The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-03-18
TILLMAN'S WORK
In Settling the States Account With
the United States.
STORY OF TIE TRANSACTION.
The States Debt OF S2i0.1Io Is
Wlpcd Out and 4 Balance OF
&SS. 1876 Due To the
Sta:,. iS Paid. -
STATE iS Paid.

STATE iS Paid.
Through the efforts If Senator I'LL
man more than anyone else. as %e
stated last week. the State treasury
is now $50. 9.l3.1.S6 better of than 1t
has been. This is the amount OF the
net claim collected from the United
States Government by Senator I'LL
man. Senator Tillman on d recent
visit u Columbia presented the var
rant and receipt in person TO Governor
Ilerward The impression has been
that Senator Tillmaa collected less
than :l0O,0 bur. as Il matter OF
fact. he settled claims against the
State aggregating 3...SSi.S6, as is
fully shown by his statement of the
case. Senator Tillnlan. iu handing
over the papers in the case u Cover
nor Hayward submitted letter, in
which lie fully explains the entire
transaction in as brief space rs ''aO
we'll be done. and what he h;:S - say
is of great interest. 1t is as fp''ows:
Washington, y. c.. March e, 1903.
Governor y. c. Hayward, Columbia.
S. C.-My Dear Sir: 1t affords me
great qualification to ha;ld you here
with warrants Nos 5,II46 and 3.II4i on
the United States Treasurer for sS9,-
1876. together with receipts from
the Southern Express Company for
Sl25, 600, coupon bonds of the State o!
South Carolina. with coupons attach
ed. aggreSating, principal and inter-
est. S2t9. 30. making Il total III cash
and bonds Of $3333 .SS1..S6.
This warrant and these bonds have
been obtained by my receipting 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 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
br Congress in 1898 attention was dl-
rected by the Secretary Of the Treas
urv to tie fact that South Carolina
was indebted to the United States 90
account Of the Indian trust fund. the
same being invested in the BONDS
above mentioned. and the request was
made bv the secretary that Congress
give him the authority TO collect said
amount. Without my knowledge, or
10 fact. the knowledge OF anyone. 4
provision was SncakeG into the confer
ence report on al appropriation bill,
authorizing the Secretary to begin suit
against tie State OF South Carolina
for the collection of the debt. Demand
was made upon Governor Ellerbe fcr
settlement and he referred the mat
ter to me, and ] at once set about
irving 10 secure an adjustment Of the
account of the State for the Old claim
OF lS12-15.
It required an immense amount O!
work and research to get track OF the
necessary papers. We had to lnvestl-
gate the settlement in the war depart
nent and rummage through volume
after volume Of treasury reports, de-
ciSionS Of the courts, reports OF com
mittees. etc. My own time was too
much occupied with other necessary
business with which l have to deal to
do more than give general directions.
The main work Of that kind in the
case was performed by Mr.. James NJ.
Baker. assistant librarian Of the SEN
ate, and citizen of South Carolina,
whose home is at LowndeSrllle. Mr..
Baker worked zealously and indefati-
aablv both while Congress was in Ses-
sion and after its adjournment, so
that at the next succeeding session l
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 we would be
only too glad to have settlement. In
the mean time suit had been begun by
the Attorney General for. the United
States and a summons was directed to
the Governor to answer the suit. l
submitted all ny evidence. based en-
tirely upon official documents emana-
ting from the treasury department it
self to the committee on claims, and
secured from that committee favor
able report on d 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
of 1896. The bill passed the Senate
without opposition, but was held up
in the House. / tried to get it on the
appropriation bill. but it was ruled
out on a 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 a
similar one from Virginia, and jncIud-
ing the City of Baltimore, was placed
on what is known as the omnibus
claim bill. but the situation in regard
to Nirginia's debt was different from
ours. and Senator Martin, without my
knowledge, incorporated provision
which was very advantageous to Nlr.
ginia. bat without his knowing it.
worked great wrong TO our State. Tn
der the terms uE this act the auditor
for the war department made up The
accounts ard practically balanced
them. making the bonds OF the re
snectjvc States offset the claim O.
each. The difference in the cases arost
4 from the fact that Nirginia,s bond
were not due until 1894, and in orde
Tia q ncc-,1,ltS haianc rs tn,