The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1877-08-30
From tho New York Sun.
In the Reform Crucible.


arc sworn to secrecy. Moses was the
first real informer, and he made a
clean breast of it. He was asked to
account for the various sums which
he had received as Speak or and Gov
ernor. Moses modestly estimated
these at 100000, while the higher
valuation is 5000, ,0o0-though fgur~
eo were no question between Moses
and The committee. After, calling
over the larger sums which bore
heavy upon, his memory, he acknowl
edged that he "had spent it all -
There was $4,000 in one pile which
he, as Speaker, received from United
States Senator, John J. Patterson.
"What was that for9" 1t appears
chat in 1871 Moses began to tire of
the retail perquisites cf his position
through the committees which he
appointed. Besides, being candi-
date for Governor, h was frequently
cheated by his subordinates in MAX
ing fair returns of the bribery money
their committees made. Patterson
too, thought the machinery was loose
and could be mad to pay a hand
some advance, as we'll as aid him in
his candidacy for the senatorehip. He,
therefore, proposed to purchase the
whole privilege from Moses at one
single dash, get control of the com.
mlttees as systematic scheme, aud
turn miller himself for his own grist
and that of any Democrat or Repub-
llcan who had any meal to grind,
through the Legislature.
Another large amount which Mos.
es received stuck in Ae memory, be-
cause he had been cheated ont of a
portion of it. The Republican
Printing Company drew two checks
OF $4,000 each in his favor, and left
thom with Hardy Solomons bank
Solomon paid Moses $4,000 of the
proceeds. and kept $4,000. Moses
has been threatening to sue Solomon
for The latter ever since he found it
out, but the question, "What court
would entertain jusisdiction9" has de-
i~yed the complaint.
During his Speskership Moses
flooded the market with "pay certifi>
Gates" purporting to be for services
rendered by attaches of the House.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars of
these were afloat. Any influential
Republican could get one whether
he had ever. been in Columbia or not.
10 do Moses justice, some of these he
alleged to be torgeries, Jones, the
clerks signature, is genuine, but his
not. From these certificates he
derived large amount of money.
Ihe snccess Of the committee with
Moses induced them to follow up the
pay certificate" business, by calling
Moses's successor as Speaker, s. J.
Lee, az the next witness,
Leeis a light colored mulatto Tie
was formerly slave. My fret re-
nembrance Of him was in 1867 ae a
witness in the case of the United
States against Crump, Davis & Ar
MIN, for running an illicit distillerv
lie struck me as a man of great self
possession and shrewdness for his on.
portnnities. After reconstruction he
was made member of the L,episla-
ture from Aiken County, and evinced
such tact 90 parlamentarian that he
was generally called to preside in the
Speakers absence. This made him
Speaker when Moses was elected
Governor. He soon began to drive
the most spanking team through
Aiken and Augusta, Ga. This made
Gen. Elliott, who prided himself or
his equipage, jealous. Elliott was
only o member of Congress at the
time. At the next election Elliot
made Lee take back seat, and was
himself made member of che Lepis
NA