid to the road, the Governor says:
"When tine bill came up member OF the
House came TO one Of the parties and
said THE report can't 90 through anttl
T act fue hundred doilars.'" Aud when
an Injunction was served on the fiscal
officers OF the State to prevent the endorse.
ment Of the bonds, tle Governor alleges that
the parties procuring the injunction proposed
to withdraw the same if s25, 600 would be paid
After many clear and explicit charges oil fraud
and corrupttons,. the Governor, with an honest
burst of indignation against this corrupt body,
say ~ know OF the fact, or have been told so
by hundred different persons that money
had been paid to get certain report through
at the last session. l want 10 say, do you
suppose that If our Saviour would come here
with O bill ever so good, and want to get 1t
through, or it was thought best to get up a
committee TO investigate Him, do you suppose
he wouldn't be crucifled again If He didn't pay
something to treventit. learned
afterwards that they privately demanded Of the
president oil the road $500 piece, as II was
publicly stated by themselves that they did
not get enough ont Of the road when the
bill passed." need hardly occupy. your
time with the hundreds of frauds and cor
ruptions which are too well.known to the
public to need repetition, but I cannot re-
rrain from calling your attention TO the eXpen-
dltures OF the county commissioners Of
Charleston Tor the current year ending Octo-
Der last, amounting 10 s23s,s4l. The Cover
nor in his messages, transmitting the same to
the Legislature, properly remarks: That
..these amounts ;,rc Of startling magnitude
and it is worthy. OF consideration whether they
cannot be materially reduced; believe IN
investigation, connected with these frauds
has been had or proposed.
iTEMS.
Roads anu bridges. es................s sl0S, OBS
Public nuudgs. gs......................28,6I .28, 6I0'
Cons ;IeS aud tltal Justices. ...... .3S. SCI
Sheriff, clerk oi cuuaiy and coroner. GIL