The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-01-04
"JAPHET." /"

"JAPHET"
The Final Debate in the House on the I'm
peachment Question.
"Nemo," the intelligent correspondent of the
Charleston Courier, thus speaks of the closing
debate on the Scott-Parker impeachment:
Tim Hurley stated that what he intended to
say would not occupy much time, for ne be-
lieyed that the time for talk had gone 1t was
now time for the people to act for themselves.
When the Governor Of the State, under charge
of high crimes in Office, could come into the
| Legislature and buy enough votes to get him
self off, it was time to act. The minority in
the House had been gagged, and were pesfect-
ly aware that the votes amounted to nothing.
Bowen next arose and said he availed him
self of the opportunity to say few words on
the subject, because he supposed it would be
the last time that ever would present ITSELF He
protested against the action of the House, in
the name Of the people of the whole State: The
man charged with having stolen S6,O0O,OOO
from the people has taken means not to come
up and face the issue, but to dodge it, and al
though he might say that the Legislature had
excuIpated him, yet so far as the action OF the
House is concerned, he will have failed to sat
isfy any one that he is guiltless of the charge
against this monstrous outrage that had been
perpetrated. They were ground down to the
dust by taxation to allow these men to roll
around in luxury, and when resolution was
introduced calling the thieves to account, they
boldly state on the street that small portion
of the ill-gotten gains can defeat such measures.
He was going from this House to appeal to the
people of the State to rise up and put down
such outrages. The orator from Union, Mob
| lev. here arose, and wanted to know in what
way did he mean that they were to be put
down; by insurrection or Ku Klux?
Bowen-Pll tell the gentleman. The people
have brought the case before the Legislature,
and have, moreover, convicted them on their
own figures; and here would remark, that not
single statement has been controverted, not
one figure of the charges made and proved,
that does, not remain uncontradicted- When
this House has failed to do its duty the people
have right to so into the courts ofjustice and
demand Justice there; and should that fall
then there will, perhaps, one day be an
remedy these evils, T shall appeal to the peo-
pie against the tyranny and oppression that
has been heaped upon them. The Governor,
up to the time that he was impeached, was ex-
tremely anxious to have the Treasurer i'm
peached; and if any one in the House wanted
to charge the Attorney General with these mis-
deeds, why didn't they do so? I know that
when the Governor was in New York, he ran
away for fear of being arrested. He left, how
ever, paper in the possession of certain per-
SON, by which he tried to make away with the
sterling bonds.
Here the speaker was interrupted by Jones,
who read telegram, said to have been sent by
Gov. Scott to ex-Judge Barrett, on the 1lth of
November in which Judge Barrett is instruct
ed, that unless Kimpton resigned and settled as
agreed 10 before he Scott left New York, to take
legal steps against him. This, Bowen con-
tended, was written at the desk of the member
who produced it. He then went on with his
speech. Abiding to the action of Byas, who
had signed the committee report advising i'm
peachment, and subsequently worked against
the resolution, he said the member from
Orangeburg would come into the House,
and look at the Speakers stand, and the
next moment, would, for consideration,
swear that it was not there. This brought
Byas to his feet on q privilege question, and a
sharp cross-fre was kept up forisome time.
Whipper next obtained the floor, and made
his final speech on the subject. He said he
knew it was useless to attempt to fight the rob-
bers, who used their ill-gotten gains to buy the
votes of the House but he thanked God that
this was not the last resort.
There was scarcely man in the House, ex-
cept those whose political relations placed them
above the reach of the Shiny minions of the
ring, who had not been approached bought
Tallyrand had said that every man had his
price, and that man (pointing to Byas) had
proven by his somersault that he had his price.
In reply 10 a threat of Byas to hold him re-
sponsible in court of justice for his words, he
replied: Justice! Great God, if justice were
rheted out, that man (Byas) would live in
place where the light of the stars never pene-
trated. He then went on. Although, ne said,
crushed by votes purchased with lucre stolen
from the Treasury, ne had not yet yielded
The load of this infamous transaction had been
saddled upon the Republican party, but he
would not lend it his support.
Hurley next obtained the floor, and made
the first serious speech have ever heard from
his lips. That "infnite jest" which is so char
acteristic of the man, was for once put entirely
aside and he grew eloquent as he went on to
say, that if there was any act of bis life OF
which he was proud, it was the fact that he
had voted as he did to-day on this question:
He would say to those members who had sold
out for less than thirty pieces of silver, that he
had in his pocket letter from one of the
thieves, in which he Hurley was urged to
vote against impeachment, and name his figures.
He would say to the hirelings of the ring that
his vote records the fact that they had not
money enough to buy him. He had more in
terest in the State than all of them put to-
Byas here jumped up to his feet, and said
that he had known Hurley when he came to
this State, and did not have two shirts to his
back Having said which, he sat down, with
vague threats of going for him in the courts OF
justice. -,
1t was this juncture that the merry twinkle
returned to Tins eye, and with his usual COM
ical blandness. which had hitherto given way
to a sternness quite unusual with the man, he
begged to be permitted to ask the gentleman
from Orangeburg question.
Permission having been accorded, he turned
to Byas and said: Have you not in your pocket
q aLaol- far SO 9Q2 which was ciyen yan last |