The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-03-21
The Deplorable C. Condition of Public AT
fairs as Described by Tribune Cor
RESPONDENT,

WASHINGTON. February 22.-Thcs sscondl-
tion of South Carolina is deplorable. In the
days of secession it was the greatest offender
In the days Of reconstruction it is the great
est sufferer The government of the State
was formerly in the hands of an aristocracy.
They were body of men jealous. willful, dog
matte, but high-toned and honorable. The
roll of its representatives in Congress fol
near three-quarters of century, the names
of its civic and military heroes in the war Of
the revolution, shine with luster that is un'
dimmed by comparison with the men Of any
other State. -. '...'
True to the souvenirs Of their former his,
tory, it precipitated the shareholders rebel,
lion, and led its hosts to their doom. Itsonght
in its passion a bloody arbitrament on the
battle field, and bloody arbitrament it has
had With 10000 voters. it put 10, 900 sol
diers in the field The end came, and South
Carolina was black with desolation. The
smoke and the fire of civil warfare assembled
from every household, and the stain of blood
was on the garments Of every survivor. Its
young men had swiftly gone down to bloody
graves until the dead outnumbered the living
The means of support were entirely swept
away as by fire and whirlwind. Havoc and
spoil and ruin were its only gain. This is
where the rebellion left South Carolina
What has been its condition since? What
is its condition now? .-.
The population is something under 4OO,-
900 blacks and something over 100000
whites. The result of the war has made a
yet greater disproportion in the comparative
numbers of the voting population. There
are estimated to be 40, 900 white to 10000
black voters, the aggregate being over lOO,-
900. But in the Legislature, out Of ia
members, there are but thirteen representa-
tives of the white minority. The rest ofthe
assembly is black, with the exception that
here and there is a white representative Of
black constituency There are en- ugh of
these, along with few intelligent colored
people, to lead the great mass Of ignorance
and barbarism of which the main body is
composed.
Without going into details, it is enough
to say that the men who manage and lead
the Legislature and the State Government
are thieves and miscreants. The great body
of the Legislature are the ignorant and cor
rupt instruments with which the leaders do
their work, and though the individuals COM
posing this mass are bought and sold like Tx
cattle in the market, their venality in some
cases is relieved of much of its criminality
bv reason Of the denscnoss Of their ignorance.
Numbers Of the blacks who hold seats in the
Legislature regard themselves simply in the
light of employees of the Government. Their
pay is six dollars per day for the ses-
sion, and special pay for their separate votes
on every measure in which there is money.
These votes arc bought and sold without sv-
ell the prctcnce of hiding the tlagitious tran
saction. The negro himself is hardly con-
scious of criminality while making their bar
gains. He owns his mule. He sells it. He
owns his chicken. lie sells it. He cOnsid-
ers his vote just as much part of his per-
sona property as his mule is hisproperty or
his chicken. Why should he not sell it al.
so? He does sell it, and naively wonders
why any body should complain.
Of course, the scale of pay varies. it is
just according to each mans intelligence
and rapacity A few hundred dollars in
special gratuities is enough to satisfy the de-
nlands Of a plantation negro. Others get
more, and, more, and more. One Of the smart
sort was accused the other day on the floor
of the House, by colleague, with then hay
ing $4,000 Of State Bonds in his pocket,
corruptly obtained, and the charge was not
denied.
But the evidence of gross and universal
corruption is palpable in the way everybody
lives who has anything to do with the Gov
ernment There is happy, go-lucky air
among them ALL Ifa black gets into the
Legislature, that is enough, he works no
more. He has no occasion. He has money
enough. 1t is the same with the occupants
of the executive offices. All are sleek and
fat with their ill-gottcn gains. They are
like pirates who have captured richly Ia
den Ship. They riot in the plun@er, caring
not at all for, nor even thinking of the own
ers.
But the irrefragible evidence of gigantic
theft and corruption, stands like a monu-
ment, in the vast increase of the State debt,
an increase for viii h there is nothing to
show. The State may be searched in vain
to find where the money has gone. 1t is in
no public works. 1t is in no scheme for pub,
lie improvement. 1t has simply been stolen.
It has gone into the pockets of the highway
robbers who compose the Legislative and ex:
ecutive government of the State. Behold
the stupcndous sums! In 1865, the bonded
debt, according to the reportof the Congress
Committee, who have lately returned from
their investigations, was in round numbers,
s5.O5S,0O0. In 1868 it was S6,454O 600 -
On the Goth of December 1871 it had risen
to the enormous aggregate of sl5,76S,ooo
It was not even certain that this sum cover,
ed the whole liabilities of the State. So much
fraud and completely in corrupt practices by
State officials had been developed: so mucf
chicanery had been unearthcd,ss SO much vii
full Gonccalment and apparent Ignorance OF
the amount of the robberies and issues o
State bonds was manifested, that there was
| -. oos.o;nt,, tb,t avon tho frirhtful aporc