Year: 1874

village in the usually rapid manner. lhe
miller ground it in his mill, the blacksmith
hammered it at his anvil DR.. Pembroke left
off Struggling, and the minister looked full at
DR.. Lansing as he pronounced the text, "He
that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord"
Myistellaueuus &eading.


r Correspondence of the New York Tribune.


GENERAL KERsHAW "INTERvIEWED."


CULUMB1A, S. c., September I'm the
effort for political reform now making in South
Carolina no figure is more prominent than
that of Gen. j. B. Kershaw. To him and to
Gen. James Chestnut, ex-United States Sena'
tor is largely due the success which has thus
far attended the Taxpayers movement, the
extent of which is represented by the Conven'
ton and Taxpayers; Unions now in session in
this city, body presenting in appearance as
we'll as in other respects marked and favor
able contrast to the Republican gathering in
the Statehouse. sought to learn Gen. