The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-03-14

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The Committee on 'Fraifds apai,e an
other reportt 70 the Legislature on satur
day. March 2nd, which Is a. follows:
The legislative pay certificate was ab.
fountain he9d snd nursery Of many, O
the frauds, forgeries, and perjuries expo
sed In this report. Through this sourc,
1he most grave and Aagrahti violaliohhss d
Law we're committed, whereby the Etatt
was annually robbed al, amounts ran neiug
from two hundred thousand, to one mil.
lion of dollars, including fraudulent
printing certificates; which were collected
and divided between. the oflicials--sena.
tors. members of the houses and political
hangers-on OF she Adninistsatfou. IA
perpetuete the power and Influence nj
the Republican party il was necessary to
have ready and unfaiIing reservoir Of
geeted itself, than the Issuing Of pay GER
tificates by the Speaker of the House
and the President OF the Senate. Thus
il became not only nossible but practica-
biz 10 perpetrate the numerous frauds in
the T Iblic. printing and supplies 10 which
We have already referred. Indeed this.
like the famous hydra, threw oat it's hup.
dred heads, encircling and poisoning
every department. of the government.
and giving comfort and support 10 local
leaders. In its trail followed tho low.
despicable forgeries aud perjuries neces.
sary to effect the end proposed. it ia
not surprising that the poorand ignorant
members of the General Assembly fell
into these practices when they were con.
ceiyed and brought forth by such adrojt
swindlers as those who led. This i'm.
menso fund produced and maintained~a
Bond Ring, Printing Ring and this
Legislating Ring, the most popular and
at the eamo time most interruptions. It
is evident from the testimony that such
source Of revenue as this s7as indspen-
sable to- silence any complaint and TO
pacify the fears Of the tinid and the
greed of the avaricious. whilst the nthar
great ringa were in successful progress.
MOSES AND PATTERSON.
Among the many remarkable and fa.
nous leaders in this enterprise. without
at all intending to disparage the claims
OF others, yor. committee must mention
the names Of T. j. Noses, who issued and
sold, and yohniJ. Patterson, who became
the purchaser. These two stand out in
bold relief as twin stars shedding bale
full ."light" upon all who approached
them ~. .rhe evidence which we append
will Yully. justify the conclusion which
your committee has reached. The table
submittediwitlt this report, ,showe, amorS
other things, that in one session there
was issued 81 ,16e, ,255 in pay certificates.
every, dollar of which was a robbery. ex,
cept about. tHo thpndged thousand dol.
lars, due the members of the Senate and
House andregularly elected and appoint
ed attaches of the General Assembly.
The evidence OF mora. than one witness
shows that it was race between the
Bond Ring, composed Of limited num-
ber, and the Generals Assembly, es to
who should receive the most Of the mon-
ey raised by taxation and the sale of
bonds, 1twGs decided that the greatest
good could be accomplished by distribu-
ting the money to the greatest number,
and the members of the General Aosen,.
bly,, therefore, became the benefciaries.
An unlimited number of certificates
were issued on the written or ye:hs! or-
ders Of the pres;1in& officers aud Of
chairmen of standing or special commit
tees. Clerk Woodruff says that "nearly
every one tiho told o tale of distress from
ku-Kluxism or of suffering on account
of their politics. was given pay ccrtifi-
cate" In addition to this,
Fnu. coNTINdEHE FUND
swelled toian enormous amount through
the system of Furnishing liquors, wines,
cigara, groceries, jewelry, and almost, ev.
cry copceiyable article under the head of
"Sundries,n and large numbers Of certifi-
Gates were Issued, ranging "a amounts
from $500 to So 900 each. These were
qualification certificates this method was
resoEtei TO as the best manner of iiat-
monizing the friends" as the leaders
we're then called. AT one session at
least two hundred and fifty thousand dol.
lars 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 does not
suffer from them; that it was only a
fight between, the representatives of the
people and the yultures of the Bond
Ring.
TIE. INITIALs.
It appeara from the evidence and
large number of certificates in the treas
uror'H, oiiioe that the clerk often trans
T6sod the initials of the names OF the
party receiving these fraudulent certifi-
Gates.
Woodruf continues: "The certificate
drawn TO the order of Il. T. Christopher
for $2, 500, ie one of this class, and was
drawn for the purpose of paying the ex-
penses Of o committee to Washington, in
opposition 70 one sent by the Taxpayers
Convention" The Taxpayers. not. only.
paid their own committees expenses, but
were made to sPaya that of, the ,tk:sves
who plead before the the National -Ad-
miniatration for moro time and the pro-
lection Of .bayonets to enable them TO
seep up. the role of robbery of the peo-
pie. Senator b, +. Whittemore was the
spokesman an0leading member of this
committee. This Information is copl-
ment enough. aNCodfuR adds that this
certificate was drawn on the order Of
Lieutenant Governor Gleaves,, who said
Cardozo would take cafe of it. The ini.
tia!s 'sIl. E. G G. . represent Z !. L. Cardozo.
This certificate was collected by ex.Gov.
y. X. Scott, and bears the following en-
dorsemenein his Handwriting. 3 r Afr Car
dozo promises 10 pay this January list,
1872 al, !. -, \
tzAPACioUsl CoMMrTTELMEN. ~
Woodruff also says the certificate for
g, 900, payable to Al. b. Jordan, was for
James a. Bowley, chairman of the COM
nitiee on ways and meaiis in the House;
another payahle.;to j. NJ. Foreman,
amounting 10 50. 800, was for Gov. +. j.
Moses, the :taa:t;ais in each being merely
tinnsposedi Such certificates wereiisu-
ally ordered after q meeting and consul
tation of the presiding officers with the