Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-10-04

A Reporter Of the New York Tribune
Der of the South Carolina Republican State
Executive Committee, who visited New
York to raise money to aid in the election
of Grant and Wilson and the Moses State
ticket. Delany is an Intelligent colored
man, formerly on the staff of Gov. Scott.
He is in the secrets or the "Ring" which
has robbed South Carolina and bankrupted
her treasury. He gives the following pic
ture Of the cOrruptions of his party:
Col. Delany said that the State was able
to pay it's liabilities, including the interest
on the various classes of bonds, if the re-
ceipts from taxes and other sources were
net stolen outright. The fortunes of Gov.
Scott he estimated at s. 100000, that of
State Treasurer Niles g. Parker at ST.
900 900, and others who were operating
with them, including Land Commissioner
Leslie and others of the State Ring at from
100000 to $4,000 and these sums, he
claimed, had been absolutely stolen from
the State by these men. The school fund
had been stolen, and the schools were
closed in consequence. The prisons and
the Icnitcntiary were leased because
there was no money forthcoming for their
support, and all OF the county and
town officers, and those fthe State officials
not in the Ring, had received no pay for Il
/ year or eigtCen months past. Secretary Of
State CardOza lOld Col. Delany that he had
received no pay for a year past, and that
he was compelled to borrow money where
with to pay his board. Nearly ST 600, coo
has been collected for taxes for the present
fiscal year, and nearly the entire amount
has been stolen. Had this been properly
applied, the interest Oh The bonds could
have been paid.
Two years ago Col. DClany resigned
! from the staff of Gov. Scott, because he
! did not wish to seem to be in collision
| with plunderers. There we've many in the
Legislature whose votes could at any time
be purchased, their price ranging from 500
to 81 900, although as much as $25, 900 had
| been paid to secure The vote and influence
of leader in either House of Representa-
tives or the Senate. One of the most prom
| inent in this selling of votes was Maj. Gen.
| Whipper, a cOlored member of the House
of Representatives, and Chairman of the
| committee on Ways and Means. For his
influence in securing the passage of bill
| in the interest of the Greenville railroad
| company, he received 81, 900; for similar
| transaction, $4,000; and it was generally
understood that during the last session of
! the Legislature he cleared from $4,000 to
| $4,000. When Whipper went to Charles
! ton at the end of the session, he deposited
in bank at one time $4,000; and he had
previously deposited considerable sums
paid one wine, liquor and cigar bill alone
| of 81 POO. To L. S. Senator Frederick A.
Sawyer was due much Of the corruption
that has prevailed among the cOlored men,
bers of the Legislature. Most of these
were ignorant; many Of them were field
hands; thesSreat majority were unable to
read or write and totally unacquainted
with the modes of legislation. Nothing
was easier than to procure their votes for
an act which would put hundreds of thou
sands of dollars in the pockets of those fer
whose benefit it was passed. This was at
a comparatively tritliDg outlay, the larger
amounts being paid to white men who had
control Of the bill and to Gov. Scott, who
signed it. Generally, however, the Cover
nor was more or less Interested in any bill
the object of which was State plumber
The COlOred men were apt scholars, how
ever, and it was not long before number
of them began to demand and obtain a
good price for their votes on all bills where
plumber was intended or suspected. Things
have now come to such pass that some
thing must be done or all semblance of
government will disappear. The colored
voters, comprising majority Oh LhOSe III
the Stste, were now fully alive to the ne
cessity for thorough reform in the State
Government. This was clear from the
overthrow of Scott, Parker, and the re-
mainder Of the State officers Except Car
doza, who was believed to be honesty at the
last nominating Convention.
Col. Delany was asked what guarantee
Gen. Moses and the other nominees would
gle that. if elected, they would not emu
late Gov. Scott in stealing. He replied that
first, there would not be much to steal, the
credit of the State being at the lowest ebb;
and, secondly, the Legislature would mott
pass such thieving bills as have disgraced
that body in former years. The resources
of the State were ample to meet its obliga-
tions under q Government decently adj
ministered, and he believed that the credit
of South Carolina would yet be made good.
The folks of the "Meadow Mountain"
region, near Grantsville, in Allegheny
county, Md, have been considerably dis