Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-08-22

for reelection to office. [Cries Of "Put them
outT "Teil itp &c.] The gentlemen re:
sponsible for this transaction, as L have said
to you, are Governor R. K. Scott, Comptrol.
ler General j. L. Eeagle, Attorney General
D. H. Chamberlain, w. J. Whipper, Esq,
Chairman of the Committee of Ways and
Means of the House of Representatives, and
Joseph A. Green, Chairman of the Committee
of Finance, of the Senate. Now, it is barely
possible that some one or more of these gen.
tlemen did not assent to this sale; but, if so,
the public are not aware of it. It must have
been done by a majority of them, at least.
If any of them desire to escape from the odi-
um of the transaction and can honestly do so,
let them come forward and give US their re-
cord. I pronounce this transaction simply
infamous, and sufficient to blast forever the
character of any public officer engaged in it.
To show show that these officers who made
this sale, and the private individuals who
made the purchase, were satisfied that they
had no right to do so, it is only necessary to
look into the Act of the Legislature which
was bought through last winter, which con-
firms this sale By the Act of the Legislature
of the End of March last, this sale was ex-
pressly confirmed. Now, if the Sinking Fund
Commission had legal right to make this
sale, why was it necessary to confirm it? On
the other hand, if it was illegal and void, it
was absolutely necessary to have it confirmed
by solemn Act Of the Legislature There is
another little item that 1 should mention in
connection with this Blue Ridge Railroad for
which the Financial Board are responsible.
In 1870 they loaned to this road, without one
particle or shadow of authority Of law, $780,
900 in money. BY this last Act Of the Leg
islature, the Blue Ridge Railroad Company
were discharged from all liability on account
of this 100000. Thus was perpetrated and
consummated fraud upon the State Treasu-
ry of 100000. Thus all the investments Of
the State in the Blue Ridge Railroad, with
its endorsements of bonds, and its $780, 900 in
cash, have gone glittering and glimmering
into the dark recesses Of the pockets of private
spectators, all through the unfaith fulness of
these gentlemen composing the Financial
Board and the Sinking Fund Commission.
F. J. MOSES, JR.
Now, fellow.citizens, desire to pay my re-
spects to F. j. Moses, Jr., Adjutant and In.
spector General of the State and Speaker of
the House of Representatives. This gentle
man is candidate for Office, like all the rest
of them, and therefore spreads his record be-
fore us for our examination. In his office as
Adjutant and Inspector General he is charged,
under the direction of the Governor, with the
general supervision of the enrolment of the
militia The Act authorizing the enrolment
of the militia was approved March 18th, 1869,
and by looking into the expenditures reported,
we find that about $4,000 have been expen-
ded for this purpose. Now, does anybody
know anything of the labor done? Has there
been any accurate enrolment of the militia of
this State? If 1T has been, I have never seen
the man yet that said he knew the fact Mr..
Adjutant and Inspector General Moses has
never made a report, that l am aware OF, and
we are left to conjecture the transactions OF
his Office 1t is very certain but few COM
panies of militia, or few regiments, at most,
have been organized throughout the State,
and, in most instances, these organizations
have been effected through private enterprise.
But, in his position as Speaker of the House
of Representatives, we know more of him.
As the presiding officer of that body during
the past four years, in addition to his duties
of presiding officer, it has been his duty to
countersgn the pay certificates of the members
and officers of that body, and the pay certi6-
Gates or orders for all other expenses Of the
House. The House Of Representatives con-
sists of one hundred and twenty-four members,
and they have heretofore been entitled to re-
ceive six dollars per day. The sessions have
continued usually about four months, and the
members, consequently, were entitled, for the
session, to between six and seven hundred
dollars each. The last session Of the Legis-
lature lasted one hundred and seven days, and
each member, consequently, was entitled to
$642, making the whole amount required for
the session, for all the members of the House,
S79,6OS. Now, there are connected with the
House considerable number of employees,
such as clerks, messengers, doorkeepers, por-
tiers, pages, &C., numbering probably fifty or
sixty. We will call them hundred, and
that their pay was equal to the pay Of men,
bers. This would give us s64,2O0. This ad'
ded to the pay of members would make the ex-
penses of the House S143,808, for which Mr..
Moses could countersign pay certificates.
Now, fellow.citizens, the number and amount
of pay certificates signed by Mr.. Moses, am
credibly informed, exceeds the sum of one mil
lion dollarsl These pay certificates are to be
found in every county of the State, and even
in the city Of Washington. Persons have
them who could neither read nor write, who
were seldom near the legislative halls during
the whole session, and who have done not one
single act of service for the House Of Repre-
sentatives over which Mr.. Moses presided. l
am credibly informed that two or three hum
dred thousand of them have been redeemed at
the Treasury by Mi. Parker. Now, fellow.
citizens, what have you to say Of such re-
cord as this? Can it be possible that such a
man, who has recklesly, lawlessly, and, as l
think, criminally certified pay certificates in
this manner, can have the audacity to pre-
sent himself as candidate for your sufrages
in the coming election? I understand that
Mr. Moses does not deny the fact Of this tre-
mendous issue of pay certificates, but blandly
says, II admit 1 have been extravagant in
this matter, but am a candidate for Office
against Scott, Parker and the rest Of them,
| who have the State Treasury at their back,
and it is the only way that I can meet them
fairly. They will use the funds Of the Treas
ury to secure their reelection, and I must use
my pay certificates" Will the people of this
State tolerate such rascality? Will such a
man receive single vote? [Cries of "No,
no, not one."] I also say no. The probabil-
ity is that the State will, at some future time,
be compelled to redeem these pay certificates,
and you and will be taxed to pay them.
Fellow-citizens, have given you, in as
brief q manner as could, a sketch Of the f.
nancial transactions of our State officers, and