The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-08-24
THE PHOSPHATE FRAUDS.
A FAT CHARLESTON MONOPOLY Oh
TIIkED BY BRIBERY
How the Boses OF the Animals which D,dn't
Get Isto tho Arb Are = burden 10 tho
Taxpayers OF south Carolina Ccrbin's spe-
ciai PrtvIlese-Price Of Votes for senator.

Get Isto the Arb Are = burden to tho
Taxpayers OF south Carolina Corbins spe-
cisi Priviiese-Prico OF Votes for senator
CHARLESTON. Aug. 2O.-The unfortunate
Democrats who have been implicated before
tho Legislative Investigating Committee arc
very much exercised concerning the sources
of THE SUNS information. which Is in an
ticpation of the local papers, IA they
Innocently allcgc. In the confusion they have
stirred up the committee to hunt around their
star chamber for leaks which never existed. and
one Of the latter unconscously put his foot into
my telephone temporarily disorganizng II. 80
that until IL If repaired these implicated Demo-
Gratis will enjoy respite. In the mean time l
will amuse them with The Story OF the
Phosphatcs."
Charleston lie located in the centre of geo.
logical basin " twenty miles diameter which
contains the bones Of enough animals to stock
The present world How they came here is not
known even to scientists. A facctious lawyer
gave as good an account Of their origin rs can
b. given. when he said. Noah's ark was built
in Charleston and all the animals Of the world
having come hither TO embark and being dis
appointed in obtaining a passage. were drowned
on the spot by the rising flood"
These bones are found in the post plciocenc
beds Of the tertiary formation some six or ten
feet below the surface of the land, and along the
beds of tho rivers. They are easily dug with
ordinary tools upon th" land. and from the
rivers by dredgc boats built for the purpose. or
by the common oyster tongs. With the latter
good hand can easily dig "A ton "A day 500 to
LOCO tons per acre may be dug ON iand
These Ihusphat"s were known many years
ago. but their practical value ior lertilzing pur-
poses was not asc"riainrd until since the late
tests tests 10y Prof +. ). Holmes and DR.. \. 4. Pratt.
md about GO per cent u phosphate of lime wis
obtained from them. These gentlemen inimr-
of al Ia -
phosphate. This brought them INTO notlrc
and soon hundreds Of thousands OF dQlinrs
were invested in tn" business Al the lower
edge of the phosphate basin stands Stone Inlet
and from that port alon" 3uo.ouo tons ar" sup
posed To- have been shipped last year II Il mt
u the continent Of EuIorr and to III, United
Kingdom. to northern ports, and To sundry
fertili2ing factories near Charleston.
The change Of labor from slave - free and
the old field condition Of most Of tn" ar 'le
land in the State. made this discovery godsrnd
Just what was needed when 1t was needed.
and whore II was needed
The diggings At first were all on land. But
soon 1t was ascertanrd TINT the ks IN tn"
river were easily liit'd, and water tran-poria-
ton cheaper than that hv land. Consequently
the land companies ioundilein- Ives undrr-old
by the marine companies. soon these latter be-
came fearful of tn" continuance Of thcirndvan-
10 the state Ingi stature for the exclusive right
10 digthose phnsphat In the It'd" wlder rcgi ms
df thu STATE Thcy engaged to pny the State one
dollar as royalty for each ton of rock which wis
dug. There WAS ~ good reason why th,s"
poration m" process II digging was very
simple. and any freedman who could pro surc
a cnnoc Nat or thrcc-ton -oon was Engaged at
in the -haur oi moncy-sonunu wa~ pnid tho
negro sntlrc py l;rl'" carltnl ST. of Charles
ton Tor the right To- drive tines" small di,.s,r-
away. cor 20 make them pay tribute ip them. ia
vain tn negroes - In" s"n Islands c4iflcd ~"
was too powerful for ia" Legislature. The lat.
rr}icld'd ani Ia" capihll~- thus purchase"
hy bribery 20 special privilege wni'n rendered
tic nurdoa- Imposed by the carret-baslers
more uh'r"us.
continue MS N".ution sln'e IN" charters 81
these marine companies. has now To- uur 'hn-r
ll,'h1r rom l.ir mar ,'uinthhl.s T.! lls tne
rock; They ayr" T. pay the company tn 81 ar
royalty. tu deduct 10 per cont. Tor tear amt
to eel the whole produ 'ti 70 I'll" company.
