Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-11-24

ury had received a paltry twenty thou.
sand bales for the use of its name with
which to seize alleged property Of the
Confederate Government" The value
Of this cotton, stolen from the widows
and orphans, the MANNED and crippled
Of the south was over $4,000 900 ir
gold-a capital sufficient to have start.
ed an impoverished people again on the
road to prosperity. The agents Of this
ring surrounded the halls of legisla-
ton, guarding their booty from en-
vious eyes, and demanding the enact.
ment OF vaster schemes Of legal con-
fiscation.
The Whisky Ring had just beer
formed, and began its system of gigan.
tic frauds by which 1t scuttled the
treasury.
Above them all lowered the figure
of Oakes Ames. whose master mind had
organized the Credit Mobilier steal
This vast infamy had already eaten its
way into the heart Of congress and dug
the graves Of many i!lustrious men.
So open had become the shame thai
Stone man was compelled to Increase
his committees in the morning, when q
corrupt majority had been bought the
nieht before.
He arose one day, and, looking a. the
distinguished speaker. who was him
self the secret associate Of Oakes
Ames, said:
Mr.. Speaker: While the house slept
the enemy has sown tares among our
wheat. The corporations Of this coun-
try having neither bodies to be kicked
nor souls to be lost, have perhaps by
he power Of argument alone, beguiled
from the majority Of my committee the
member from Connecticut. The enemy
have now a majority Of one. l move to
increase the committee to twelve"
Speaker Colfax, soon to be hurled
from the vice presidents chair for his
part with those thieves, increased his
committee.
Everybody knew that "the power OF
argument alone" meant ten thousand
dollars cash for the gentleman from
Connecticut, who did not appear on the
floor for a week. fearing the scorpion
tongue Of the old Commoner.
A congress which found 1t could
make and u~make laws in defiance OF
the executive went mad. Taxation
scared to undreamed heights, while the
currency was deprecated and subject
to the widest fluctuations.
The statute books were loaded with
laws that shackled chains Of mono
poly on generations yet unborn. Pub
lie lands wide as the reach Of empires
were voted as gifts to private corpor-
atoms. ard subsidies Of untold mil
lions fixed as a charge upon the peo-
pie and their children's children.
The decentralization incident to a
great war, the waste Of unheard- OF
sums of money. the giving of contracts
involving millions by which fortunes
wern made In a night, the riot Of spec
ulation and debauchery by those who
tried to get rich suddenly without la
hor. had created a new Capital Of the
Nation. The vulture army Of the base
venal, unpatrotic, and corrupt, which
had swept down. black cloud in war
'ime to take advantage Of the misfor-
tues of the Nation, had settled In
Washington and gave new tone to It's
life.
Prior to the Civil War the Capital
was ruled, and the standards of Its So
cial and political life fixed, by an aris-
-ocracy founded on brains. culture
and blood. Power was with few evcep-
tio~s intrusted to an honorable body OF
high spirited public officials. Now a
negro electorate controlled the city
government, and gangs Of drunken ne
eroes. Its sovereign citizens. paraded
the streets az night firing their musk
cts unchallenged and unmolested.
A new mob Of onion-laden breath
mixed with perspiring African odor
became the symbol Of American Dem
ocracy,
A new order of society sprouted In
this corruption. The :. old high-bred
ways, tastes and enthusiasms were
driven into the hiding places Of few
families and cherished as relics Of the
past.
Washington, choked with scrofulous
ty Dollar. The new altar was covered
with a black mould Of human blood
but no questions were asked.
A mulatto woman kept the house OF
the foremost man Of the Nation and
received his guests with condescensio1 J.
In this atmosphere of fester"g vice
and gangrene passions, the struggle be-
tween the Great Commoner and the
president on which hung the fate OF
the sou.h approached its climax.
The whole Nation was swept into the
whirlpool, and business was paralysed
Two years after the close Of victor
ious war. the credit Of the Republic
dropped until It's six per cent bonds sold
In the open market for seventy-:hree
cents on the dollar.
The revolutionary junta In control OF
the Capital was within a single step OF
the subversion OF the government and
the establishment of a dictator In the
White House.
A convention was called in Philadel-
phia to restore fraternal feeling, heal
the wounds Of war; preserve the con-
rtitution. a d restore the Union OF the
fathers. 1t was a grand assemblago
represen Ing the heart aid brain or the
Nation. Members Of Lincoln's first
cabinet, protesting senators and con-
gressmen, editors of great Republica
and Democratic newspapers, heroes OF
both armies, long estra1ged. met for a
common purpose. When a group oil
famous negro worshippers from Boston
suddenly entered the hall, arm In arm
with ex-slaveholders from South Car
olina the great meeting rose and walls
aid roof rang with thunder peals OF
applause.
Their committee, headed by IA
nous editor, journeyed to Washington
to appeal to the Master at the Capito!
They sought him not In the White
House, but in the little Black House In
an obscure street on the hill.
The brown woman received them
with naughty dignity. and said:
"Mr. Stoneman can not be seen al
his hour 1t is after o'clock. Will
submit to him your request for an au-
dience tomorrow morning"
1--WE must see him tonight" replied
the editor with rising anger.
THE king is amusing himself" said
the yellow woman. with a touch OF
malice.
Where is he?"
Her cat-like eyes rolled from side to
side, and a smile played about her full
lips as she said:
you will find him at Hall & Penn
ber:ons gambling hell-you've live In
Washington. You know the way"
With a muttered oath the editor
turned on his heel and led his two
companions to the old Commoner's IA
vorite haunt. There could be no bet
ter time or place to approach him tina
seated at one of its tables laden with
rare wines and savory dishes.
On reaching the well-known number
Of Hall & Pemberton's place, the editor
e~tered the unlocked door, passed with
his friends along the soft t-carpeted hall
and asce1ded the stairs. Here the
door was locked. A sudden pull of the
he'll, and a pair of bright eyes peeped
through a small grating in the center
Of the door revealed by the sliding OF
its panel
The keen eyes glanced at the prof
tered card, the door flew open, and q
l-dressed mulatto invited them with
til 30