The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-05-16
THE LAST OF THE BARONS
A HERALD MANS INrERTIEW WITH
THE HON. ILFRED HUGER.

of the State of Things In Carolina-A
Contrast-Bribery and Peanuts-Gov-
ernor Scott's Kia e Law-Reninis-
.cences Of other Days.
Under the head of The Last Of the Barons, >
Mr. Daniel Joseph Kirwan, the correspondent
OF the New York Herald in South Carolina,
writes:
A little before noon OF each recurring day
the looker-on in Meeting street, Charleston,
will have pointed out to him the erect.form OF
the Hon. Alfred Huger, man OF elSnty-Ghree
wears of age, of herculean build, whose locks
are white as snow, end whose strong ana
auuiline nose. give him very decided resem-
blance to the Duke of wellington, when that
hero was in his last decade. This gentleman
is one of the few, if not the last OF the old re-
manning gentlemen of wealth and family
whose infancy was coeval with the foundation
of the constitution and the republic. Inc Hu-
GERS are to the manner born. having the 0est
Huguenot blood In the State, and previous 10
the carEet-bag e-a Huger or LoWndes or
a Pinckney would have been listened to and
needed by the entire white population OF
South Carolina; and such men are still listened
to by those whose hands are not dirtied with
public money or who are not under the ban OF
official malfeasanCe.
For thirty years, and under nine successive
Presidents OF the United States, the Hob.
Alfred Iuger had held the position OF post
master OF Charleston, and during that period
Of q generation he was universally respected.
Every man, woman and child in Charleston
knows the figure OF Mr.. Huger as he takes his
daily walk to buy provisions for his 1amily-a
duty to which he attends himself, as he is now
a ruined man, who once held one hundred and
twenty slaves, with plantations well stocked.
The war scattered the negroes. as IN many
other States, and Huger's opulence, deemed
unassailable, melted Ike. snow before a warm
sun. This IS his brief record, similar TO fifty
other cases in South Carolina.
Deemng 1t q judiciaus thing TO ascertain the
views OF man so well known as Mr.. Huger,
on The present demoraliZed state of affairs,
paid a.vist to him at his residence NO. lEs
Calhoun street, in this city, having first armed
myself with proper letter OF introduction.
Mr. Huger lives u large house. moderately
furnished, which is all that remains to
THE OLD CAVALIER,
being but the wreck of once fine fortune. 1
was received by Mr.. Huger with all that high
bred courtesy and stately dignity belonging to
the gentleman Of the old school, and, en- en-
tering the parlor, was asked to take seat.
stated briefly that the object OF my visit was
to gain information in regard to the condltlon
OF Tue State VI SouIu SaLoiina, oAu 'ii"o i"~
been informed that Mr.. Huger's long connec-
ton with public affairs was q guarantee that
his information, if given, would be correct.
"Well, sir" said Mr.. Hugel. ~ will let you
know all that Is in my power / am an old
mani out / sat for many years In our State
General Assembly with men like Calhoun,
McDuflie, Pinckney and others whose names
have been handed down to US. All those
whom knew, however, have passed away,
and 1 am left alone"
II was a touching picture to see the octo-
senaran as he uttered this last remark. The
room served as frame to his grand old face
and white hairs, and the balmy and odorous
winds from the magnolia blossoms came in
through the open windows and played with
his hoary locks.
1.Mr. Huger,n said the Herald commission
er, II desire 10 ask your honest opinion in
regard to the condition Of the state of affairs
in South Carolina at present. Many thousand
readers of the Herald believe that there is q
reign of terror here, and that your financial
system and the framework OF society are
breaking up and going to smash 2
Mr.. HIoer. 'sSir, consider the moral, po
litical and financial condition OF South Caroll-
ma 70 be more deplorable than am even ca
pabe of expressing. Every Intelligent and
honest observer has long since come 10 tne
same conclusion. These are the results OF
the maladministration OF her STATE govern
ment.
:sarp the officials not honest {" asked.
81 consider that there Is almost universal
malyersation In public office. The money
which is so lavishIy squandered by some OF
these men has been cruelty wrung from tne
oppressed and desolated people oi our slate;
Our property is at the mercy OF profigate and
unprinclpled strangers and OF ignorant ano "a,
State is necessarily Inevitable. say this now
that I am in the ninth decade OF life and with
fifty years experience as senator OF Souta
Carolina"
Ibid the old Legislatures OF the State differ
very much from the present one at Columola.
'GSod God sir" exclaimed the old gentle-
man: "can YOU ask me such a question Why,
there are seyenty-four members of the Legls
has taxed the State this year
four million six hundI dollars-a Ronslrous
WHO CANNOT READ OR WRITE.
In nv time the Legislature of South Caro-
linz assembled, as now, on the fourth Monday
in November. The longest session ever
served ended on the 22d Of December. The
same body now sits between lour ana nVe
months. Our pay was three dollars per day
theirs is now six. We never had recess for
more an few hours. They so home for
the Christmas holidays, and many OF them Tor
a much longer period, and they pay tnem-
selves what they please; there is no limit to
TO their extravaganza. Tie cost Oh session
in our time was about forty thousand dollars;
what they now call Legislative appropriation"
amounted for the last session to i've hundred
and twenty-five thousand dollars. or yore the
tay bill for the entire State was about lour
hundred thousand dollars. Every man VINO
voted for that bill paid his proportion OF IL;
The tax bill is now four million SIX nunurea
thousand dollars, and those voting sucn OIL
paving no taxes. We, who have TO pay the
taxes, however, have no representation. Here
is "lnXation without representation" IN lts
most nideous form.
..Then there must be a
GOOD DEAL OF BRIBERY
in the Legislature, remarked.
..Yes, certainly. Add to tue tour million SIX
hundred thousand dollars the incacuaole
sums paid to the members tor their votes.
This money. when collected, is divided on one
plea or another by those who rule ana roo: 4t
is gigantic system of organized roooery;
..how were you paid in the old time, Wnl!e
member of tine Legislature. sir ?" asked.
"ISe largest pay bill ever received during
n pefiod of TWENTY-FIVE years in the Legisia-
ture was one hundred and two dollars. Inc.
members of this so-called Legislature now pay
seven or eight hundred dollars. Our
sessions were always short, never eAtenoinS
beyond twenty-five or twenty three worklnS
days, vet We were not pressed Tor time. MUCH
LEGISLATION in those days would have oecn COLI
sidered an evil. III those days the Governor
was ALWAYS u respectable gentleman, Win
moderate salary; the Lieutenant.G Governor was
the same. The president OF the Senate ana
the speaker OF the House of Representatives.
received their per diem like other members.
no extra compliments or donations 0i any