Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-17

| voice:
'iThc general assembly of North Caro-
| lima do enact:
Il. That all citizens of the state who
took part in the rebellion and fought
against the union or held office In the So
| called Confederate States of America,
shall be held guilty of felony and shall
be forever debarred from voting or hold
/ ing office.
20. That the married relations of all
/ such felons are hereby dissolved and their
| wives absolutely divorced, and said felons
| shall be forever barred from contracting
marriage or living under the same roof
with their former wives"
Instantly four carpet-bagger members
| of some education rushed for Tins seat.
/ Withdraw that bill, man, quick! My
| God, are you madr' they all cried in
| breath
Tim was dazed by this unexpected turn
and grinned in an obstinate way.
II can't see II, gentlemen. That bill will
kill out the breed of rebels and fix the
| status of every southern state for five
| hundred years. It's Just what we need
to make this state loyal"
You pass that bill and hell will break
/ loose!
'How so. brother9 Amt we on top and
the rebels on the bottom? Amt the army
here to protect us?" persisted Tim.
There was brief consultation among
the little group in opposition and the
] leader said: -.t
"Mr. Speaker move that the bill be at
| once printed and laid on the desks of the
members for consideration"
Tim was astonished at this move of his
enemy. Legree looked at him and waited
| his pleasure.
"Mr. Speaker, I withdraw that bill for
the present." he said at length.
That night the wires were hot between
Washington and Raleigh. and the entire
if,o Of mas cd
happy Tim. His bill was not only sup
| pressed but the news agencies were
| threatened and subsidized to prevent ac-
counts of its Introduction being circulated
| throughout the country.
Tim decided to lay this measure over
| until congress was on his hands. and the
states autonomy fully recognized. Then
] he would dare interference. In the mean
time he turned his great mind to financial
matters. His success here was over
whelming.
His first measure was to increase the
per diem of the members from So to 81 a
day. 1t passed with a whoop.
Uncle Pete Sawyer, a coal-black father
Unlocking old darkey, from an eastern
county, made himself immortal in that
debate.
"Mistah speakahl" he bawIed, drawing
himself up with great signify. and hold
ing a pen in his left hand as though he
had been writing What do desc white
gemmen mean by e1posen dis bill? Eff
we doan pay de members enuf, dey des
be erbleeged ter steal. Hit amt right,
sab, ter fo'ce de members er dis hon'able
body ter prowl after dark when day otter
be here 'tehdin' ter de business o. de
country. En- L moves you, sab, Mistah
Speakah, dat desc remarks er mine be
filed in de arkibes er grabity!'
They were filed and enbalmed In the ar
chives of gravity, where they will remain
m ais nd ,gc 81
AS Tins great financial measures made
progress, the membersA began to wear
better clothes, assumed white linen shirts.
had their shoes BACKED and put on the
airs of overworked statesmen,
When they had used up all the funds OF
the state in mileage and per diem they
sold and divided the school fund, railroad
bonds worth half million, for hundred
thousand ready cashI 1T was soon found
that Simon Legree. speaker of the house
was the master of financial measures and
Tim Shelby was his mouthpiece.
Legree organized three groups OF thieves
composed of the officials needed to perfect
the thefts in every branch of the govern
ment while he retained the leadership of
the federated groups. The treasurer, who
was an honest man, was stripped of power
by a special act E.
The capitol ring merely picked up the
odds and ends about the capitol build
ing. They refurnished the legislative halls.
They spent over two hundred thousand
dollars for furniture and when it was APP
praised its value was found to be seven
teen thousand dollars at the prices they
hundred and seventy thousand dollars
on this item alone.
An appropriation of three hundred thous-
and dollars was made for supplies, sun
dries and incidentals." With this they
built booth around the statue of WASH
ington at the end of the capitol and sestab-
lished a bar with fine liquors and cigars
for the free use of the members and their
friends They kept itopen every day and
night during their reign, and in a suite of
rooms in the capitol they established a
brothel. From the galleries a swarm of
courtesans daily smiled on their favorites
on the floor.
The printing had never cost the state
more than eight thousand dollars in any
one year. This year 1t cost four hundred
and eighty thousand, Legree drew thous-
ands of warrants on the state for imagi-
nary persons. There were eight pages in
the House. He drew pay for one hundred
and flfty-six pages In this way he raised
an enormous corruption fund for imme-
diate use in bribing the lawmakers to car
~ through his schemes.
The railroad ring was his most effective
group of brigands.
They passed bills authorizing the issue
of twenty-five millions of dollars in bonds
and actually issued and stole fourteen mil
lions and never built one foot of railroad.
When Legrees movement was at its high
tide Ezra Perkins sought Uncle Pete Saw
yer one night IN behalf Of a pet measure
of his pending in the house.
Peter was seated by his table counting
by the light of a candle three big piles OF
gold.
His face was wreathed in smiles.
Peter. you seem well pleased with the
world tonight?" said Ezra gleefully.
well, brudder. you see dem piles er
yaller money!"
Yes. II is a fine sight"
Uncle Pete smacked his lips and grinned
from ear to ear. E+te..s
WELL bru~der 1 tells you I ben sol
seben times in my life. but fore Gawd,
dat's de fust time ebber got de money"
Uncle Pete dreamed that night that
congress passed law extending the
blessings of a republican form of gov
eminent to North Carolina for forty
years and the legislature never adjourned!
But the legislature finally closed. and in
drunken revel which lasted all night.
They had bankrupted the state. destroyed
it's school funds and increased its debt
from sixteen to forty-two millions of dol
lars without adding one cent to its wealth
or power.
Legree then organized municipal and
county ring to exploit the towns. cities and
box vim pacead hill VaCatinp all