Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-09-20

-877.
which the State shall direct. All that l ask
for, is that the part which each one of the
Ring took in the transactions Of those six
years shall be exactly determined, and con-
demnation meted out in proportion to the ex.
tent of the offending. For Chamberlain and
Kimpton to deny that they were privy to what
was going on, is simply absurd. Some things
undoubtedly Chamberlain had no hand in d.
rectly, though they were done under his nose,
and he must have known about them. In
other transactions his name did not appear,
but there can be no question that he was con-
cerned in them in some way. In other cases
still, be reaped direct benefit from his coope'
ration. Like the case of the l'
MARINE AND RIVER PHOSPHATE MINING
" COMPANY
for instance. The shady transactions connec-
ted with the management Of this company,
and the bills lobbied through the Legislature
for it's benefit, are quite generally known.
The measures by which the interests of its
stockholders were subserved in the Legisla-
lures have been published in the Charleston
papers; but Chamberlain's connection with it
has not heretofore been stated. The stock OF
the company was owned largely BY members
of the Ring, and Chamberlain held one-ff-
teenth of it. It was $50O,000, I believe, in
all; so that Chamberlain share Of the stock
was $4,000. Tim Hurley, Chamberlains
right-hand man, and the treasurer of Charles
ton county, lobbied the bills, for its benefit,
through the Legislature. Then there was the
aREENv1LLE AND COLUMBIA RAILROAD.
The bills passed in connection with this
road were notoriously disreputable. Its cap
ital stock was held in twelve shares, think,
of $4,000 each. Scott, Neagle, Patterson,
Chamberlain, Cardozo, Kimpton, Hurley,
Crews and myself, were stockholders: p
A BIT OF DIRECT CORRUPTION.
I know also that Chamberlain received
$4,000 direct, for his connection with trans
action which do not care yet to make pub
lie. It was the same transaction alluded to
in the letter which Elliott read in the last
nominating convention. he rose in his seat,
brandishing this letter and threatening to
make it's contents public. An agreement was
thereupon patched up between him and
Chamberlain, and he made the best he could
of his previous threats against him. He read
the letter, emitting the names of the persons
concerned, one of whom was Chamberlain. |
have spoken of the $4,000 due bill in favor
of Kimpton, audited by the financial board.
Now, when Kimpton was appointed financial
agent, an agreement was made between him,
Chamberlain and myself, that sll commissions
accruiug to him should be divided equally
among the three. Scott was left out of this
arrangement, although he was on the inan.
cial board. Chamberlain and myself were
thus entitled by this agreement to $4,000 Of
the audited claim. As matter Of fact, we
never got dollar of this amount, for Kimp.
toms due bill has never been paid, and [
should be very much surprised if it ever
should he, in view of the coming develop
ments in the pending investigation. Both
Chamberlain and Kimpton will deny this ar.
rangement as matter of course, but it is q
fact nevertheless. You may remember the
letter from Chamberlain to me, published in
the News and Courier some time ago, which
reads. as nearly as I can now remember:
"Dear Pdrker-How did the commissions
foot I'D r. $gassrsat~| @ s@z
What did he care about these commissions
unless he had personal interest in their
amount? No! Chamberlain kept in the
background as far as he could and pulled the
wires, or employed Kimpton to act as his
proxy. It is too preposterous for him. now to
pretend blindness and innocence.
WHY PARKER SAYS He FELL.
In 1874 civil action was brought against
me before q mixed jury, Judge Carpenter
presiding, to recover $45O,O00, of which
amount it was alleged I had defrauded the
State by funding coupons wrongfully detached.
The sole witness of Importance to the prose.
cution was a former clerk of mine, named
Ladd, who swore that I had told him one day
at dinner, that I had funded that amount of
coupons for Scott, Neagle, Kimpton and my
self. He did not say that the proceeds were
delivered to Chamberlain as we'll as to the
others, but that Kimpton received the amount
which it was understood he was to account
for to Chamberlain. Well, the jury sat on the
trial about two weeks, and finally agreed to-
gether that something must be done. So they
brought in verdict against me for $4,000.
Assuming, for the sake of the argument, that
the verdict was legitimately rendered, why
we're not indictments drawn against the 9th.
ers who were impeached by the same testi.
mony? If Ladd was to be believed, all con-
cerned in this transaction we're equally guilty
and equally exposed to prosecution for their
share in it. His evidence, if it affected one,
affected all. ... ......-. ....... .
These statements will be denied, of course,
but have endeavored to state the plain facts
as accurately as I could. do not seek to
deny or extenuate the part which I took in
this Ring corruption. I frankly admit these
acts of mine in South Carolina, which / now
bitterly regret, and which would give much
to be able to blot out. I can only say that l
went to South Carolina an honest man, and
succumbed, like others, to the great tempta-
tions in my path. We were surrounded by
enemies, and we're obliged to maintain our
places by the exercise of all the power which
we could pet into our hands, With the pow.
er and opportunity presented to US, surround
ed as we were by an array of unusual tempta-
tions, such as few men had ever presented to
them before, it is not strange, perhaps, that
rings were formed and corruption reigned as
it did in New York city under the Tweed
ring So far, however, as my official action
as State treasurer is concerned, I deny that
there are any irregularities in my accounts.
There was no plundering of the State treasu-
ry, except that authorized by the Legislature:
paid such demands as were audited and
presented in accordance with law, but the
books were carefully kept and no irregular
payments made to any person.