Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-06-10

A TALK WITH GUF. CHAMbEnLA1N'
COLUMBIA, S. c., May pa came down
from Charlotte in company with D. H. Cham
berlain, the present Governor of South Caro-
lima, and the best one of the sorry lot that
have ruled her destinies since the war. Mr..
Chamberlain seems to be doing his whole duty,
and that he has incurred the displeasure oft
thieves in the Legislature is a high testimo-
nial to his honesty and worth. The last Leg
islature was the first one in seven years that
did not steal right and left, and walk off
with the plunder in broad daylight, in which
respect only they differed from other burglars.
Under Moses and Scott the thieves used to
buy -four, meal, meat, dry goods and whisky,
and have the bills paid out of the State treas
ury, and charged to the contingent fund! In
one year they stole more than is required to
pay the expenses of the Ohio Legislature for
three years. And Ohio is rich State. The
entire taxable wealth of South Carolina is
only about S165,OOO,000. 1t has been steadi-
ly decreasing since the war, and had the
thieves not been compelled to let up from other
causes they soon would for want of anything
to steal. The poor old goose has been plucked
to near the last feather.
The Governor incurred the wrath Of the
thieves in the last Legislature by resolutey
vetong every measure that had money in it.
In this he was sustained by the Conservative
members to a man, and by few Republicans,
so that nothing could be passed over his head.
He is master Of the situation, and has been
honored by the indignation of the rascals, and
the applause of the oppressed taxpayers.
But his course has led to split in the Re-
publican party here, which may ultimately
bring about Conservative ascendency.
"Governor," said I, "you were elected as a
straight Republican, were you not ?"
"Certainly, and | have never been anything
else. I was elected against Liberal Repub-
licau, for whom the Democrats voted"
"Then why should there be so much oppo-
sition to you of late from your own party?"
Because I have attempted to carry out
the pledges of reform that were embraced in
the platform, and that made on the stump"
"rhat has aroused indignation, has it ?"
"Yes, sir, indeed. You see the party has
ever been going into campaigns promising re.
trenchment and reform, and never perform
ing it, To attempt to carry cut these pledges,
as have been trying to do, was something
new, and has aroused an opposition that l
thought did not exist, even i'll South Carolina"
care you aware, Governor, how deeply you
have in jured yourself with your party by car
rying out epledges made in the campaign ?"
81 am. 1t was not expected that l would
attempt to inaugurate reform or put a stop
to the stealing of the Legislature. 1t was
supposed that all the promises of retrench-
ment and reform were put in to catch votes,
and not with any idea of carrying them out.
But determined to stand square up to the
platform and put in a clean record during my
term of two years, letting the consequences to
me personally be what they might"
THE DISAPPOINTED LEGISLATURE.
"The plunderers in the last Legislature"
continued the Governor, "were greatly disap-
pointed. For the first time in their official
lives they had to 60 home without having
made anything but their salaries and little
minor picking"
"Were there no measures with money IN
them?"
"Oh! yes but vetoed them. l was de-
termined they should not have an opportuni-
ty to make dollar if I could help it. A
very large number of the members of the
South Carolina Legislature came to the Cap
ital for the purpose of selling their votes and
making all they could out of the Office, and
that they should be thwarted Of course occa'
sions indignation, but l am sustained by the
honest men of both parties, and that is my
reward"
"Do you intend to fight it out on that line,
Governor?"
II do, be the consequences what they may
to me personally; and I am determined, the
two years that am in Office, to do all L can
to better the condition of the State and tighten
the burdens of the taxpayers. know it IS
unpleasant to be at variance with portion
of ones own party but when subscribed to
the pledges in our platform, did so deter
mined to carry them out as far as possible, and
not merely to catch votes"
WHOLESALE STEALING.
"You propose to cut down expenses all
around, believe ?"
Eyes, every cent that can be saved to the
State propose shall be saved. Reform, if it
was not of itself right, has become absolutely
necessary, or the State will sink. Matters
can not run for six years to come as they have
for the past six years. Why, just look at it,"
continued the Governor, with some warmth ;
"here is small State, two-thirds Of the prop
erty of which was swept away during the war,
leaving an actual taxable basis less than many
single counties in the North, yet from the
contingent funds alone in the past six years
there has been taken the astonishing sum of
1915, ,S32.74. One-ffth of that sum would
have been ample-the rest might be put down
to stealage.
"Then the legislative expenses proper have
been beyond all reason. The last six sessions,
up to the time was inaugurated, cost the
State, under the head of Legislative expenses,
the enormous sum of S2,147 ,430.97. These
figures, may say, are unparalleled in the
history of American legislation. 1t is steal
ing, pure and simple The session of 1912
alone cost S617, ,23410, besides there is out.
standing of bills payable issued on account
of legislative expenses, sl92,27515 more. l
would like to compare the expenses of the
Ohio Legislature with this; yet Ohio is worth
ten dollars where South Carolina is worth
one, and her Legislature is correspondingly
able to indulge in the luxury of contingent
funds and an army of attaches
"The average expense for attaches and
contingencies of the South Carolina Legisla-
ture per session has been $25S, ,424.65! And
these enormous and dsgraceful figures repre-
sent only the actual payments made. There
is still afoat vast amount of unpaid claims
of the sort, not less, at least than $50O,OOO."
THE GREATEST STEAL OF ALL.
"Then there was the Printing Fund. The
cost Of printing and advertising for six years
wass1, ,lO4, ,5699l. Think of that Largely
over million of dollars expended for print
ing and Advertising And what has the State