New-York tribune., 1872-10-12
sOUTH'CAROLINA FRAUDS.
HoW A STATE CAN BE RUINED.


IrPoN Tug SrECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THB rRBUNf-l
COLUMBIA, S. c., Sept. 29--There Is little
that is new IN South Carolina affairs The same o'u
sickoning story OF shameless corruption ana ueu'u',
prosperous raScalty is all there is 10 tell WAon l
was year ago it looked as II the state
tion had touched bottom and could so no lV"oi'
The treasury was empty; the credit OF the s'ate
was ruined; the debt had been Increased
by the issue OF millions OF fraudulent bonds uht not
another bond could he sOldn short there was nothing
more TO steal, It appeared In this Juneture the
thieves avowed their intention to turn honest The
Governor talked long and plausby Of the strict econ
omy and accountability he going TO enforce. The
General advised frank exposure OF the des-
perate condition OF States finances and with the
treasurer and another precious rascal, the Finance
Agent made a statement in which the debt con-
fessod to be sixteen Millions increase Of ten millions
IN trce years, Of which six millions fraudulent
Everybody talked reform, aud many persons believed
that chief thieves had stolen themselves rich ana
taken all there TO steal they woud make snow OF
virtue for the remainder their terms OF oiee Inc
hope was delusive.
WHAT BECAME OF MONEY.
As the years taxes paid the sight OF over
million of dollars In the treasury was too great STRAIN
upon the new-fOund virtue OF the members OF the
various rings who fattened the previous leVles
Tho Legislature came together and made frantic
haste TO get at the spoils. The old carnival OF bribery
corruption and punder began anew. The State omceis
who had made such fine promises did nothing TO checK
boards at the States expense and to carry out these
schemes the lobby bought the votes Of the legislators In
the shameless way before II was evident that
the funds IN the treasury newly collected from the TAX
burlcncd people would not last long, and every lOopy
ist rascay official corrupt hangeron began TO FEAR
that he would rot get his share Of the plunder. About
tho dime the Legislature closed its session. the astound
ing fact was developed that the treasury empty
Not dollar the debt had been paid for Is
months the salaries Of the Judges Professors In the
d, V1a ahnV
lions, and Quarantine officials, were far In
arrears and large sums were due TO teachers
for past years services in the public schools "hat
has become Of the money r. the cry The treasurer
was becged for and after being hard pressed
he declared the whole amount with the exception
Of 500 no which the Governor had laid hands on and
small sum disbursed account Of salaries, had been
paid out upon certificates Of the Speaker OF the House
ard the President the Senate for legislative expenses
Further inquiry developed the fact that these officials
had only grabbed every dollar in the Treasury but
that hundreds OF their pay certificates calling for hund
dreds Of thousands Of dollars were ahoat all over
the State hands Of crpetbaggers and negro poll
t5yuns. This bold robbery surpassed in audacity and
atrocity anything that had previously occurred.
Tho cunning members OF the Bond Ring had
stolen more money by their fraudulent issues
and reissues Of State securities, but nobody
in all the four years Of vicious msrue that had followed
tie reconstruction OF South Carolina had gone so Tar as
20 empty the treasury at single grab The plunder oo-
tanned By this gigantic theft amounted to nearly
million Of dollars OF which Moses. the Speaker OF the
House. got about threcfourhs and Ransier, President
OF the Senate the remainder They divided the spoil
among the members Of the Legislature lobbyists, and
numerous coOred preachers and cOrneld politicians in
various parts Of the State the object being 10 secure
their services make Moses Governor and send Ransier
10 Congress. How much they kept for their own use
cannot be asccrtained. The robbery carried out
under the forms law both Of the thieves having au-
thorty to draw upon treasury for the due
as pay Of the Of their respective houses and
for the pay Of the clerks and messengers employed
A PROFITABLE OFFICE.
After Issuing certificates for the pay legtmately due
the members and employees, they gave their partisans
md vore warrants pay for extra services ranging
from 5000 to 400 each, and then made out multitude
of certificates for the compensation OF employees VINO
had never been employed, and whose names never Ag
ured in the census lists They were bogus names, IN
short but ndorsed the certificates In anybody's
handwriting they always produced the money at the
Treasury This enormous fraud astonished the boldest
operators" in Columbia. They did not dream that
Moses and Ransier capable OF such maser-sroke
OF rascaty. Moses had very bad reputation before
but he had contented with levyins tribute
al who wanted bills passed thrOughsthe House. specla
terms had always to be made with him. report says De-
fore bin could 20 through, while the other members OF
the House could be bought for fixed price per head
II was common thing to hear in the lobby such re-
marks as this: at VIII cost $4,000 to put this |
bill through outside Of the Speaker" Moses Is
shrewd smart active man. about 30 years old, and hs
influence with the ignorant and rapacious body over
which he presided was so absolute that the rings ana
LOBBYISTS never Yentured to dispense with his services
however much they might cost. lie belonged to
tlc Bond Ring the Railroad Ring, the Land Commits
,oD Ping the three chief organizations for pundering
the state so his opportunities for profit were conned 10
the House. from which 1t is supposed he realized about
wear This report says, be spent as fast as IT
came I'm riotous living that unlike most OF the pros
perous scoundres who share in the profits Of the carpet
bag regime he is stn poor. Moses's friends say
that his excuse for perpetratng the pay certificate
fraud is that the Bond Ring were determined TO
make ono Of their members, AttorneyGeneral
Chamberlain the nominee OF the party for
Governor. an Office Moses coveted, and were using
the money they had stolen to carry out their end He
had no money and could only beat them by nghting
them with like weapons. In this emergency he made
his upon the Treasury. AS for Ransier, who Is
muatto Of very ordinary talents he probably found out
what was going on and concluded the Speaker had
no right mOnOpoze the profitable business OF manu-
featuring the fraudulent certificates Both succeeded in
getting the nominations they wanted. The Bond Ring
was beaten in the Convention, Moses nominated
FOR Governor and Ranser got his nomination for Con-
gress IN the Charleston District Moses's nomination
broke up the CarpetBag party. II was too shameless
and atrocious TO be by the decent men,
bers Of the organization. They bolted and put out
separate ticket
RAsCAIITY As A FINE ART.
In the Convention, when Moses denounced for the
robbery one Of his supporters-Ellott, negro Con-
gressnan-bodly confessed that the crime had been
committed, aud justified II by saying that Moses had
used the money relieve the necessities OF the fugi-
tives from the KuKux The statement was falsehood,
shrewdly invented upon the spur of the moment, for
effect with the ignorant of the colored delegates