Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-02-28
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PUBLIC FRAUDS!

PUBLIC FRAUDS!
First Installment Of the Joint Investigating
Committees Report.
The Joint Investigating Committee sub
mitted partial report on Tuesday, 18th in
stant as 20 the result of their labors in un
earthing "public frauds" We reprint the
following from the Columbia Register
The joint committee appointed under con
current resolution Of the General Assembly
at the special session of 1877, Ito ascertain
whether any improper or illegal use has been
made of the public funds or credit of the
State" beg leave te report, upon such special
subjects of investigation, as they deem com
plete, and to make supplementary reports from
time to time upon the residue of the matters
before them, until the entire evidence and con-
clusions are reported.
The committee respectfully invite attention
to the evidence and vouchers submitted with
this report, under The head of supplies The
abuses have been so great and of such pal
pable nature, that the most credulous person
would hardly believe that such frauds could
be perpetrated under the forms Of legislation.
History fails to cite an instance which can be
compared with such carnival of frauds and
extravaganza as has been held in South Caro-
lima, by and through the purchase of supplies
for the members of the General Assembly.
In this connection we submit number of the
accounts against the State, also few individ.
ual accounts of the average Statesmen" of
South Carolina under the late regime. We
not only make the assertion, but present the
proofs, that the whole country may see how
one of"the old thirteen" has been robbed and
laid PROSTATE, through ignorance on one side
and corrupt adventures on the other. Our
report is necessarily elaborate; the charges are
80 grave that we deem it unwise to make them
unless substantiated by evidence which no one
can doubt If the simple statement were
made that Senators and members of the House
we're furnished with everything they desired,
from swaddlng clothes and cradle, to the cof
fin of the undertaker-from brogans to CHG
mons, finest extracts to best wines and liquors,
and paid for by the State, it would create q
smile of doubt and derision but when we
make the statement, and prove it by several
witnesses and the vouchers found in the Offices
of the Clerks of the Senate and House, all
will, with sorrow, admit the truthfulness of
this report. For your guidance We oeem it
essential to place under appropriate heads
the class ofsuppies and the evidence referring
! thereto.
We first call your attention to the evidence
of Mr.. Woodruff, who was Clerk Of the Sen.
ate at the time, and necessarily cognizant of
everything concerning the furnishing of sup.
plies. He says: "Under the head of supplies
was embraced anything that Senator chose
to order" These orders we're generally Civ
en- through the Clerk, and the accounts were
rendered against the Clerk of the Senate. At
first the orders we're moderate, and included
only stationery and postage stamps, but they
gradually increased until they assumed gigan.
tic proportions. In the commencement of
this business Of furnishing members, they gave
orders on tho cfcrhs to DEDUCT tho 'srnours
from their pay, but very soon the orders large
ly exceeded their pay, and the accounts were
then included in the report of the committee
on contingent accounts, and pay certificates
thus issued for almost every description of
merchandise. In addition to this, pay certif-
icates were drawn and turned over to the
chairman of the committee on contingent &C.
counts for collection and distribution. AS
these matters became common, the Senators
claimed that all their expenses should be paid
by the State or in the language of Senator G.
P Leslie, "The State had no right to be
State, unless she could pay and lake care of
her statesmen"
Mr.. Woodruff says, and the vouchers and
certificates PROVE that graft ifcation certificates
were frequently issued for the benefit Of the
Senators. Senators Jervey aud Gaillard, Of
Charleston, and Senator Cain, Of Edgetield,
also corroborate this testimony, and acknowl-
edge that they received a portion of the fraud
uleut certificates thus issued. A. 0. Jones,
Clerk of the House, testi6es that supplies
were furnished under the head Of Legislative
expenses, sundries and stationery" and in
cluded refreshments for committee rooms,
groceries, clocks horses, carriages, dry goods,
furniture of every description and miscella-
neous articles of merchandise, for the person.
al use of the members. Your committee find
upon examination of the vouchers in the
Treasurer's office that in one session there was
expended under the respective heads of sup.
plies" "sundres," and "incidental expenses"
not less than s35OOOO, sl25,0O0 Of which
were spent for refreshments, including the
finest wines, liquors and cigars.
We can only prove how universally this
system of fraud was practiced and carried
out by the bills and Individual accounts turn
ed in as vouchers, portion of which we sub
nit with the report and the evidence of
Woodruff and Jones, clerks, and sergeant-at-
arms Williams. Woodruff testi6es that the
practice became so general as to embrace
nearly every Republican and several Demo
cratic Senators. Such accounts came to be
regarded as privileged matters, and the Sen
ate rule requiring all reports to lie over one
day was generally suspended and the report
considered at once, and the accounts ordered
to be paid without dissenting voice. Sena.
tors left their accounts with the chairman of
the committee on contingent accounts. When
settled in this way, they were generally re-
turned to Senators receipted. We find there
was regular system by which these accounts
were passed upon by the Senate and House,
throug oh the manipulations Of the committees
on contingent accounts. The following ex-
ample will suffice:
The committee would report that they had
considered the account of A, B and c (Which
were honest claims) and found them correct,
and would recommend that they be paid, hut
after the last name on the accounts, we, in
most instances, found the ominous words "and
Others" or "sundries and Others" which being
interpreted, meant fraud
Woodruff continuing, says, "the committee
to audit the contingent expenses of the Senate,
claimed the right to order what they pleased
and include it in their report under the name