Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-07-09
5},istellautou5 Grading.
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u. Il. CUAMBERIAIN "INTERY!EWEH." "

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y. II. CulMEEHLAIN "INTERy!EWEB."
In long interview on the political Sltua
liuu. had with cX-A Attorncv.t trncral thambrr'
lain, he stated that while he believed many
ni the complaints of miSgovcrnmrnt an'l cor.
ruption which had been rmtHc in relation tu
the R,i,uhiicans Of South Carolina, III the
same time he could not hnll that party entire
lv responsible, and h. knew that many "f th'
charges m;,!,. H.;rius! it wcrc false. " hen
the Republican party of South Carolina wa,
organized, ninclc'n r,:! # twenty OF lis voters
were black men tli' rr>l ut the party consists
cI Of Whit. '..l ';;..;: ': Y ".h. "nnl :. very
lrw native whilc> "ho joined with them from
conviction ar motives of SrIiintrrr>t. The
negroes Of course were extremely ign"ranI
and while they were intensely loyal to the
Union, and intended to do we'll. yet they
were necessarily controlled by the whites and
few negroes who had been educated. on
The other hand was Il solid array Of native
white Democrats, who represented the c'luc;'
ton and political experience Of the state hut
who not only placed every opposition in the
way of the advancement Of the blacks. hn'
stood entirely alooiIr from public affairs. They
looked upon the Reconstruction Convention
and the entire process OF reconstruction a>
<nncthing tl.at WIS certain to pass away, not
recognizing the l;tct that the State WIS pas
ing through Il crisis. Indeed, they could not
conceive that the political power "i their oI'i
Commonwealth WAS passing int" the hands "l
those who had formerly been their sIav"S. IT,
at that time, th" Southern element OF the
State had been more wise and less 'augh'y-
if the native leaders had thrown away their
pride, and come forward to aid in l!c recon-
>lrur,3n Of the State, they might have 50
cnnriiatrd the blacks that they could have
retained practical control Vi the State govern
lmcnl.
The rolorrd race wa< at that time open to
advice and political friendship from their for,
mrr masters, and few Of the whites ha'l
Sclr<c enough to sec the opportunity The
.rrHl ma<S o.! the natives, however, Resolved
to have nothing to do with the nrgr" govern
mrnl, excerpt to stand by and see It perish
u: IT,, OWN Weakness. | ndcr such clrr''nI-
stances, the m"w constitution wis adopted,
and the first Republican administration went
INTO power The l"yica! result soon followed.
The Legislature hrcamr the tool OF men VIII"
had schemes by m.aES of which they could
appeal to the uvaricr or the ambition o! the
majority, and bribery and corruption were
soon the order OF the day. At this time, too,
BEGAN what had resulted in one of the great
evils, the great disgrace OF the R'pnhllr"n
party in the State. He referred to the iS.n"
Of State hond< Without going into details,
the startling fact remained the same. In the
short space of three Years the bonded debt OF
South Caroli:ia was increased some ten mil.
lion dullr<. This wa> under the a'iministra-
ton of Governor Scott. Mr. Chamberlain
wru!,i at Gn,i, .',%c .u.,.,y i.t:p 49, :c*i"m-
,il, in tI,i- di,;,>,r"n :ncrr:,:r He did not
think it was the fault of any one man, "r any
>ci Of men. The entire party in power was
to blame for allowing the expenditures 80
largely to exceed the rrrci PTS Of the govern
lncnt nS 10 furnish II mnti:r for the exercise
of doubtful power: in the Issuing Of bonds.
The Legislature was to blame aIS" for the
ease with which lis sanction could be obtain.
rh to measures which gave apparent authority
ior the increase of the debt. The rank and
t file Of the party were :" inexperienced that
they did not properly understand or estimate
the evils which were certain to follow the bad
: government and corruption which were per
mittrr! to prevail. lin 1871, the last year Of
Scots administration, these evils hrcamc APP
parent, even to he most ignorant. 1t became
known that the aggregate bonded debt of the
State wa> now upward oi SlG,GO0,OOO, anl
the credit of South Carolina w:ls ruined. This
wa> followed by Il suspension OF the payment
of interest on the State debt, and an lndl>p"-
<ilion on the part of the Legislature I" d"
anything to relieve the troubles which had
been mainly brought about hv il and its pre-
drcr>SOrS. rs Il consequence OF these difficult
tics. $4,000 900 Of the State debt WAS rrpndl.
atrd, and ioSc who purchased the bonds in
-oCd faith were left wholly without Remedy,
for if the State attempted to pay the interest,
the people would be entirely unable t" bear
the additional tax which would have to h"
levied. Tt. last Legislature rcpuaialrd the
>ocal!cd conversion bonds and passed Il bill
to consolidate the remainder Of the debt by
the i,silc Of new bonds, one for two. Whcth.
cr This mode Of funding would be successful
could not be stated, H. but few Of the hond-
holders had conc lor.ard to make the cX-
, change.
Toward ihc close %! Governor Scots adj
mni>raion the i>>iir If what is known rs the
Blue Ridge scrip. aIid Sl,SO0,OOO more to
the ,lchl Of the State, and the issue, or over
i>Sl", Of Legislative pay certificates, increased
it Il half million mere. The courts of the
State aitrrwar! leri,d that tie ISSUE Of the
Blue Ridge scrip WIS unconstitutional, but
the question OF lis legality WAS still Il matter
of Tn, rr;l$$i!ltlIt TO he finances U the State