The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-03-20
!. !. !]['] T][']I-.Ll|.LnIAN'S ] ] WORK
Y In Settling the States Account With
the United States
STORY OF THE TRANSACTION.
The stnte's Debt OF $a4O,75o is
W.pcd Out and Balance OF
$50, 1870 Duo 20 the
s. state is Paid.

state Is Paid.
Through the efforts OF Senator TILL
man more than anyone else, as we
stated last week, the State treasury
is nc" $50, l37.ef better off than it
has been. TlliS is the amount of the
net claim collected from the United
# States Government by Senator Till
man. Senator lTillman on q recent
visit to Columbia presented tile war
rant and receipt in person to Governor
Hayward. The impression has been
that Senator Tillman collected less
than 100000, but, as u matter of
fact, he settled claims against the
State aggregating $337, ,SS7. Sc, rs Is
fully shown by his statement Of the
ease. Senator Tillman, in handing
over the papers in the case To Cover
Z nor Hcyward, submitted Il letter, in
which he fully explains tho entire
transaction IN aS brief space ls.Gan
we'll be done, and what he has To say
is OF great interest. 1t is as fnlnwS:
Washington, ID. O., March 6, 1909.
Governor ID. G.. C..IIcyward, Columbia,
S. My Dear Sir: 1T affords me
great graft ticatiOn to hand you here
"Auii wall IN S1S. -, lfO lilN -, ~ VII
the United States Treasurer for $780,
1876, together with receipts from
tho Southern Express Company for
. $125, 900, coupon bonds Of tho State of
South Carolina, with coupons attach
cd, aggrcgating, principal and inter
est, S249, $50, making total in cash
and bonds OF 1897, SS7.S6
This warrant and these bonds have
been obtained by my rcceipting the
United States in full for the claim of
the State Of South Carolina, Which
grew out OF the expenditures by The
State on behalf OF the United States
Government during the war Of 1872
1915.
have been working on this matter
for the past four years and a brief
statement Of The facts may be Of in
terest to you and to the people Of the
State.
When the expenses attending the
enrolment of the volunteers for the
Spanish war were being provided for
by Congress in 1898 attention was Iii
rected by the Secretary OF the Treas
ury to the fact that South Carolina
was indebted 20 the United States on
acco,lnt,of the Indian trust fund, the
same being invested in the bonds
above mentioned, and the request was
matlo by the secretary that Congress
!. give hiW The authority to collect said
amounts Without my knowledge, or
81 IN fact, the kno lge-of anyone, !,
provision was sneakcd Into the confer.
ence report on an appropriation bill.
authorizing the Secretary to begin suit
f.ltrri ct fot -
for the collection Of the debt. Demand
was made upon Governor Ellerbc ful
settlement and he referred The mat.
ter TO me, and at once SIT about
trying TO secure an adjustment OF The
account Of the State for The I'D claim
or 1Sl2-I5.
1t required an immense amount q,
work and research to get track Of the
necessary papers. We had to invcsti-
gate the settlement in the war depart
incnt and rummagc through volume
after volume OF treasury reports, de
ciSiOnS Of the courts, reports of com
mittccs, etc. My own time was too
much occupied with other necessary
business with which have To deal tc
40 more than give general directions.
The, main work Of that kind i'm the
case was performed by Mr. James NJ.
baker, assistant librarian Of the Sen
ate. and Il citizen Of South Carolina,
whose home is at Lowndcsyillc. Mr..
Baker worked zcalouSly and indcfati-
gably both while Congress was in scs-
sion and after its adjournment, so
that at the next succeeding session |
was prepared TO demonstrate that in
stead of South Carolina being in debt
to the United States, the boot was on
the other foot, and that wc would be
only too glad to have Il settlement. In
the mean time suit had been begun by
the Attorney General for the United
States and il summons was directed to
the Governor to answer the suit. |
submitted I'LL my evidence. based en-
tircly upon Official documents cmana-
ting from the treasury department it
self to the committee on claims, and
secured from that committee favor
able report on Il bill to authorize an
adjustment and accounting between
the State and the United States, in
which was included claim for Il bal
ance due the State on account Of mon
eYs expended during the Indian war
VI 1Ooo. liC oill tuSScl lIlC iocIlllc
without opposition, but was held l,p
in the House. tried to get il on the
appropriation BILL but it was ruled
out on Il point Of order, and the only
thing could accomplish was To have
the law authorizing suit against the
State repealed.
Last year this claim. along with Il
similar one from Virginia, and includ-
ing the City OF Baltimore, was placed
on what is known as the omnibus
claim bill, but the situation in regard
to NirginiaS debt was different from
ours, and Senator Martin. without my
knowledge, incorporated Il provision
which was very advantageous to Fir-
ginia, but without his knowing it,
worked great wrong to our State. Uil-
der the terms OF this act the auditor
for the war department. made up the
accounts and practically balanced
them, making the bonds Of the re.
spectyc States offset the claim OF
each. The difference in the cases aros,
from the fact that Nirginias bond.
were not due until 1894, and in ordcl
TO have the accounts balance, as tho
two interest bearing funds were dilIcr
cnt, they would have to 20 back prio
TO the maturity OF the bonds Scvcra
years, thus making Virginia dona