The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1910-09-29

ESQ, 900 4 wear. Iiis pow0f' was i I'M Z
mense 1The ~ |! ly-of t7isrs3yub VII
can party sdhsili5e&| thsmselykd itoIHis
dictation and we're s'baIpl. ~ pfss
smiles. His nod was favor and a
WORD from him made the fortunes Of
linen. He set the fashion Of living,
a fashion of drinking and carousing, a
Il fashion Of getting things without pay
ling for them--l fashion altogether
agreeable to his tools and accom-
Iplices his, power waxed greater
as be drew the leaders Of the faithful
closer around him. With his money
4 he was liberal, and he paid his men
Iwell. 1t was so easy to give an order
on Swepson. and swepson had the en-
tire cash Of bank at command Ex-
: travagance aid corruption ruled the
day. and jobbery was shameless. Lit
Itlefield established in a room in the
| west end Of the Capitol free bar
where all who chose to drink and
smoke caroused at his expense. Those
, who claimed his friendship We're, his
, perpetual guests. And so, with wine
, land women, he and his friends led
, gay life, debauching all who longed
to be debauched in those first months
. after the ushering in Of New North
I Carolina
, With the paltry stealings wo do not
lconcern ourselves.
; In October the taxes had come In
J land now the treasury was getting low
! again. The N. @. R. r. had issued to
: the state by way of dividend $780,
: loco OF railroad bonds, and these were
! sold in job lot for $11S,000 and that
Twas being rapidly absorbed-and no
! provision made for paying the inter-
est falling due In January. The state
E Twas on the eve Of bankruptcy. Inter-
est falling due and no money to pay
! lit But Littlefield and Deweese and
| Latin and their conferees talked on
E ly of progress, and internal improve
: ments, and of New North Carolina!
: Bonds! Bonds! Bonds! Their plans
g found more or less support among the
!. Representatives of the counties inter-
Z tested, and opposition to their adroit
: schemes was abortive.
/ When their power to control the as
: sembly was definitely determined the
: ltriumvirate announced that no rail-
road bill should be allowed to pass
a unless the railroad receiving the APP
: preparation should agree to pay them
one-tenth OF the amount. They con-
TENDED themselves with taking tithes.
Swepson found 1t necessary to APP
: ply for an act curing the defect In the
4 bonds issued to his road, because they
were not special tax bonds. and he
lagreed to pay his ten per cent and
: at once began to make the payment.
He not only paid cash to the leaders
! In the enterprise, but also paid their
: orders In the hands OF various menu
/, bers of the assembly. But while he
> was a sort of paymaster In chief. the
! money came through the Ring. Little
!, field was the fountain whence the gol-
den stream issued. the editor of the
!, Standard, the Public Printer, the
fountain Of republican favor and
: honor. As the money began to cir
shared the loot piled the free bar and
: basked in the smiles Of Littlefield, all
were very happy. Before the Christ
J mas holidays Swepson had disbursed
:, in cash $4,000; and before the middle
= of June he had paid out $200, 900. They
! had a very merry Christmas--and a
!. very merry springtime-these repub-
! lican brethren who were giving a
! new birth to old North Carolina. And
Littlefield. with his great black beard,
the new Blackboard Pirate of North
Carolina-waxed greater and greater,
!, and became the uncrowned king OF
: the republicans in this state OF that
!, era. And debauchery and corruption
: thriyed in the purlieus OF the capitol
|" II was indeed royal time; money was
SO plentiful!
Don't I owe yos 10000 casually
: asked Swepson OF DR.. Sloan, ..for not
voting against the A. T. q o. r. r.
bill?" yes, give me $4,000 and
hand the balance TO General Latin"
That is but a sample. In addition
: TO the cash the ring obtained. IL re-
: ceived s633,000 in bonds.
z Railroad bills when introduced
= were kept back. and the whole batch
/ were known as the omnibus bill.
E Provision was made for all. None
{ were 70 lie left out In the cold.
! While II was given out that no bill
e could pass without an agreement. for
oil 10 per cent. OF the bonds, yet this
agreement was not always made BY
p the president OF the company. but
. sometimes on behalf OF the company
6 BY those who. expected to profit BY
Z the appropriation. Thus we find
agreements made on behalf OF com.
! panies not yet chartered: for rail.
: roads OF which the public knew moth
q ing. corporations created simply to
n support appropriations Of which the
: ring could get its one-tenth. Agree
: ments were made on behalf OF rail.
i roads whose presidents, being demo.
e Gratis. were to be ousted, so that re.
o publican successors could be substi.
a ltuted.
n Among the bonds authorized 10 be
u issued that winter were the fol.