Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1877-09-20

HeIc PieFallcu upon Oy ChamOcrlaln qua
l<imFton to codntenanco this issue Of bonds.
When, therefore, these conversion bonds
were put directly on the market they were
sold quite readily, for brokers had 20 means
Of knowing how many we're issued, or could
be issued 10 ono yenr. So they secured
these bonds as collaterul security, and pur
chased them in preference to the others.
Perhaps this was not exactly fair, but We
went on the principle that outsiders were
bound to look out for themselves. The
object Of the financial board 10 this was to
secure money at tho least cost to tho State
and there was no intention to dcfraud tho
State thereby.
DEBT INCREASED TO sl0,00O,00o IN FOUR
During The four years in which VIC we're
in office tho bnudcd debt was increased
about Sl0.0 100000. All outstanding claims
were provided for and wiped out, 80 that at
tho end of the four years tho only outstand
ing debt was for tho current expenses Of
the State during 1872 This board has been
censdrcd for causing these acts to be passed
Who drew up aud presented the acts?
Chamberlain drew up every one Of them,
aud Kinpton presented them. The propo-
sition for tho issue of conversion bonds
directly was made BY Chamberlain. |
looked upon this issue as necessity. [
look upon it now as l did then. My frat
opposition to the issue Of bonds in the Con.
stitutionaI Convention was due to the belief
thnt the State expenses could bo provided
for without this issue, by taxation. When
l found, however, that the State expenses
were extravagant, and demands were mnde
upon the treasury by law for money I ac-
guessed in tho measures proposed by
Chamberlain and Kimpton.
FRANKS OF EX GOVERNOR MOSES
There was terrible increase of cxpen.
diture at each succeeding session of tho
!, legislature. Frank Moses was ia the chair,
ana am told by trustworthy persons that
ho has acknowledged to having signed away
S50O,O00 dishonesty, though l am sure
that it was much larger sum, 1 believe
that three or four millions Of dollars were
spent in excess of the necessary expenses
for the meetings of the Legislatures during
these four years. Both Senate and House
were responsible for this. The fret Presi
dent of the Senate was pretty good man,
B"ozcr. They soon got him out, however.
lie was elected judge and went out
during the first session Ransier, colored
man, took lis place lie wns equal to the
occasion. Go, bin was President pro tenn
of the Senate when Boozer, the Lieutenant
Governor, was absent. paid Corbin a
good dcul Of money. Still he held large
number of Offices and received large salaries
and regular perquisitcs thercfrom. ! know
nothing, therefore, to inoulpate him.
| had no doubt that number of
charges brought against the treasury woro
improperly passed by tho Legislature. In
particular there we're number of five
thousand dollar claims presented which I
thought were outrageous, certificates issued
by those who purchased Senators aud Rep
rcsentativcs. The certificates were properly
authorized, however, and I had to pay them
Suppose [ had refused to honor them, what
would huve been the RESULT Why should
have boen kicked out for not doing my duty
as treasurer. There was too much influence
brought to bear against mo. If I had
stood out alone it would not have made
any difference. Why, I have been to Frank
| Moecs, lnp ...l
IdUu WITH TEARS IN MY EYES,
! and said to him: "You will have no money
OF all tho treasury you go on in this way.
Il Frank Moses would only look up and laugh
"Talk about these Republican Reformers,' u
he would only say, "you never heard me
| say anything about REFORM No, said 1, !
| never did. RS E~i f,.rr r, ,"H
l. Iwent' out Of Office on October 81, 1872
l!Scott went out at the same time, and Moses
came in as Governor. Samuel Melton sue
ceeded Chamberlain rs Attorney Geuoral
but when Chamberlain went OUT of office
he became Mclton's law partner, and so go,
| right behind the throne again. One of the
first acts Of the Legislature after Frank
Moses became Governor was an act direct.
ing tho Attorney General of. the State ia
prosecute the late sinking fnnd commission
ers of the State for corruption These
commissioners wore Scott, Neagle, Cham.
ber'ain, tho chairman of tho finance con-.
mittcc of the Senate and the chairman oil
tho ways and means committee of tho House
Did Melton do it now? What did lie do?
NWaited until April, 1874, aud then COM
menccd prosecution against mo. Tho
complaint was made by Daniel II. Cham
berIain, then Governor and OK. offioio
president Of the sinking fund commission
The Attorney General brought a suit for
the recovery Of $4,000 alleged to- have
been fraudulontly misappliod. I was or .
rcetcd and held to bail. A night or two
before my arrest Chamberlain had been
talking to me as pleasantly as ever in tho
theatre, where Anna Dickinson was lcctur
ing, Wo had loving parting, but ho
snoaked off and caused mo to be arrested
on the next day, or within a few days at
any rate. When L succeeded, however, in
pressing the thing to suit it was mol pressed