The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-01-31

attract very general attention throughout |
the country. The ostensible purpose of |
the writer, whose name is withheld |
from the public, is to treat the |
the subject fairly, and give his readers re-
liable data upon which to arrive at just con-
illusions in regard to the material. social and
political condition of a state upon which
the curse and blight of radicalism have
fallen with unparalleled severity. While
this may be said of the article under review,
there is in il much to lead to the conclusion
that the writer, though signing himself "A
South Carolinian," is by no means in sym
patty with the white natives of the state, and
is willing with disguised sophisms to place
them at disadvantage when criticising
their efforts to save something from the
total wreck Of once noble commonwealth,
upon which. under more favorable condi-
tons, to rear anew institutions that distin-
guish civilization from barbarism.
The writer shows very conclUsively that
South Carolina has suffered vastly more
from northern carpet-baggers than any other
southern state. Upon this branch of the
subject the record is simply fearful, and not
withstanding volumes have been written
Slponthe subject, the half has never been told.
The first purpose of the northern incendiary
after placing his feet upon Caro-
lima soil was to ALLEVIATE the negro from his
former master and to transform him from
a decile laborer into a scourge, to arouse his
british passions, instil into his dark
ened mind hate and Prtludices, and
in, qc
tomake him tenfold more a slave
to the carpet-bsggers than he had ever been
to his southern master. This accomplished
and the way was clear. The carpet-bag-
ger voted the negroes as so many machines
The negro" says the writer, went to the
polls took ballot from carpet-bag friend,
and, without looking at il, with reason,
for he could not read dropped it in the
box. He did not know what voting meant.
He had 4 vague though all absorbing idea
that it would bring him great good and
avert great evil" The negro, with ballot
in his hand and his soul full
of hate, was prepared to aid
the carpet baggers to any extent required,
and the first work required of HIM was,
under the reconstruction programme, to
construct a state government. The car
pet-bag idea was to arrange matters
in such a way as to facilitate plum
der, and the ignorant negroes were
used for that purpose. A constitution was
first adopted and so fashioned as to -enable
the carpet-bagger to go forward with his in
fernal work. "a legislature was chosen, and
then began "says the writer, "thosefantastic
tricks which for six years made the govern
Ament of South Carolina the worst mOckery of
: the name ever seen on earth" With the
acts of the legislature commenced the wild
and mad rush for plumber which the people,
powerleSs to avert, were compelled to wit
ness in silence. To give an idea of the sii-
uation the following extract meets the re-
9uirement:.
Rings composed of carpet-baggers and ma
tive-speculators paid the legislature to enact
laws by which, the state released her mort
cages, still retaining her liability for the
S5lg0,000, and authorized the roads 10 pledge
of the state. whose notes the state was
bOEnd to redeem, fraudulent notes to
the amount of sT5O,0O0 were approved and
assumed. The state house was gorgeously
fitted out; there were clocks at $50, mirrors at
$50 and chandeliers at $3.50 apiece; elegant
toilet sets were placed in the rooms OF off,
eials; there were 200 fine porcelain spittoons
at eight dollars aniece; and costly carpets,
ting up committee rooms, were furnished
Eaembers for their apartments ~ boarding
h0uses. The real debt thus incurred was
s5O,O0Q, hut the contractor ky shar-
ing the SPOIL procured an appropriation of
$4,000. Contingent funds became a notorious
leak in the treasury: during the six years pre-
eeding 1915 they aggregated S76OOa- During
the same years the expenses incurred for the
public printing ran up 10 the astounding fig
ure of 81 lDif0O. During 1871, 1872 and 1G73 they
amounted to $4,000 or 81 900 a day.
% @ u h,, 1 sb n 0a sne a, aa0 y no
up "a 81 10000; and as the state was also liza
BILE for s6OO0,D0 Of railroad debts as above ex-
PFsd the Ss sne debt %e t nigb be8ds S
deliberately stolen: and the legislature in 1873,
alarmed BY the elamOr of 1T. the people and
est, repudiated about half the debt.
The rate of taxation wss almost in
the taxz.ole value of properts i'm the state WAS
$50 oce.ss9 and the taxes averaged $4,000 a
1851. The valuation of taxable property since
the war has been stS4 ,O0OO 600. ANA the annual
600. This Is sconnscGtion, pure and simple;
and besides this the assessments have been
outrageoas; Il Is doubtful Il the property
i'm market.
The picture given Is absolutely hideouS
There is nothing like L in the history of civ
ilized communities. IL was the deliberate
murder Of state; pirates thirsting for plum
der; tramps oR the highways of peace COM
hitting outrages upon those who could not
pesist; savages on the war path, disregarding
AL appeals for mercy; radiealism pune and
staple, protesting honesty while it plum
deEsd The people Of their means and pursaod
them to the verge of famine. Under this
new ssgaae the writer says:
The officials in Columbia grew fabulously
rich. Men, white and black, OF no property
went these, and, with no perceivabie or con-
ceivable means Of honest living beyond "A
moderate official salary. would soon build pal