The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-11-16

being perpetrated with tho assist
anco Of his name. In short, that he
approved purchases of land without
taking time to mako any inquiry
about the matter.
Major Earle, q prominent Re-
publican of South Carolina, and
formerly Assistant United States
Attorney, who is now in the city,
being asked what ho thought Of the
mattor, replied:
81 don't believe Chamberlain has
done anything wrong, and q good
many Democrats of South Carolina
don't believe he is guilty, either,
Now the truth is, that while Cham
berlain was member Of that land
commission he had no knowledge of
tho frauds committed by it. Every
transaction of the commission was II
fraud and a swindle that is patont,
and nobody will deny it; but
Chamberlain knew nothing about
the frauds, although his name was
used to carry them out. He was
Attorney General then, and his
whole time and attention were
given to- the law business of the
State. He worked harder during
those two years than any poor
devil know, and his name was
used to carry out the frauds without
his knowledge or consent The
fuct is, he Didn't pay any attention
whatever to the land commission.
That whole scheme was devised by
Governor Scott to secure his re-
election. He got $500,O0U appro-
priated to buy IN land in large
tracts and sell it to the negroes in
forty acre lots on time. It might
have done some good had the thing
been smartly managed, but it was a
steal from beginning to end. Leslie
WAS the first land commissioner, and
the board bought more land than
they had authority to; then they
wanted an appropriation to make up
tho deficit. The negroes in the
Legislature wouldn't agree to make
the appropriation unless one Of then
race was put at the head Of the
board. Leslie refused to res On,
and finally Governor Scott agreed
to give him $4,000 to give up the
position and turn over his books,
Leslie accepted and turned over his
books, bat there wasn't the scratch
of a pen in them. No record had
ever been kept of the proceedings of
the board they had stolen every
thing that came into their hands
and made no entry of it. Then the
Hell Hole Swamp was brought to
make up the amount to pay Leslie"
GLOW make up the amount,
Major 2" asked the Post.
"Why, on the margin there was
big margin. The land was bought
really for almost nothing, and sold
to the State for large amount
over hundred thousand dollars.
Ehe margin afforded the $4,000
necessary to pay Leslie" "
"What has become of all the land
the commission bought 2"
'"Why, it's there yet, worth moth
ing, and never will be. The whole
scheme was swindle, but I don't
believe Chamberlain made anything
out of it, ,u<r- - =
'He was member of the swim.
ding board, though e
ayes, he was q member of the
board, and his name was used in the
transactions, but I'm confident he
didn't know of tho frauds. As his
name appears on the fraudulent pa
pers an Indictment is found against
him among tho Others
in an interview with New York
papor Chamberlain denounces the
indictment as simply the revival of
threadbare charges against him.
He declares that his record as q
South Carolina official is pure and
spotless, and that tho Indictment
was found on the evidence of de-
graded villains lNeagle and Parker,
his former associates,) who havo
committed perjury that all charges
of corruption against him rest on
the unsupported statements of ''men
whom everybody knows to be com
mon perurers, ready to swear to
anything to save themselves AS
to the motive for the finding of the
Indictment Chamberlain says there
has been "a special yindictiveness"
felt toward him by the people of
South Carolina on account of his
course in the campaign Of, 1875. He
says this bitterness hhs been in i
creased by his defense of Kimpton,
and by his act III getting a receiver