The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-03-09
Thieves Carnival in South Carolina.

REroRT OF THE COMMITTEE on FRAUDs-In both
Houses OF the south Carolina Legislature the report
OF the Committee on Frauds has been presented. Ii
gives startling exhibit of the manner in which the
official plunderers Squandered the money of the
people of that state up 70 the installation Of the
Hampton government The report shows that for
reireshments OF one sort and another $50 600 were
spent during one session OF the Legislature and the
State paid the bills in the form of contingent ac-
counts. The republican members and three demo
cratic members were regularly supplied with costly
wines, heightened liquors and fragrant cigars K
refreshment room was kept in the state House
where the members and their friends smoked drank
and ate from early morn 10 dewy eve 70 their MI
and when they went away filed their pockets with
The House had no bar-room The practice was
for the members % order what they wanted and the
state pad the bills. From Hardy Solomon in three
days, the purchases of liquors &c. was So 4S3
Another dealer, for some time supplied liquors %
the amount of $50 day The calculation e that
give one gallon a day 10 each OF the one hundred
and htty-six members Of the General Assembly with
few bottles ofwine and ale thrown in In the way
Of cgaIs the state paid for one dozen day for each
member.
In former years the bills against the State for fur
niture amounted 70 $4,000. There remains in the
state House furniture that cost Sl7Tl5 The rest has
been stolen or was paid for and not supplied Prfa
vate houses and Others, bed rooms. caucus rooms
executive cottages were luxuriousiy furnished at the
expense OF the state At the end OF each session the
furniture disappeared and was renewed rs soon a
the statesmen returned 20 their labOrs There was
vast stealing in paying the bills for furniture One
such divide was Sl23i9. There carpeting a.
On yards of carpet will cover the whole state House
and every room in IL.
In one session the State was charged with four
thousand six hundred and ffiy-eighf yards Private
rooms were carpeted with the finest Brussels and
the carpetng was. rs usual renewed every session.
For stationery about sixty-eght thousand dollars a
session were spent This included "Websters Una
hrdged and any other article the Senators were in
need Of. from soap 30 combs Il was a common
thing 10 use up one hundred dollaTsa day in posta e
stamps ] ne state even paid for the private tee-
grams OF the membersOf the Legislature. There was
likewise jewery % be paid fOr-the rings studs and
diamonds OF the members The report shows that
cN-longresSman Whittemore secured a costly watch,
Al that session he Is recorded having made be-
sides the watch at least ten thousand dollars Pro
fesSioual services were well paid for. Whipper a
eoored man Of bad Tepute, whom the legislature in
100 attempted 20 elect circuit judge charged the
state MY dollars day for fortythree days coIn-
sci for the committee investigating the Bank Of the
state, lie got his money. In wood and coal there
vas the same stealing. For one session the State
paid for one thousand cords Of wood and one thou.
sand three hundred and twenty tons of coal There
was not a wood stove in the State House.