The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-12-07
SHARP TRICKERY
On the Part Of One of Our United
States Officials.
aPETTY PIECE OF BUSINESS.
Senator McLaurin Protest Against
Such Methods and viii Sring
the Matter Up in
Congress.

The Washington correspondent Of
the News and Courier says: South
Carolina is going to nave trouble in Sc
curing reimbursement from the Fed
eral government for the money she ex-
pended to assist in equipping troops for
the war with Spain. Senator McLau-
rim, at the instance Of Governor Eller-
be, recently brought the matter to the
attention of the treasury officials, and
he discovered that the amount expeud-
ed by Governor Ellerbe is to be held as
a set-of against an old debt which is
charged up against the Palmetto State
Oh the book of the accounting officer Of
treasury:
Senator McLaurin in relating the cir
cumstance says:
Governor Ellerbe when the first call
for troops was made went ahead and
used all of his contingent fund to de-
fray the expenses of mobil;zing the
troops from South Carolina. Other
governors responded in the same patri-
otic manner, and repeated assurances
were given at the war department that
they would be reimbursed as soon as
their claims we're properly presented.
Governor Ellerbe's claim amounts
to almost $500. At his request |
have been looking after it for him, and
was assured at the war department that
it would be paid as soon as proper pro-
ceedings we're filed. Owing to the con-
dition of the Governors contingent
fund | get the auditor Of the wardepart-
ment to send in his approval Of the por-
ton Of the claim that was duly at
tested. Icalled at the treasury depart
ment this morning and asked for the
check to send the Governor, and was
handed a decision made by the comp
troller last week in the case Of Virginia.
''The Comptroller holds that the
debts due by the various States to the
Federal Government can be used as Off
sets to this amount due the States. |
give below an extract from the report
Of the Secretary of the Treasury, show
ing the States and amounts due. I read
over the decision with care and said to
the Comptroller that while I was not
prepared to dispute the accuracy of his
legal proposition, it was not always
wise to take the pound of flesh as
nominated in the bond, that the
States had responded patriotically, and
the Governors had used their contin-
gent funds when the Federal Govern
ment needed help, and now to take
this snap judgment was unworthy
the conqueror Of Spain. The States
may be called upon again at some
time and with this piece Of petit
fogging in view, might decline
to spend cent Of money. If the
States had not responded with such
alarcrity, instead of the treaty of peace
being signed yesterday our soldiers
would oe dying by the thousands in the
swamps of Cuba and the Philippines.
l told him that Congress would never
consent to such a shorthand method Of
collecting debts due by the States. 1t
was too much like foreclosing a lien or
chattel mortgage on one-ox crop.
''The attention of Congress is invi-
ted to the fact that there are in the
vaults Of the treasury certain non-pay
ing State stocks aud boLds roT belon J.
ing to the United States in regard to
which suggest the propriety and ne
cessity Of adequate l. gislation looking
to >ctuement and collection thereof
The following is statement Of stocks