Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-11-09

streets of Columbia with men of
Cavalier blood manacled between
them. Those were the DAYS of
Moses and Scott and Chamberlain,
and just the other day when the news
papers were full of the retributions
that were being visited upon two of
these basest of scoundrels memory
reasserted itself aud ones blood |
seemed fairly to boil. Here are
two. Of these clippings, saved few
weeks ago, the first from the Rich
mond Dispatch, the other from the
Richmond Nesvs:
ut is curious coincidence that notices
OF the death of Robert X Scott and OF
the arrest OF Franklin J. Moses for a
petty theft in widely separated parts of
tie country appeared in the newspapers
last week within three days of each other.
One succeeded the other as Governor of
South Carolina and their names are
linked together In the history of that
| State connected with its darkest period,
and associated with every infamy of
which an official can be guilty. "The days
OF Scott and Moses" are referred to and
always will be in the South as times of
| blackness and horror. Now after twenty.
/ ak Years tho ono comae ora;n ero,., ~
security because he ia dead and the Other
because he is once more in Jail. They
were different types-Scott, strong, cool,
grasping and holding; Moses weak and
| reckless, morally irresponsible, spend
thrift and shameless slave TO every
vice. He took money 10 heaps from the
State and scattered 1t with hand as
lavish as that ofany lunatic He gave il
away To his favorites Of both sexes.
While he was Governor lie would drive
about the streets of Columbia or Char.
lesion with disreputable women of both
colors. There has never been a more
picturesque villain because never one
more regardless of appearances and
decencies. The administrations Of these
! two men make the most extraordinary
chapter in the history of government
supposed TO be civilized"
There VIII be no mourning IN South
Carolina over the death of Ex-Governor
X, *. Scott, just announced as having
occurred in Ohio. His name will live In
that State and in American history linked
with that Of Frank Moses. They will be
forever identified with the darkest and
most disgraceful period in the States
hfstory--a time when thieves, gamblers
and disreputable women of both colors
stole and squandered and riotcd indis-
criminstely in the capitol, when corrup-
ton was so general that nobody took the
trouble to deny or disguise IL, when corn.
| field hands were drunk every night on
champagne, lost or won hundreds OF
dollars in wide-open gaming places and
dressed their female friends in satins.
IL was most wonderful time of un-
! checked plumber with money running
like water and everybody with a vote to
sell or pocket to I'll getting share.
Scott gathered his part of the loot and
got away In time, leaving the less thrifty
white carpet-baggers and the besotted
negroes TO meet the crashing charge OF
Wade Hampton's red-shirt riders In 1876.
Moses squandered all OF his and was in
jail somewhere In Massachusetts, for a |
small swindle when last heard from. OIL
all the scores OF white and black who |
went into the State treasury up to their |
arm-pits none but Scott and whittemoro
and two others lived to save and enjoy |
their evil gains. Wrecks of that gang |
are scattered all over the coun,ry-most |
of them old, obscure and broken men |
Again we ask, would Robert 4. |
Lee, as victor, have turned over a |
fair and goodly land to the rapacious-
ness of such miscreants?