The New York herald., 1878-03-05
Almost the Whole State Administration Bribed
TO Support Appropriation Bills.
NEWSPAPERS SUPPORTED.
Confessions OF Woodruff and
Jones in Evidence.
NAMES OF THE PLUNDERERS.
COLUMBIA, s. c., Feb. 20,

presented to the General Assembly t0mOrrOW Aue
HERALps correspondent has been again favored with
perusa Of its contents, and hastens to lay before
your readers "a comprehensive summary OF u narrative
tho details of which would 1li too much OF your space
and which, has been we'll said wouIi 'atigue the
disgusr OF the most indignant and persistent reader
The first instalmcnt or chapter, of tho report was
published in the HERALD on Saturday last, the 23d
inst, and as IL will bo remembered, related solely
much OF the subject appertained to the item
D! supplies, which had been furnished 10 members
pi the legislatures and officers Of the several
adm nisrations during tho years therein specified.
The reader might naturally conclude that all the fraud
and corruption possible to have boen accomp plisned
within that period was set forth under the inhnite
variety OF crooked transactions enumerated in that
letter. But that such not the fact Will appear from
tho following account. concerning which 1t Is only
necessary add that noi,her does all The GRIM
na lacls, IT, too s confined to statement Of what
was done IN only one particular aeldthat, to wit Of
The annual legally authorized public printing
PUBLIC PRINTING PLUMBER
Under this particular .'system oil iraud' the Treas
ury Of the State depleted more eIectuay than
by any other scheme, unless exception is TO be
made OF the issue of .'pay certificates" The corrup
ton every where prevalent, aud the division OF
spoils extended from the highest State officials 10 the
lowest member OF the General Assembly. And in adj
dition to the amounts expended Tor the benefits OF
those the funds Obtained were devoted to the
establishment and support Of various republican
journals, daily and weekly, but principally 10 aid
the ,hr@e most widely known, to wit:-The
Charleston Daily Republican,, the Columbia
Daily Union and the Columbia Un,on Herald
Alter the formation OF the "Carona Printing Com
pany" composed OF the editors OF the Columbia
Union anu the Charleston Republican, together with
tundsy State ocials the system OF issuing pay cer
ufcales "for public printing" for division between
th. members ring coextensive with the
General Assembly itself became almost universal
Tho pay certificates were issued annually, without
any consideration, to be paid out OF any money not
otherwis appropriated Aud not content With this
the claims, when paid by the Treasurer or permanent
aud current printing, w,rs, in several instances,
raised 10 three times the original amounts, and thus
paid and divided, and the payments thus raised were
added TO the original amounts In ordcr that the Ring
should not lose thereby.
rno amount appropriated and paid on account OF
public printing from year 1858 1915, inclusive
OF the publication o the general laws and claims Tor
printing, ST. 326. $50. sum largely IN excess OF
the cost Of puolc printing IRON the establishment OF
the State government up 10 1885, including oil pay
ments made during the war in Confederate currency
The amount appropriated and paid for pubic print
ing the OF 1o7273 $3.50 1870 or Sl71, 59
than work had cost the Suite ior
twenty-slx years previous, Communicating AZ Ao4o unu
ending 1856. and including s42, ,l4l SO paid during
the (n 1854 in deprecated Confederate currency
STARTLING COMPARISONS.
