Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1877-09-20
''H9S From the Ne,o York World
Miles q. ParIker's story Of tho
\ %,.ud South Carolina Ring.

j. Nilos G.. Parker, at his house in Jersey
City, and obtained from him very full
statement, which was taken down phono-
graphically. Tho statement was made
without any previous preparation. and this
&may account in great measure for some
iooscncss noticeable in tho arrangement,
Wand also for any slight inaccuracies of dates
Ie1kGgpresf Yesterday afternoon Mr.. Parker
;: W&g engaged in conducting a large temper
5Dso meeting in Jersey City,|aud on re-
%tGrning homo made the following statement:
pARKER's RECORD AND ELECTION.
Isettled in Charleston in February, 1866,
engaging in planting and tho mercantile
d supply business. In 1867 Gen. Candy ap.
pointed ME an alderman in the city Of
Charleston. Gailard was Mayor at the
time and there was place in tho Council
made vacant by DEATH a few months
,WaW was appointed chairman Of the com
#mj8tco Of legislation under the Reconstruc-
. tn acts. After the discharge of that
q duty, IFidcyoted myself again to private
4 Rfsiness. l was soon, However, elected aj
member of the q C6Dstitution Gonvcntion|
from Barnwell County, though / made nd
effort to secure my nomination or election
In that convention was chairman Of theI
committee OH finance, and succeeded ia
raising tho amount necessary for the ex-
penses Of the convention. In the discharge
of my duties had the co-opcration and
good will of Governor Orr. AS a member
Of tho convention I opposed the passage Of
the law authorizing the State to issue bonds
I took the ground that the State indebted
ness and tho current expenses could be
provided for by taxation, and that any
further issue of bonds was unnecessary. As
in previous years the State expenses had
not exceeded 100000. did not believe
that more than $GO0,000 would be needed
I to cover them. Tho surplus omount paid
into the treasury as collected taxes would be
enough to meet the payment Of interest on
the State dbts, consolidated aud floating,
and settle in the course of few years all
outstanding, claims not represented alrendy
in State bonds. The act was incorporated
in the constitution, however, in spite Of my
opposition.
At the first election under the new Con-
stitutionI was put in nomination for State
Treasurer and was elected. This nompa-
ton grew wholly ont of the success which
I had achieved in raising the expenses Of
the oonvepton. / wentinto Office in July,
1868. Scott was Governor Chamberlain
was Attorney General ,SCardozo was Sccrc
tary of State, Frank Moses was Adintant
General and Neagle WAS Comptroller Gene
ral3 The constitution Of the Legislature
Vas entirely Republican, / think without
an exception. The Democrats refused to
take part 10 the election. Naturally both
Senate and House we're composed very
largely Of colored members. Frank Moses
was the Speaker Of the House, aud un-
doubtcdly tho most influential hncmber Of
it during his four years term Of Office.
ONLY FORTY TWO DOLLARS IN TIE STATE
TREASURY.
Wien I tookSchargo of the Stote treasury
there was only forty.two dollsrs in it, By
the Comptroller Generals report for 1867
the ,bopdedy nndf stook debt was nearly
$4,000, 900, and tlTere was considerable in
terest outstanding as well as other eunad-
jestcd !aebts amounting approximately to
S3,000.O00. The tax ofSthe first year was
81 mills upon the assessed valuation Of the
property in the State. This tax was cx.
pected to yield 81 100000 or 81 800, 900.
The fiscal year Of the State was closed on
Ootober'3lst, 1868. Wo went into Office
in July, and "a speoinl session of the
Legislature was called immediately. Instead
Of imposing a. tax to cover the. expense of
the current year as we'll as the year ended
October 81, 1869, we only imposed one
tax,as, we had then M honest iDtention to
roliove the people of the, State of oil Lbht
necessary burdens. :, S., we made tax Tor
ono year only, intending to, provide for out
standing claims by the issue Of bonds OF
this tax imposed we collected three fourths,
and the, balance was left outstanding, No
extraordinary measures we're resortcd to
enforce it's collection,ya yand ! think that
judgmopt was never obtained hghinst the
delinqucnts 10 the courts
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BILLS.
Under the Provisional Government law
had been passed AUTHORIZING the funding of
all outstapdipg debts, interest and principal,
up to July l, 1867 The Legislature, in
July, 1868, passed bill pay all interest
duo from duly !, 1867, 40 gold. This bill
was engineered by the State financial agent,
IL. II. Kinpton. Hs was a friend and
olassmato Of Chamberlain, and IS intro
duced by him TO mo as The pro, 4 man to
be financial agent Of tho State. K lie was
appointed by the financial board-Scott,
Chamberlain and myself, The bill was re-
garded BY us as Kimpton's mo.sure, and he
represented that it would raiso tho value OF
tho bonds materially and enhance the credit
of the State. In this view he was ap--
pointed by Chamberlain. Hero may say
that / never knew financial act to pass tho
Legislature wEich was not proposed as a
bill by KiWpton and sanctioned by Cham.
berlain. His bills Wero always passed as
presented. In regard to this particular bill.