Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-01-16

moro secure, ho became bolder. He was
reckless, bure. faced to degree which ex.
cited tho admiration of tho people he robbed.
And, in spite of his terrible record, he was
every day making new fricuds.
An incident will illustrate the boldncss
with which he operated A bill was pro-
duced into the Legislature for the relief of
one of the State banks, but it did not intro
gross. 1t grew dust stunned aud yellow in
the olcrk's desk Those interested grew
desperate. Then somebody who knew the
wass OF the capitol asked, "why don't you
SEQ Frank Moses?" They took the hint.
A gentleman supposed to have some iunu-
cncc waited on tho Speaker and laid the
matter before him. While he was explain
ing the object of his visit Moses exclaimed,
80, what's the use of 80 much talk; do you
want your bill passed or not2"
"Ot course We want it passed." was tho
reply.
Every we'll, them" Moses continued
dreadfully short to-day; one fellow or
another has borrowed oil my money, left INC
high aud dry, in fact, and must have
few hundreds by this evening. Give mo
$1,000 to-day and I'll pass the bill"
The money was pnid and the bill was ct
once jumped to third reading. But here
it stopped The gentleman most interested
in its passage waited from day to day but
waited in vain. At last ho went to Moses
and asked him what had occasioncd the
delay. The answer he got was: "Just agree
to give me $4,000 worth Of the bonds
after the bill becomes law, and will put
it through at once" The bill went through.
| This was only Que of the fifty similar
transactions. Mr.. Speaker Moses, before
his term had closed, threw of all reserve,
and it became notorious that "thc machiue
had to be oiled" every time IN important
bill vas passed. His theory openly ex-
pressed was that if bill deserved to become
q law it was worth paying for, and that if it
was no. worth paying for it was not worth
passing.
As time went by, however, the wants Of
Alr. Speaker Moses increased, and he deter.
mined to find some new sources of revenue.
10 this end he secured the passage of law
that gavo him power to issue what were
called pay certificates, or Speakers warrants,
drafts upon the treasury which were made
by him nt will, almost without question or
| supervision, and which the Treasurer of nc
State was obliged to pay even to tho Scu
| sion Of other claims. So, Mt last, Mr.. Moses
WAS The director of a money mill, aud could
spend at his pleasure. AS long us there was
money in the treasury to meet tho demand
| so made, the pay certificates were us good
as United States notes. There was no limit
to his generosity. His warrants could be
had for the asking, They were issued to
buy horses and mules for colorcd men who
had served the Speaker, to stock the farms
Of mcn living in remote parts of tho State,
who had not only had no connection with
the Legislature, but who had never seen
the State House
At this time tic capital was literally
flooded with money, and prosperity seemed
to be unbounded But the trcasnry could
not hold out forever, and there came time
when the Treasurer had to declurc that he
had no money to make good the drafts of
Mr.. Moses. Then the pay certificates de-
prccatcd. TO make ur the difference, the
Speaker, without regard to law or conse
quenccs, maio fresh issues. But they lost
value and at last deprecated to less than
ten cents on the dollar. 1t is estimated
that Of these warrants from sl,500000 to
S2,000,000 were issued by Moses, the
escd upon rrongate and worthless favoritcs
Nevertheless, by these expenditures, and by
that power over the simple minds of the
masses of his party which had ever been
characteristic Of him the Speaker became
beyond comparison, tho most popular mau
10 South Carolina, and toward tic end of
his second term us Speaker, his friends pre-
vailed upon him to be o candidate for the
Governorship.
TO the Governorship he wus elected in
December, 1872, ond after he entered upon
the duties of the Office, il was soon evident
that his gubernatorial career would be even
more proaigate than had been his course as
Speaker. Flom the time of his election,
and during his whole term of Office, his
every official act was for sale. His sigma
turo to ordinary acts of legislation had to be
paid for. 1t ia on record, testified to by
the President Of tho South Carolina Bank
and Trust Company, that a valid claim Of
100000, hold by that institution against
the State could not be collected until S25,-
900 of the amount had been handed to Gov.
ernor Moses,
Governor Moses took tho notion into his
heao that he was not lodged magniGoently
enough Hence no bought the Preston
mansion, considered to be the finest in the
South, and with the Improvements put
upon it, it is estimated to have cost him
between 100000 and Sl50,000. i For this
he was obliged to increase the tariff of his
charges. He kept an army of servants, a
stebleful Of horses, and the finest equip.
ages in tho South. Yot surrounded by all