TO recapitulate: cost OF the public printing In
tml overished south Carolina tor THIS one year ex-
ceeded by $I22 932 13 the Of the like work tho
five popuous and wealthy States OF New York, Massa-
chusets, Pennsylvania, OHIO and Maryland, all COM
bincd, tor the same length Of timei
Let US take tho State OF OHIO u single example Tor
the purpose Of more Individual comparisons,
The wealth OF Onio Is computed 81, l67 731, ,6s7
That Of south Carolina (under most cx-
travagant assessment at. lS3 337
Population OF ONO. u $50, go
Population OF SCUM Carolina. ............ 7O5, 606
Amount appropriated ior public printing IN
ono. $63,OO0
Amount printing for South Carolina. 45O 900
Cost per capita Ohio. I-3 cents
Cost per capita South CurolIna .63 cents
That Is 10 say, Quo, win nearly iour times the
population Of south Carolina and times her
capacity TO pay, obtained her public printing Tor
sos, 600; while poverty sricxen ruined South Caro-
lnu paid $45o,OO0 on the same account
BY way oi conclusive comparison III this matter 1t
is ouly necessary add that The the public
printing in South Carolina ior the year specified ex
ceeded by OF sl7S,09a, tnas Of all tho
Southern States taken together tor the yearl
Nor Is even tbis all; $3s5, 900 was appropriated
South Carolina for tue same Item Tor The next session
Oh 1854 making total Ior two years oil $685., ,UOO,
Or an average Sl46,5 per annum expended ~ the
"proslrats stale' over and above tho total cost oi
printing III All the Southern States Tor the past nscal
year.
For final contrast l append tho statement made
by the present state treasurer Of the Hampton ad-
mlnistrutiOn on account oil public prIntng Tor thV
1876 and the specia session OF 1871
up TO November l, Is77-
Amount appropriated. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. $4,000
Amount paid. ................'........... 5,222
Against th'. balance there IL one claim still ouI-
wanding ic~ s., 4Oo.
Of course the amounts cuarye TO tho account OF
puohc printing were not expended ON that account
What ihcn became oil IS Inc answer Is not lar TO
seek La the iai or winter OF 1870 the Carolina Print
ING Company was organized by Msssrs. j. W. Denny,
H. n. scott, Niles q. Parker, u. Ii. Chamberlain, J,
W. Morris anu L. Cass Carpenter This company
pwnsd The DAILY linton OF Colombia and tue Cnarls.-
lon Reputiican. woodrun The clerk OF tue Senate
testnes that aitor ioI ion T. r. Leslie oil
HIM The public printing was matter VI Senate
palr0nugc the 'lrIenus' IN senate should nave n
percentages IN tho proAts OF The pr,nI,nx mr. Lss,.
ufterward Land comm oner, VINO was hen a mem.
ber Of the scnae, proposed that Esy csstleates Tor
various amounts, ranging from $1,000 10 50, 700 ior
printing should be drawn, and that one
or one.tourtn OF amount realized should be pven
" The Chairman OF the Committee Printing for
sixteen Senators, anu 'lhis system carried on as
long as money could be paid oui oi any sums tho
Treasury. Ino certificates were generally discounled
A. Tho South Carolina Bank anu Trust Company, OF
which bank Governor H. X. Scott, ireasurer
Niles II. Parkor anu Attorney dsneraI II. H.
chamberlain were stockholders Cheeks drawn
under this arranscment IN iavor of the parties named
below, are now IN the hands Of the committee, 10
wt:Senalor Y. j. p. Owens, hve cheeks, each ST. 600
aud one cnack oi $1,000; Senator James M Allen two
checks. each $500, and one OF $500; Senator L. VIM
bush I'm aii), $3.50; Representative b. A. Bosemm
tnow United states Postmaster ut Charieston, $780,
Senator H. T.. dickens. 5000; Senator b. \. Wnitle-
more, nvs cnecKs, eacn $l5IO; Representative James
g. Hayne, iour checks, each 500 senator j. HoIns-
head, one check, $oo senator W. b. Nash Two checks,
sncn 500; Senator II. W. Duncan, three
cnecks, zach $780, Senator Robert smsils (now
IN Congressl Two checks, each 500; sena-
Senator Johu Wilson, one check, x74; Lieutenant
Governor A. J. Kansisr, one check, $227 ~; Repre-
sentative D. b. Denns three checks, eacn $500; Rep
IesentutIve w. II. Jones, three checks, each 5000;
representative T. A. DAVIS. ono check, 500; senator
.. A. Grse, one cheek, Sloo; senator Z. Y. LesIie