The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-03-07
HOW CARPET BAGGERS RORBET
NOITN CAROLiNL


good old days, frankod thcir boots homo
to be mended, were mere tyros in the
fine art of tilShing, Sowere those who
supplied themselves with paper and pen
knives and patent inksu,nds for the rest
of their lives. 1t took q South Carolina
ASsemblyman under tho carpet-bag
regime 10 grab and gobhle with an al>
most ideal grcedinoSs, The Legislature
Of that State has reccivod:a report which
will astonish everybody who reads IT, 1t
is made by a Committee on Frauds APP
pointed 10 investigate the m,sdceds Of
former General Assemblies The prodI>
gality with which these SolouS, sable or
white, spent the State money, the things
for which they spen, il, justify the mild
remark Of the committee that there WAS
"a carnival Of fraud and extravaganza, %
We should say there was And a
Saturnalia. And an epidemic. "Sup>
plies" and 'SundricS' and Incidental
| Expenses are proved by vouchers IN
L
the Treasurvr's office 20 have amounted
in single session TO the sum Of SS50,0OO
and Of this, Sls5,o0o Was paid out for re-
freshmentS, including the choicest wines
and liquors, and the most exquisite and
expensive cigars! Two or three drink
ing places were fitted up in the State
House, wherc members could conYe-
nienily fortify their inhrmities, and
charge the bill 10 the State itself From
these places they carried of cigars by
the hatfun, with 4 bottle Of champagne
in each pocket. Moreover they ordered
refreshments Of all sorts 10 their
boarding>houses. The Sergcant-at-Arms
also used 20 take orders and till them
from several neighboring groceries.
There was one James A Bowley, des>
eribed as - leading oolored member
who seems certainly to have led in the
business ofimbibing, for 10 him in one
day were sent, "one box Of champagne,
one box Of port wine, one box Of brandy
one box Of sherry wine and three boxes
of cigars" There was q dealer named
solomon, who was remarkably wise in
his generation. As q specimen Of his way
Of doing business, il may be stated that
on the 4th Of March, 1872, he furnished
the Senate with wines and liquors 10
the amonnt of Sl.6Sl, and only three
days after with the same sort Of mer
| chandiSe 10 the amount OF 81 So. Three
| thousand four hundred and elghty-three
dollars spent in moistening the Senate
| rial clay in only three days. And this
was at n time when the State was oblig-
ed 10 pardon the vilest criminals 10
| keep them from starving in Jail; when
all the lunatics were bowling hungry in
the asylum; when the free schools were
closed and the teachers unpaid Ac-
cording to bills rendered and pay csrti-
hcates issued, it appears thai every
member Of the House must have con-
sumed one gallon per diem OF wines or
liquors, and smoked at least one dozen
of cigars in the same time No wonder
the committee grows sarcastic over this
spectacle of the average statesman
eonsoling himself for the loss Of his
accustomed luxury, the succulent water
melon" by devouring at the eexpenses Of
| the State "the mosi luscious fruits Of
tropical climes"
But the sWindle was not merely an
eating and drinking swindle. Sou;h
Carolina spent in four years for,furni-
ture over $4,000. All the furniture in
the State House AZ present is appraised
at $1,000. The upholsterer reports that
he furnished at least forty bedrooms
wherein honorable members might re-
pose after the tolls of legislation. Some
Of the rooms he fitted up three times
Buggies, carriages and horses were pro-
vided. Moreover, musical instruments,
drygoods, books, Webster's Unabridged
Dictionaries, gold pens, watches, twenty
FIVE dollar inkstands, diamond breast
pins, hair brushes, towels, and looking
glasses, overcoats, shirts, stockings,
cologne water, stereoscopes, china vases,
decorated spittoons, cut-glass gob!ets
with monograms, hooks and eyes,
japanned tea trays, billiard table cloths,
linen cambric handkerchiefs, parasols
and sun umbrellas, French extracts,
demijohns, coffee mills, portemonaies-
all these we're among the Supplies" to
the lawmakers Of South Carolina for
which that State was obliged to pay.
These were the "Sundries'-these the
Incidental Expenses
The history ofthese shameful frauds,
as given by Mr. Woodruff, who was
clerk Of the Senate at the time of their
preparation, is briefly, that under the
head Of Supplies" was embraced every
thing which Senator chose to order.
At first, members gave orders on the
clerks to deduct the amount from their
pay. Soon the orders largely exceeded
that pay; the accounts were then includ~
ed in the report of the Committee on
Contingent Accounts, and pay certifca-
tes werO issued for every description Of
merchandise. II was good time, while
it lasted, both for shopkeepers and for
members; but the indulgence was, for
financial reasons, a self limited one.
The treasury collapsed under the pres
sure of too many pay certificates. Some
Of the honorable gentlemen went TO Jail
and others returned to "the succulent
watermelon" The festivities were over
and not n moment too soon. They left
nothing behind them but a bad smell,
and curious history which is not likely
TO be repeated.
There seems TO be an unpleasantness
among the Penn'a RR. directors, and
three ofthem have resigned, viz Messrs.
Derbyshire, spartridge and Parker. We
don't suppose their plighted faith in not
finishing the road through Pennsvalley
is troubling their consciences, but We
wish there were no rest for them until
they came up to what they promised