The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-03-21

Among the remarkable frauds perpc.
trated against che State, that of the South
Carolina Bank and Trust Company
should mot be overlooked.
On the 29th day of October, 1873, 6
bill was introduced entitled "a bill to
make appropriation TO pay the clsimr Of
the Sc1tE Carolina Bank aadTfust Com.
pany," which provided Cor the paymen;
Of claims amounting 70 the sum of one
hundred aud twenty-five thousand dol.
lars. The itemized schedule furnished
by Hardy Solomon. President, estab.
lshed conclusively that only the sum q,
$103,866.7l was due the bank, and that
q large number of claims on this sche,i.
ule were of q doubtful character. This
bill was referred TO the Committee on
Ways and Means, of which COMMITTEES
the notorious Bowley was chairman.
Upon this bill there were majority and
minority reports. The minority feport
contained, amongst others, these objec.
tiOns
"That the wording of the bill was 10
obscure end indefinite, that it was im-
possible to separate the principal from
the Interest; that the terms OF the l:;ll
required and directed the Treasurer to
make q distinction in favor of these
claims rs against all others, which is at
once illegal, unjust and odious; that the
passage of this bill would be to give an
unjust and unfair preference to O power
full corporation, when it is we'll known
fact, that the salaries of school teachers
who have labored for q mere pittance.
School Commissioners, Judges of our
Courts, County Auditors, clerks of diff.
ferent departments of State and many
members Of your honorable body remain
unpaid for months, and in some instances
for years. AS still more grievous fact.
it is known, that 100000 Of the appro.
priation for public schools for the years
1912, and o large portion for 1928.
remain unpaid" =
The presentation of such considerations
availed absolutely nothing, and under
the leadership cf ,9ow!oy and the 5er5uu-
sire arguments furnished by Hardy Solo.
mon, the House was induced to pass the
bill. Q
The evidence before your COMMITTEES
indicates, that the same cogent reasons
influenced grave and reverend Senators
to vote in favor of this thinly disguised
fraud, for it is now known that the bank
referred to was iNaugurated in fraud, SUP.
ported by ringo political pirates com.
posed of Chamberlain, Scott, Parker and
other State officials, and exhibited during
its existence O series of corruptions and
robbeties unknown in the history of any
other corporation. It was through this
disgraceful channel that thousands of
dollars worth Of fraudulent pay certifi.
cstcs and EARNED force" orders founl
their way into the State Treasurer's Office
and were paid, whilst honest claimants
were turned away heart-sick and dis.
gusted.
at the time the bill referred to was un
der confederation it was well understood
that this most secure bank could not exist
without aid. 1t 10 not surprising there.
fore that the bill was passed by the ex-
penditure of $4,000 by way of bribes,
absorbing more than two-thirds of the
entire amount of the appropriation. or
this there can be no doubt, for with an
amazing effrontery the books of the bank
show the fact under the entry of "legisla-
tive expenses" :.
The time for ihe failure of this bank
had not arrived in the interest of the
ring. The passage of the bill afforded a
brief relief, and when the auspicious oc-
casion arrived, it's failure came with over
500, 600 of the money of the State and
largo amount OF school and county funds
c.. deposit, Hith as worthless a lot of assets
s. were ever rendered in q court of insol-
vency. To this failure we shall refer
hereafter n separate report. We are
concerned now only to present the nor
tons of che evidence showing the method
and means by which this iniquitous meas
uro was fastened upon the people, and
special tax was levied upon them for the
payment Of the. claims embraced by it.
1t viii be observed that snail por-
ton of these claims were valid demands
against tho State. These were, however,
in large measure subsequently abstrac-
/ ed fromithe bill, and paid by the State
Treasures;out of other funds, in order to
give place to ovet twenty thousand dol
lars of fraudulent pay certificates manu-
factnred for the occasion, SO that certain
State officials might secure their share OF
"grRtiication."
Prince r. Rivers testiles, that he "vo-
ted for the bill !; met the members at o
caucus; Hardy Solomon was there and
spoke in the cancns; the next nigh. The
members were to meet him there, and he
was to see thea separately. He offered
me $500; that amount he afterwards paid
me at the bank, in city bills. Sperry, of
Georgetown, invited the members 10
meet Solomon at caucus. think met
Keith and Humbert, Of Darlington, at
the bank"
Keith testifes that he was. paid $50 in
sitSs bills, ISad fabbut $50 in groceries.
Butler Spears, & member from Sumter,
received goods amounting to about $120.
w. w. Ramsay, member from Same
county, tegti6es that he "was paid $100
to support the bill, and payment was
made first by certificate Of deposit be-
ing given him; afterwards the certificate
oe aepcs;swEs paid in city bills and Ero-
ceFiea." \ -,
James Young, member fron. Lan-ens
County, testifies that he "voted for the
claims, and received about $50 in city of
RS. Tar!Jfon, member from Colleton,
testifies that he voted for the bill and was
paid $50 worth of groceries, among them
enc barrel of molessesS shipped. on the
South Carolina Railroad and Charleston
and Savannah Railroad to his home.
Hastings CAN'T testifies that he "voted
for the bill I'd received paper calling
for $500. (This was certificate of
deposit.) Solomon wanted him to take
groceries for 1T, which he, refused, but
discounted the paper at BIZ. Loves store,
under the Wheeler House,"
David Graham. member from Edge
neid, testines that ne ''voted for the.
claim, and received q certificate of de-
poOit for $10G in consideration Of she
VOTE"
Paris simkiIa, a member from Edge