The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-07-12
OUR COUNTY IRREGULARITIES.
What Commmissioner Mclaughlin has
TO Say-A Sharp ArraignmenI OF the
County Ring-CompIicity Of Governor
Scott in their "Loose and Unlawful'
Proceedings.
CHARLESTON, 8. c., July IL.

CHARLESTON, .. ", July IL.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.
1t is, to say the least, an unwecome and
thankless task for public servant to lay bare
bis official record, or 10 attempt to vlndicate
himself from the aspersions Of his political
enemies; oftentimes the least said the better.
I am led to take such step now only by de-
sire to give the people OF this county, whose
| interests am Supposed to guard, an insight
into the workings of the office of the county
commissioners, that they may put the blame Of
m,smanagement or ''irregularity," If any be
found, at the threshold of the guilty parties.
When the county commissioners went into
Office, four years ago this month, there was
no money IA the treasury, and the couRty Was
saddled with debt lett by The former COM
mssioners. then recommended. as have
done ever since. that as little work as posi-
BILE should be done until the county was IN
funds. My advice, however, was not taken,
and large amounts of work were given out
against my protest, which brought about
rGinous system of issuing orders, whereby the
county was forced TO pay for supplies three
lines as much as they would have paid had
there been money In the treasury. When the
bills we're presented TO County Treasurer
Lanneau for payment, l notified him not 10
pay them; but resolution was passed by the
other members of the board. and they were
some time, when l concluded to write
to his then Excellency Governor SCOTT,
calling attention to the reckless man.
ner In which the public money was
being squandered, and praying that he
would give the county commissioners
some definite instructions to act under. The
friends aud benedciaries of the system.
however, managed to gain the private ear of
his Excelency, and by representing 10 him
that was without political Influence In the
county. and would not be member Of the
convention which he expected 10 renominate
him, succeeded In inducing him to take no
action IN the premises.
AT the conference of the county commits
sioners OF all the counties, which was held In
the City of Columbia on the 9Th Of October,
1869, four commissioners and myself were ap-
pointed committee to draw up memorial
to the General Assembly seLllng forth the
changes necessary to be made In the law TO
bring about the mgch-needed reform In the
workings OF the county commissioners o1lce.
Representing. as l did, the interests Of
Charleston County, l recommended that
county work should be given out by contract
TO responsible parties, and made the State
ment that there had been fifty thousand dol
lars expended for work done IN this
county which could have been accom-
commended that the commissioners be put uIl-
der bonds, inasmuch as Article w, Section 10,
OF the Constitution gives the county commis-
sioners the power of ois5ursing all the county
moneys for which they ought 10 be RESPONSE
bic. the county treasurer standing In the same
light as an officer In bank. AS the law then
STOOD, the county treasurer coun not know
whether the checks presented to him signed
by the chairman of the board We're actually
due for county purposes, and, If any should be
paid that were not legal, no party but the
treasurer or his bondsmen could be held re-
spousible I considered the placing OF the
commissioners under bonds d Safeguard to the
commissioners themselves as well as tile
State. These recommendations were incor-
porated IN the memorial presented to the
General Assembly, which In lts wisdom passed
a law compelling the commissioners TO give
out work by contract, but neglected to pass
law putting the commissioners under bonds.
I may here mention that the work OF this
county has not yet Deen given out by con-
tract.
It ls well known throughout the State that
the majority of the board OF county commits
sioners have been opposed to me; for reasons
best known 10 themselves, ever since have
held my office. Though Ia a helpless minority.
I did my best to check the loose and unlawful
manner in which the business OF the office
was conducted. 70 repeat the gross ''lrregn.
known facts. Bills were passed oftener out
of the office than IN It, and checks Were Issued
without having been brought before the
board, and have reason to believe, IN some
cases, without any cons s.deralio-:. l plainly
saw that IL was necessary to the salVatlon oi
The county that the General Assembly should
pass law rendering IL Impossible that ne
funds OF the county could be disbursed on the
signature of one man. had conference
with several of my friends In the Legislature,
and bill was introduced providing that The
checks should be signed by the three commits.
sioners and countersigned by the clerk OF the
board, to be Issued when The county treasurer
reported money In the treasury. TGis bill,
through no assistance of the members of the
General Assembly, rassed, and became law.
Previous to this time $339,25S 81 had been
drawn upon the signature OF the chairman of
tho board. Since that time, and up to date,
about $23, 900 has been paid out on the order
OF the three commissioners.
It hes been stated that on January OF this
year there was an over-issue oil checks. This
is mistake; the commissioners were led To
believe that the treasurer would report d
large amount Of money on hand, and on SUCH
representation passed bills 10 the amount OF
SIS, ,O03 drawing checks for the same. The
treasurer, however, reported only $2O, ,43l 36,
and that amount of checks was Issued, the
remainder never passing out OF the possess
sion Of the county commissioners.
Perceiviug The enormous expense that the
trial Justice system In this city was enlatllng
on tue county, brought the facts to the al
lentlon of several of the influential members
OF the last General Assembly, who succeeded In
having bill passed limiting the numoer OF
trial Justices In the City of Charleston 10 four;
but Governor Scott, doubtless tearing TO de.
prlve bis favorltes OF their easy means Of sup
port uutil his fate should be decided in the
approaching election, neglected TO Sign the
bill. This measure would have saved TO the
county no iuconsiderable sum. The cost Of
running the trial Justices and their constables
In The City of Charleston is between thirty and
forty thousand dollars per year, while The
whole cost of administering Justice in the in
rerlor courts and congressional district In
the City OF New York Is less than halt that
amount.
firmly believe that were 1t not for the pas
sage OF :he law regulating the issue of checks,
the county would be Over one million dollars
In debt to-day. Previous 10 the passage OF
this law there were aspiranis Tor office, who
did not hesitate to make large and extrava-
CANT expenditures of public money to secure
their own reelection, and who are now only
prevented from doing 30 by lib provisions
I regard the annoyance to which am now
subjected In the courts merely as "a scheme on
the part of Scott and his satellites 10 bring about
a condition OF affairs such as existed previous
to the passage Vt this restrictive measure,
whereby they may secure control OF The lunds
of the county, and Cae them TO their own
4 ,.l fIr0S n.k,