The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-04-15
You May Try it if you Wish.

Every little while there turns up 8
scheme to make money without working
for it. Wit always lives better and in
more luxury than Drawn and muscle;
'the people," as Phineas T. Barnum used
to say, "love to be humbugged,' and the
game goes on.
Among the various and many schemes
that have sprung into existence for the
catching of the wary dollar since the civil
war no small number have been gigantic
projects to recover in value money, goods,
property, health, reputation. credit, etc.,
lost during that struggle. The poor ne
groes, who were delnded with the idea
that when they were liberated they would
receive "forty acres and a mule" have
not been the only ones bamboozled.
Numbers of times there have been ''great
schemes" to recover from the Government
the value of the slaves.
One Of these latter schemes has just
broken out afresh, and the Southern
country is being flooded with circular let
tors (printed to represent typewriter
work) setting forth in fowery phrases
that the time is approaching when the
United States will compensate the South
for the $500, 0OO, 900 worth of property
taken from it by the proclamation of
emancipation. "History shows" it says,
"that no civilized nation has ever emanci-
pated her slaves and failed to compensate
their owners Therefore, he is no Ethiopian
dreamer who now looks forward to the
time when this great Government will do
Justice 10 her citizens. We believe this
will be an established fact within the lives
of most Of the present generation. We
are now OH the eve of a mighty political
struge.s, the outcome of which will be
determined largely by the pace set by
public opinion"
The last sentence quoted is absolutely
senseless, but Is given to show the high
flown language of the circular. 1t is evil
IDENTIFY intended to impress the receivers
with its great Importance.
The circular goes on to say that an au-
thentic record Of slaves owned and recog-
nized as property before the proclamation
of emancipation Is necessary, and that
they, the promoters Of this new game,
shave devised q system of registration
whereby any former owner, or the heirs
of any former owner Of slaves, can have
them registered in approved books of re-
cord, and their sworn returns of said
slaves preserved for future reference"
Then comes the real meat of the ban
quet--for this registration they demand a
"Sm2ll' 1885,, lIOul S1 w SS, aCCololuB W
the number of slaves to be registered. In
the concluding paragraphs the circular
(facetiously p says: ga word to the wise
is sufficient" and surely it should be.
They might have added as a contrasting
proverb, "a fool and his money are soon
parted - send on your ones and fves.
The circular ia signed by the corpora
ton" and gives neither references nor a
Washington address. although it purports
to baveits "principal Office there. There
is q sub-ofice address ina Southern city,
but not q name on the whole sheet. Ac
companying the circular is a blank GER
tiicate upon which ex-slave owners (who
have money to throw at the birds) Will
I'LL out, swear to, and send to the self-ap-
pointed registrars-together with the
necessary cash-and get therefor IAN
official receipt" AS there is no especial
legislation in prospect for the payment of
the $500, 900, 900; as the new company"
doesn't even intimate that they are going
to try to get the pay for the slaves, and as
Uncle Sam would in all probability re-
ouire something more than a bare state
ment before paying out the fund, If there
Is ever such a fund voted, the ex-slave
owners, who send their money as request
cd, will III all probability be out Just that
amount, plus postage, stationery and
time.-NsWS and Courier.