The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-01-17
BOWEN'S LAST BLAST.
HIS PICTURE OF "EHE MORAL NAK'
EDNESS" OF GOVERNOR SCOTT.

How Byas and the Other Champions OF
,he Governor Tried to Defend Him
Funny Scenes on the Floor-The End
is Not Yet.
TFRoM OUR SPECIAL REPORTER
COLUMBIA, January Is.
Whatever the object or whatever may be
the result of the present determined move
ment on the part of the Reformers Of the AS
sembly to oust Governor Scott from the high
Office which they claim he disgraces, 1t 1s
certain that the agitation of the subject Is day
by day bringing to light such new forms and
instances of rasca, ity, such new developments
of official corruption and mendacity, and such
new proofs of the absolute and utter rotten
ness of the dominant party In this State as
must 20 far toward opening the eyes of the
people, not only of South Carolina, but of the
whole country to the character of the seoun-
drels who have taken advantage Of the dis
organization inevitably consequent upon a
civil war to ride Into power In the Southern
States. In the House, to-day, Mr. Bowen
made four hours speech, In the course OF
which he went from one misdeed to another,
charging fraud after fraud with such minute
ness Of detail as seemed to leave no doubt Of
their correctness, and covering the Executive
of this State, If one-half OF the charges be
true, with load OF infamy from which, In the
eyes of any intelligent or honest man, ne can
hardly hope to clear himself
the conclusion Of his speech, Mr.. Bowen
retained the floor on question OF privilege.
He said that the Governor had, In his special
message, attacked him personally and by
name, speaking ofhis 'smoral nakedness," &C.,
and he wanted to cay something In reply to
that. He asked why it was, If he were 80 bad
a man as the Governor said, that the Governor
had repeatedly sent to him Just after his elec-
ton to the Assembly, and begged him to 60 to
see him at the Executive MaHson. he had
gone there, he said, at the repeated and earn
sat invitation OF the Governor, and there
Scott had offered, If he would Withdraw from
the fight against him, to support him (Bowen)
for the next Governor OF the State, and to
back that support with all the power, all the
influence and all the patronage he could
command. he had refused the 0ffer because
10 could not consent to help him cover up his
swindles, and he cited The speaker OF the
House, who had been present and heard the
conversation, in proof Of what he stated.
Speaking of .tmoral nakedness," he said that
he would show how certain young lady,
echoolmistress In Walhala, who had been
persuaded to come down here by the Wife OF
this yery GoverIer Scott, had been staying
for one night under the roof OF the E1ecunve
mansion, and how, when no one else was IN
the house, her room had been entered by
Governor Scott and
This raised perfect storm of Interruptions.
The chair was occupied by Lee, of Edgedeld,
durfDg the temporary absence of the speaker,
and he was kept busy alternately commanding
eilence and ruling upon points OF order raised
by the excited adherents OF the Governor.
Byas objected to this invasion of the Govern
of's private history as unparliamentary and
unbecomlng, and the temporary chairman sus-
tanned that view of the case. Bowen didn't
like that, and made some remark about ON.
GERS of the House shirk.ng their duty, which
brought the speaker back 10 his desk, to the
evident relief OF Lee. Then Jamison. Jones.
Nobley and half dozen others raised points
Of order, all OF them amounting, when
Strengthened into English, to the proposition
that Bowen had no business to attack scotts
private character. The speaker overruled the
point. He said the members language might
be unbecomlng, and he believed IL was, but ne
knew of no law Of parliamentary usage that
forbade member to attack the public or prl-
vate record of any officer, 80 long as ne was
not member of the House. He said that per-
haps o.morrow the boot might be on the other
leg, and then some members would see tne
iusIice of tulipg by which he refused to rob
8 member of the House of his right 10 criticise
This stiiled the storm for little while, and
Bowen continued. There were, he said, men
In the penltenttary serving long terms OF
years for doing that which Governor Scott aad
that night done to that poor woman under the
roof of Inc Gnbernatorial mansion, and this was
the man who talked of "moral nakedness."
He had written that woman threatening let
ter, and It was that letter, shown by her to
some sympathiziug friends In Charleston,
which had furnished proof against him, and
had shown that even the Gupernatorial man.
sion furnished no protection for the virtue Of
8 woman.
Here Byas again arose, and In the most eX-
cited manner called Bowen to account. he
didn't want to hear about the virtue of q wo-
man, he didn't know what that had to do with
impeachment, and he threatened Bowen with
expulsion and all manner OF terrible things If
he didn't stop.
Mr. Bowen replied that he cared nothing for
his threats, then, turning to the speaker, he
sS6ntinued that he cared nothing for the
fhreats Of any man whose vote you could pur-
chase any day for FIVE dollar bill.
This shot quite upset the little man from
0rangeburg, and, allowing bis passion to get
the better OF his prudence, he rose to ques.
ton Of privilege, and began to buster out
denial.
The speaker asked him how he made the
members remark apply to him, which caused
q general laugh at the expense Of Byas, and
he gradually subsidized.
Bowen remarked that he had been bothered
by that man about as long as he meant to be,
and advised him not TO put the coat on If 1t
115n't flt He then said that II time permitted
he would proceed to show the ten or dozen
victims Of lhe same crime that the Governor
had committed GU that poor Young lady from
Walhalla. He would like to tSace his wander
ings and his crimes from Columbia to Wash,
ington, where the books of Wizards Hstel
would show him as registered with o notorl.
GUS woman nom Philadelphia, and to New
York, and expose bis visits to No. liz West
26th street, house that had become 30 motto.
rious through his patronage that 1t was known
as the Palmetto House.
This brought duzen more Of the Cover
nor's Hessians to their feet with all sorts OF
Interruptions. The speaker repeated his for
mer ruling, and Byas appealed from the de-
cision Of the chair. the House, however,
sustained the speaker by seventy-two to
SWelYe, and Bowen resumed. he said he
could tell about another woman In New York
Pauline Markham he believed her name
Has-to whom the Governor had given dia-
monds worth seven hundred and ttty dollars,
but Pauline said 1t wasn't enough.
Mr.. Bowen continued with these exposures
at some length, the members sitting win their
brogans elevated on gersoll-Denntss furni-
ture, smoking their pipes aud cigars, anu
drinking In the salacious details OF lnese reve.