Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-03-14
State Aftairs.
STEALING.
Another Report from the Committee on
Frauds.
PAY CERTIFICATES.

PAY CERTIFICATES.
The Committee on Frauds, submitted an
other instalment of their report last week, as
follows:
The legislative pay certificate was the four.
tain head and nursery of many of the Frauds
forgeries and perjuries exposed in this report
Through this source tie most grave and fla
grant violations of law we're committed, where
by the State was annually robbed of amounts
ranging from two hundred thousand to one
million of dollars, including fraudulent print.
ing certificates, which were collected and d.
vided between the officials senators, mem
bers of the house and political hangers-on ol
the Administration. To perpetuate the pow
er and influence of the Republican party it was
necessary to have ready and unfaling reser'
voir of funds. No simpler or easier way sug'
gested itself than the issuing of pay certificates
by the Speaker of the House and the Presi
dent of the Senate. Thus it became not only
possible but practicable to perpetrate the nu'
merous frauds in the public printing and sup
plies to which we have already referred. In.
deed, this like the famous hydra, threw out its
hundred heads, encircling and poisoning every
department of the government and giving
comfort and support to local leaders. In its
trail followed the low, despicable forgeries and
perjuries necessary to effect the end proposed
1t is not surprising that the poor and igno'
rant members of the General Assembly fell
into these practices when they were conceived
and brought forth by such adroit swindlers as
those who led. This immense fund produced
and maintained Bond Ring, Printing Ring
and this Legislative Ring, the most popular
and at the same time most INSCRIPTIONS. 1t
is evident, from the testimony, that such q
source of revenue as this was indispensable
to silence any complaint and to pacify the
fears of the timid and the greed of the avari'
cious, whilst the other great rings were in sue
cessful progress.
MOSES AND PATTERSON.
Among the many remarkable and famous
leaders in this enterprise, without at all in.
tending to disparage the claims of Others
your committee must mention the name OF
F. j. Moses, who issued and sold, and John
J. Patterson, who became the purchaser
These two stand out in bold relief as twin
stars shedding baleful slight" upon all who
approach them. The evidence which we ap
pend will fully justify the conclusion which
YOUR committee has reached. The table sub
mitted with this report shows, among other
things, that in one session there was issued
81 46S, ,265 in pay ceri6aatas, auary dollar Of
which was a robbery, except about two hun
dred thousand dollars, due the members of the
Senate and House and reglarly elected and
appointed attachfs of the General Assembly.
The evidence Of more than one witness shows
that it was race between the Bond Ring
com posed of a limited number, and the Gen.
eral Assembly, as to who should receive the
most of the money raised by taxation and the
sale of bonds. 1t was decided that the great,
est good could be accomplished by distribu:
ting the money to the greatest number, and
the members of the General Assembly, there
fore, became the bene6ciaries. An unlimited
number of certificates were issued on the writ
ten or verbal orders Of the presiding officers
and of chairmen of standing OF special com.
mittees. Clerk Woodruff says that "nearly
every one who told tale of distress from ku-
Kluxism or of suffering on account of their
politics, was given a pay certificate" In ad'
dtion to this,
THE CONTINGENT FUND
swelled to an enormous amount through the
system of furnishing liquors, wines, cigars
groceries, jewelry, and almost every conceiv-
able article under the head Of "Sundries, y
and large numbers of certificates were issued,
ranging in amounts from $500 to $4,000
each. These were qualification certificates
this method was resorted to as the best man.
ner of harmonizng the "friends," as the lead
ers were then called At one session, at least
two hundred and fifty thousand dollars were
issued in this way for Senate purposes, and
when objections were made, they were met
by the reply that these are small matters
and the State Goes not suffer from them that
it was only fight between the representatives
Of the people and the vutures of the Bond
Ring.
THE INITIALS.
1t appears from the evidence, and large
number of certificates in the treasurers office,
that the clerk often transposed the initials of
the names of the party receiving these fraud
uent certificates.
Woodruff continues: "The certificate drawn
to the order of Il. F. Christopher for $1,000
is one of this class, and was drawn for the
purpose of paying the expenses Of commit
tee to Washington, in opposition to one sent
by the taxpayers Convention" The tax
payers not only paid their own committed 8
expenses, but were made to pay that of the
thieves who plead before the National Ad-
mnistration for more time and The protection
of the bayonets to enable them to keep up the
role Of robbery of the people. Senator B. F.
Whittemore was the spokesman and leading
member of the committee. This information
is comment enough. Woodruff adds that
this certificate was drawn on the order of
Lieutenant-Gov Gleaves, who said Car.
dozo would take care Of it. The initials ~.
+. c." represent F. L. Cardozo. This certih-
cate was collected by Ex-Governor r. K.
Scott, and bears the following endorsement in
his handwriting "Mr. Cardozo promises to
pay this, January 1st, 1879"
RApACIous CoMMIrTEEMEN.
Woodruff also says the certificate for ST.
500, payable To A. B. Jordan, was for James
A. Bowley, chairman Of the committee on
ways and means in the House; another pay
able to J. NJ. Foreman, amounting to $4,000,
was for Governor +. j. Moses, the initials in
each being merely transposed. Such certi6'
Gates we're usually ordered after meeting
and consultation of the presiding officers with
the State treasurer and chairmen of the com.
mittees of ways and means in the House and
finance in the Senate. Thus it will be seen
that the chairmen Of the most important COM
mittees joined in a conspiracy with others to
defraud the State.
He further says that certificates payable to
r. G. Andlon represented I. {. Andrews ;
, :, n " u;hv roDresented Senator c.