The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-05-30
Statement as to Claims.
Mr.. CAN'T Goes Into the De.
tails of the Matter.
THE FACTS ANDTHE FIGURES

THE FACTS ANDTHE FIGURES
The discovery of the long sought
exhibit A" Of State Agent James
A. Black. in the rubbish room of the
State house by Mr. w. II. Yeldel;
Saturday is an event of no little con.
sequence to South Carolina This
famous document is q printed pam.
phlet of 81 pages, enumerating the
claims on account of the Revolution
ary war with references to documents
and papers in the possession of the
State ; and establishes the fact that
there was paid by the State of South
Carolina $3l6,947.76. which has
never been refunded to her. With
simple interest at S per cent this
single claim would aggregate q sum
exceeding $4,000 900.
Chief Clerk Jesse L. CAN'T, of the
office of the secretary of State, who
has been at work some time gather
ing documents in the possession of
the State bearing upnn the matter,
and who has succeeded in getting
together a large mass of reports, 10.
cludiDg that of John A Black to the
Legislature Of 1858 aud the books of
original entry aud many of the origi
nal receipts for the payment on &C
counts of the Revolutionary war
compiled by Black in his various
exhibits. makes the following state
ment of the present status of the effort
to secure an accounting with UncIe
Sam:
AMOUNTS DUE SOUTH CARO-.
LIMA.
South Carolina has four separate
and distinct classes of claims against
the United States arising respective
ly from the Revolutionary war. the
war Of 1912, the Seminole or Florida
war, and the Mexican war
The Revolutionary war claims ag
gregste by far the largest sum, and
it is with these that Mr. Black's print.
ed exhibit deals. The United States,
pursuant to an act of congress, made
complete settlement with South
Carolina of all Gums paid by the State
on account of the War of Independ.
ence, in 1898 At the time the set
tlement was made, however, South
Carolina owed large sums in France
and Holland for supplies furnished
and services rendered in the common
defense As South Carolina had not
paid. but still owed, subject to ad.
justment of these amounts, she could
p"t in no claim for their repayment.
They we're gradually aggregated aud
certificates of indebtedness given,
aud for 40 years the State was still
paying them 1t is a remarkable fact
that Notwithstanding the existence of
an act of congress authorizing their
repayment, no effort was made by
the State to have the general gov
ernment refund the amount Not
until James A Black took up the
work were they even aggregated,
aud Mr. Black even did little beyond
aggregating them. considering it the
best policy to first press the later and
smaller claims outstanding | am
confident that all the original docu.
ments and books of original entry to
substantiate the printed statement
Of Mr. Black. and even many of the
original receipts. are accessible in
the State house. and | have succeed
ed in collecting great many Of the
most important This claim amounts,
without interest. to $3l6.947 IS. &C
cordiDg to Mr. Black 9 statement
The two classes of claims upon
which Senator Tillman has been
working and which be has establish.
ed beyond question. aggregate about
half million dollars. including in
terest to this time Senator TiIIman
employed Mr. Baker, Of the senate
library, an efficient young man ap
pointed from AbbeviIe county in this
State, and by indefA,igible labor by
resolutions of inquiry which he sue
ceeded in getting through the senate
and by systematic examination of the
archives of the national government.
has secured full information for their
establishment In an interesting ex.
hibit compiled by Senator TiIImar
and published as part of the con
gressional record, it is shown that in
refunding the large sums expended
by this State in the War of 1912, the
national government laid down the
principle that she would pay interest
only where the State had paid inter.
est-that where the State used money
of her own, no interest thereon could
be collected. In settling the claims
4 -