St. Landry democrat., 1878-03-16
South Carolina Robbery.
HOW THE RADICALS OF SOUTH CAROLINA
LIVED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE
STATE,
cincinnati EnQuirer.l

lSiACiuAaLl
New YORK, Feb. 20.-A correspondent
of the World at Columbia, >. G., says:
The joint Investigating committee, CON
sisting of two Senators and three Re-
representatives., appointed at the special
session Of the General Assembly, cou-
vened in April, 1877, and who have been
in the continuous discharging of the
duty assigned theln-ascertaining what
frauds had been committed, and to what
extent the funds or credit of the State
had been misapplied-haye about con-
Guided their labors, and will submit du-
ring the present week to the General
Assembly now in session the result Of
their inquiries. The disclosures made
by the committee are truly of an as
founding nature, and reveal mass OF
corruption that must excite the indig
nation of every lover of constitutional
government, law and order.
The system of robbery practiced is
not confined to any one department, nor
was it limited to members Of the Legis-
lature. Every official, from the COVER
nor down, entered into the conspiracy
to defraud the people by means OF the
positions they respectively held. AS
complete as the report seems to be, your
correspondent is assured that no idea
Tan be formed of the tllefts which the
whole Radical administration in this
State comprehends, until all of the evil
deuce taken is published to the world.
To quote from the report:
1t the simple statement were made
that Senators and members of the House
we're furnished with every thing they
desired, from the swaddling CLOTHES and
cradle to the coffin of the undertaken,
from bOgans to chignons, the finest ex-
Clacts to the best wines and liquors, and
paid for by the State, it would excite q
smile OF doubt and dersion; but when
We make tue statement-and prove it by
the vouchers found in the several Off
ces, all will soon admit the truthfulness
OF the report. When the accounts at
tirst exceeded the pay OF members they
were Included in the report the Com
lnittee on Contingent Accounts, and pay
certificates issued for every description
of merchandise. In addition, pay Ger
titicates were drawn, signed by the Off
GERS OF the two houses and turned over
TO the chairman OF tue Committee on
Contingent Accounts for distribution
among the members of their committees,
to induce them to more readily pass
claims of other members not upon that
particular committee. AS these matters
became common the Senators claimed
by the State, or as Senator Leslie ex-
pressed it, the State had no right to be
4 State unless she could take care of
her statesmen
Jones, the Clerk of the House at that
time, testified that supplies We're fur
nished to members of the House under
the head Ut legislative expenses, sun
dries and stationery and that they
included refreshments, groceries, dry
goods, horses, furniture, carriages and
miscellaneous articles OF merchandise of
every description for the personal use
OF members. In one session these
amounts reached the enormous sum OF
$3.50, 900, as appears from the vouchers
now ON file in the State Treasurer;s
office. One hundred aud twenty-five
thousand dollars OF this amount was
devoted to refreshments, which included
wines, liquors OF all other kinds, cigars,
etc. This practice became SO general
as to embrace nearly every Republican
and live oil six Democratic members of
the Senate, this number being q large
majority of the Senate. The accounts
were ordered to be paid without being
audited, save by the title OF the bill or
account.
Not satisfied with opening a bar
room in the State House, they employed
porter to attend it. This official, draw
ing regular salary from the State, tes-
titles that it has been his custom for six
wears to open the refreshment room at
8 o'clock q. M, and keep it open until 2
or the next morning, and that State
officers, Speakers, clerks, judges, editors,
reporters and citizens generally con
stintly thronged the room to imbibe
and discuss politics. He could not es-
-. 4ft1 o. q uan af Ennarc a ND
sstables consumed, but swore that the
State House bar-room did u bigger bust
ness than any ether establishment in
the city. The rooms were kept open
Sundays as we'll as other days.
Hardy Solomon testified that he also
sold large quantities of these luxuries,
and that he was paid by the State Treas
urer. In the itemized account submit
ted bs Solomon appear the names OF
Scott, Moses, Ransier, Parker, Neagle,
Dennis, HumbeFt, notorious Repub-
lical Of the present House, and dozens
oil Senators and Representatives. An
examination of the State Treasurer's
books shows that Solomon, after being
p;tid for his accounts, OverdreW the sum
total Of his bill, about $4,000. In the
year 1879 there WAS paid TO this one
house S24,3S0 56, while his itemized ac-
COuit5 btlOWGu lldt tiiGtG Wha sutt6 Hill
only $11,203 rs, showing that he had
been oyerpaid also for that year
%l3,177 %.
sslt is shown that on March 4, 1872,
SOLOMON furnished the Senate with
1861 worth Of wines and liquors; aud
on the seventh day OF the same month
another bill was rendered for $1s52 rs,
aggregating $34e3 rs for liquors, cigars,
etc, for the Senate OF South Carolina
for three days. Solomon says his ac-
counts were promptly paid and that it
lis worthy OF note that mt that very time
criminals were being pardoned out of
the penitentiary and jails OF The State
to keep them from starving; and the
State LnnatiC Asylum and other chart
table institutions were SD crippled for
want OF bread that they were compelled
to turn away from their doors persons
incapable OF taking care OF themselves.
The free schools of the State were
closed, and the teachers told that there
we're no funds with which to pay them.
In 1871 it was shown that the expenses
for wines and liquors consumed by the
General Assembly. was $3.50 per day.
Tho following is q literal copy OF d bill
on file with the evidence:
COLUMBIA, February 90, 1879.
80 GOV. "A. j. Ransieur, Dr., to Joe TAYLOR:
- For liquors and cigars and other
articles, $3.50. Received payment.
joe TAYLOR
Another bill ID shown for sweatmeats,
.ielicacies, etc. The ruling rate for
brandy seems to have been $40 per gal
Ion sherry wine, SO; whisky, ss:
cigars, $40 per box; lager beer, 81 so
per dozen: champagne, $40 per case. A
calculation discloses the fact that il all
the liquors purchased were consumed