Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1872-07-04
Hon. JsD. STradsxsn on the y
Corruption Of the Radical State
Government.

We have before referred, says Tn
,Columbia f6outk earolsnstra, to th
proceedings instituted'inthe suprem
Court of thisfstate bylsupeeintenden
Stolbrand against Treasurer. Parker
with the view of compelling the lat
Ter to pay to the former certain sum
of money due the State Penitentiary
We have now before US; in pamphle
form, a copy Of, the petitiea and mo
ton for manaamus, together with tn
argument of James D. Fradewen, ,; at
4orney fdr Telator; we desireas IN
iysiis public attention. to this matter
Mr.. Tradewell's legal argument il
able. and exhibits clearly the grounds
upon wkidh he asksthes inaerpositior
of the Supreme Court in behalf Of I tht
special interests hfe represents, as vel
as the general interests involved, il
calling the State Treasurer to account
In the course of his argument, Mr.
FradeweH is led to arraign the Treas
,uzsr andto eoninent strongly upOr
the,oon iition, Of the State, as affected
by the corrupt management. of its
finances. Mot lopgsince, upon a pub
lie occasion, MI. Tradewen announced
his. adherence TO- the dominant o,
Radical party in this State. His
structures, sherefore, upon the Treas
urer, his candid admissions Of the ru-
inous state of our public affairs, and
his earnest demand for reform should
have weight with the RADICAL party
of the State, although Mr.. Tradewell
does but confirm what the opposition
have long since charged against q
corrupt and corrupting State regime.
No stronger attacks have been made
upon the corrupt features of the pres
ent regime than those embodied in
Mr.. 9radewefIs argument. And al
though the Attorney General, Cham
berlain, presented himself as Mr..
Patker's representative, and sought
to interpose his official shield between
the Treasurer and outraged justice,
yet must it be,barne in mind that he,
too, in his capacity as citizen, is upon
record as bearing witness to corrupt
state oil affairs in South Carolina that
disgraces civilizat on aid calls for
prompt reform.
We have said that we desire to
draw public attention to the argu-
ment of Mr.. Tradewell, and to The
1uasi.political points which he makes
with great earpestness, and with his
usual energy of language. Address
ing himself to the Supreme Court,
whose authority Reinvokes in behalf
Of the rights and property of the
people, Mr.. Fradewell passes. in re-
view the actualeondition of our fnar-
cial and other public affairs, and thus
proceeds:
."I therefore invoke your aid with
all the earnestness lof patriotic alarm
for the safety;of the Commonwealth,
with the burning desire to do some
thing, however humble, towards the
deeply healing of wounded honor Of
the State, the punishment Of those
who have dishonored her, and the re-
establishment.of the broken fortunes
of her people, Nor do I believe that
my invocation will be barren invoca-
tion, for to my mind, hopeful Of every
good here, and utterly .despairing OF
any good elsewhere in the State Gov
e,r.nnment, it is too clear for doubt that
both the duty to act and the power
to act efficiently, now pertain to this
Court in this proceeding against the
State, Treasurer. There is provi-
dence in this appeal in the alarming
iuncture of our governmental affairs
to this Supreme Court. With the
exception of the Judiciary, the State
Government of South Carolina is a
mass of disgraceful ruins With vio-
lent, head long plunges, the Execu'
tive.and Legislative departments are
seeking the deepest deep Of anarchy
and public dishonors marking their
progress with a reckless
contempt of private ard public NOR
ais, the like Of which the cirilized
world has never heretofofe beheld.
-lhWhatever Mr. Parker may be in
the public estimation, or m his own
conscience, is not the question which
this, proceeding brings to the copsid-
eration Of the Court. Mol Mol
9zsaThe subject of inquiry reaches to
the height and depth Of a fuhdamen-
tsEdepartment Of OUT State Govern
nent-the Treasury. Department, the
financial or money department, upon
the intelhgentn ands honest manage
ment Of which the whole government
tai machinery depends Stab it, and
you pierce the vitalsgof your whole
governmental polity, 9and endanger
ifs entire administration. There can
beno doubt, therefore, concerning the
magnitude of the investigation which
this proceeding is intended to inau-
gurate. ,s.11.
.siaH the annual appropriations by
the General Assembly have been ex.
tr-avagant, the amounts collected from
the people by the same authority, and
poured into the State Treasury annu.
ally, in order to meet them and up
hold the credit Of the State Govern.
ment have,bt en- absolutely enormous
In addition to the tax levies, about
eleven millions of dollars, according
to the report of this Treasury officer
Ill l. xLo,,,,btio Jnh-