Til" con rHny occupy lHrs" wharf favorable
for promie nous loading ana union ling, and
upon n iif. ,Nc phu- phutr rock until "a cargo -
the vessel THIS sells FOR 81 or - per ton To
Tor gu par ha-'r- ia hulk. without any tour. ,
a strict 's.Iona-e Is kept upon III" licensed
diggcrs. who would like often o. sell TO some
one oiher than the company. They get all that
Il dug. T.r company pay 80 por ton. after d.
Quoting the 81 royalty THIS is about an equal
division oi what the company gets for the ror X.
Three dollars - t. the lahorrr and boat owner.
50 Ia tn company. who provide wharf to land
Iesislnilt.' and 81 sad To- il. ior i6r Stat" ont
Of the 3tuuu tons shipped lilst year at StOno.
only sJn,u~l royalty was paid.
\ royalty oi any kind is oppressive and con-
sidcrrd a remnant II tn" i"udal ages. In the
Unii,d Kingdom u j. confined 10 fisheries not
nNiLah." hut IN" moment il becomes navisa-
Iilf 1T il nee IL re- II nus Ifilln. tp 90 win
the globe or foo. and II held ny these capitalists
"a l"rw iuiiy - personal right over mil
Wnorr the state gets 81 for the right Of emil
n"ni domain IN her. th"," royasts get 81 for
hgyins hnhel he Ig-slnture.
Nor il tnis all THIS - rock Is manufactured
by thr-" companies into fertilizers at $50 $40.
aud fju per 'on, and the rural districts are FUR
ni-hed hy thr specially privileged monopoly
with their protucts al a large advance Oh the
original cost rri"". Thrre is not a farmer who
uses these valuable manureS who does not nay
for these sIccial privileges twlc" Us much. II
not moro. fhan the poor phos phnt" digger.
special privilege must add to the burdens i'm
posed 10y m" carITt- haggors - tax egun 20 that
raised hy tue state from all sources. IL II any
wonder tiN IN" up-rouniry pcull" complain u
these capitalists. and demand that they shall
disgorg th.ir fran,h isef
Tho plrcha~" ~ the franchise H. no secret in
Charleston. Bpth of the ncwSpa rs here. are.
c,utrl'd IN The interest of tho companies and
th"y nnt" =" iemorIiz,d public opinion III 10
openly defend Tia" bribery 10y which the fran
chi.n wu- atuirod They say it il notorious
INIT iN" J. "I-luiurr WAS for sale, like a mule
mat Il WAS necessary lO hrihe To- get anything
:, it 'Nt' II N.- no money, no mule; and, III
Tact, thr~' gentlemen were compelled to buy
that mu,.-rompnlrd To- have special privil-
.s.s-r mi..'i 10 have royalty from the
balanD. ol the STATE equal 10 that whch the
chrpM-mrgcfS cont"mpornnrously stoel
Las M"'N 'Wp ot IN" licensed dilgrrs on
deHvored 20 II til' rock they had dug to pnr-
ti"~ o1ci than IA" company winch licensed
4. m. Ii.'y were arr .-t.d brought before a
TrHiI i-irr. and made 70 pay for the violation
of th .rr.l tract.
Corpin. Nho was large owner Of this special
lriNiire. along with these Democrats. always
manl-, io have friend appgintcd as ln,pec-
uAyn.u az ihn royalty. When he ran for
United - i"s Senator last winter before tho
Ma 'krV llnuse he paid ihose who voted for
hiiu siu tplc'". AMI took the state Troasurcr's
Ia'ril' NYr ihn aggregate us 50 much paid on
The ROYALTY then due.