The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-05
THE ROBBER GOVERNOR.
TnE STRANGE AND vARIKD CAREER
OF FRANKLIN ,. MOSES, ARCH
sCALLAwAG or TME SOUTH.

vi FhANmAhN - mV6ESe ARCkAs
sCALLAwAG OF TINE SOUTH.
Radical, Robber, speaker. Governor and
Millionaire-To-day = Beggar ana
. Homeless Wanderer.
New York T!mes.l
Twenty years ago. when he had arrived at
the age Of eighteen. Franklin J. Moses, Jr.,
had exhausted about all the means Of pleas
ure or excitement that present themselves to
= youth OF good health, agreeable address.
quick wit and abundance Of money. His
father, for whom he was named, was a
planter lawyer, In Sumter. 8. O. He held his
head high among the planter aristocracy.
He was very proud Of his boy Frank. About
this time the youth married. Every house In
the county was open to him, and he had the
GOOD sense to choose for wife one Of the
fairest, and as the event proved, one of the
best Of women.
. Searching for some exciting novelty, the
young man became impressed with desire
to get into politics. and he found the way
open before him. His father was one Of the
leading State Senators, and when Mr.. Pickens
was elected Governor. after spirited contest,
In which Moses had greatly aided him, the
Governor begged him TO name candidate
for any place within his gift. Senator Moses
suggested his son as the Governors private
secretary. At first Mr.. Pickens demurred,
but eventually he consented, and the young
man was duly installed In his new position.
Easy to adapt himself to any and all circum-
stances, he soon became all-powerful In the
executive chamber He held this position
when Fort Sumter fell, and was among those
who rejoiced the loudest. 1t Is said that he
asked the Governor as personal favor that
he might lower the American flag that had
been left flying over the fort; but this Is pro-
nounced o fabricatioG Il ~ true. however,
that Moses boosted Of sDme such exploit.
and that he became known throughout The
South as ono of the young heroes to be praised
and petted. His name md fame were also
intensified by the SUCCESS that attended HE
father, who had boen appointed as commits
sioner to the North Carolina Legislature, to
persuade that State to pass az ordinance Of
secession.
But young Moses did not 60 to the front.
He might have found hundreds of{men ready
to follow his banner into the field; but he
made no effort to get commission. When
the uraIC was OTuefeu ne DecAle cOnScIlpG
officer, hunting down WI snose Wno refused 70
lost his popularity entirely among the fiery
South Carolinians. This was made album
dainty manifest when the war being ended.
ne, IKE very many osneIs, Iounu ninseiI
noggar. his Iormer assoclates 1ld every
situation. His creditors harassed him, and
the puDilc nad no longer mantie OF cnarity
Tor MS ZONES,
But FRANK MOSES WAS not tne man 10 give
way % diiiculties; he began 10 ingratlate
Sumter, and u was not long before the whole
Moses family were living more than comfort
ably on government IatlQns. lnere ls story,
too, In south carolina that ne supplied him.
sell with pocket money ey drawing more
than his family needed from the Federal
commissary and sold the surplus.
20 th0roughiy dld Moses win the good WILL
OF the Union Oncers mat when the provost
courts were establlshed ne was appointed the
associate judge 81 the Sumter district. He
was called In to practice before him; he had
great influence IN deciding civil cases OF con-
siderable magnitude, and between them they
built up most lucrative practice.
Moses was the first man to declare that the
negroes of the State were destined to In
fiuence it's politics, IL not to control the gov
ernment. Although ne was laughed at by his
old associates and called Eighty, he made up
his mind to base his fortune on the idea. His
position as associate judge gave him an OPP
portunity to befriend and hatter the freed
men, and 1t was only short time before he
gained great influence among them. Early In
1867 the black men were enfranchised and In
June Of that year the Republican party OF
South Carolina was formed by a convention
held in Columbia. Associate Judge Moses,
having been elected delegate. did much to
control the action OF the convention. In the
fall OF the same year he was also chosen
delegate to the State constitutional conven-
ton; and in this body, by his adroitness, flat
terry, and appeals to the cupidity of the me-
groes, he became an acknowledged leader OF
the new party. He was elected adjutant and
Inspector general, and also member Of the
h Leg provision IN the new constltn-
hold all these Offices at once.
From this time the advance of ex-Associate
Judge Moses was very rapid. As Speaker Of
the Assembly his behavior at first cannot be
called in question. but at the end Of the two
years for which he was elected, he gave up all
claims upon the Inspector. Generals office, and
devoted his attention to the Speakership to
which ne mad been reelected. Then he began