The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-04-11
SOUTH CAROLINA.

SOUTH CAROLINA
A History OF Wholesale PubIic Stealing.
The report of the South Carolina IegA
islative committee on frauds has been
submitted to the legislature of that
state, and it furnishes history of public
stealing such as has not been equaled in
this country except by the operations of
the Tweed ring. AS the report is accom-
panied by vouchers, it cannot be consid.
cred an imaginary picture.
One of the principal witnesses exam
ined was Woodruff, formerly clerk of the
state senate, who made no attempt at
cencealment. He said that anything
which a senator wanted was ordered I'M
der the name of supplies" and
charged to the state, on the principle
promulgated by the senator that the
state had no right to be state unless
she could pay and take care of her
this kind which the state paid amounted
to $350,O0O, including $125,OO0 for
wines, cigars and other refreshments. :"
Senators of both parties shared in this
kind of plumber. special room was
fitted up in the state house for the dis
pensation of liquors and tobacco, and
large quantities were sent to the private
rooms of legislators. This took place
from 1871 to 1874. On one day in March,
1872, the liquor bill of a single dealer
was 81 ,631, and three DAYS later he had
bill of 81 ,S52 more. AS is always the
case in such circumstances, the prices
paid were enormous, $50 a gallon being
the price charged fer brandy, SO for
sherry, $40 case for champagne, $40 a
dozen bottles for port wine, and $50 d
hundred for cigars.
But refreshments were not the only
requirements of the statesmen. In four
years the state paid for more than
100000 worth of furniture, although
liberal appraisement makes the
value of the furniture now in the state
House only $17,715. More than one
dealer testified that he furnished at
least forty private bedrooms, and all the
committee rooms were fitted with costly
furniture, which was stolen as soon as
the session closed. The reports says, in
regard to one large bill: "The evidence
proves most conciusively that majority
of the members of the house combined
against the persons who furnished these
goods and demanded to be paid for voting
for the claim. The bills were more than
doubled and certificates issued for
them" This is the Ingerse1l process
over again. Beside furniture the state
paid for clocks costing from $3.50 to
5000 each, and for several mirrors at
5000 each. Nearly all these have been
removed by unknown thieves. The
carpet bills equaled the rest, amounting
to thousands of dollars year. The report
says:
"By reference to the account OF
Stewart, Sutphen & Co., by A. o. Jones,
and reported from committee on con-
tingent account, it will be found that
during one session alone they sold to
the state 4,65S yards of carpetiDg-
more than ], 900 yards being finest Brus-
sells. General Dennis and Sergeant-at-
Arms Williams both testify that the
committee rooms were furnished with
new carpets every session, which were
carried away in the spring of the year
General Dennis says he knows that some
of it was shipped to Massachusetts"
A few other articles which the Legislators
successfully coveted were stationery, the
bill for which, during one session, was
sos, 600; dry goods, horses and carriages
Webster's dictionaries Zone for each
member), inkstands worth twenty-five
dollars apiece, gold pens at ten dollars
each, iewelry, call-bells at twelve dollars
each, stoves, hair brushes and towels, and
all kinds of commodities, such as the
| following:
Best Westphalia hams, Bologna sau
sages. bacon strips, diamond hams, Jaws
and Rio coffee, pine, Edam, Schweizei
cheese, English cheese, gilt-edge butter
sardines, smoked and canned salmon
smoked beef and buffalo tongues, canned
| oysters and Holsters, fresh Norfolk oysters
deviIed ham, black and green tea, French
chocolate, olive oil, catchups, Worcester
and pepper sauces, imported mush
rooms, preserved ginger, guava-jelly
pickles, brandy~cherries, brsndy-peaches
! lemon-syrup, assorted extracts, sea
foam, citron, assorted nuts, lemons
oranges, wax and adamantine candles
colgate's fancy and toilet soaps, starch
table and Liverpool salt, kerosene oil
bacon sides and shoulders, English mus
tard, vinegar, mackerel, concentrated
I've, Orleans and fancy syrup and moIas
ses, assorted English crackers and bis
cults, condensed milk, parlor-matches
Irish potatoes, leaf lard, asserted pepper
sugar, -four, pearl grits, imported kiC
gloves, ladies' sstchels, mems white anC
brown hosiery, linen cambria handker
chiefs, ladies' hoods, cambrics, ribbons O
all qualities, fine plaid goods, extra-lOn!
bath towels, pieces of Grape, scissors
skirt-braids and pins, baize, spool>cOtton
prints, tooth brushes, heavy combs, fax
buttons, whalebone, gingham. hooks ant
eyes, boulevard skirts, q" bustles," extra
long stockings, chignons, "palpitators,
carriers, chemises, undervests, parasOl
and sun umbrellas, fine Overcoats, pants
vests, coats, shirts, undershirts, drawers
socks, boots, suspenders, collars, shoes
slippers, hats and caps, N. Y, Even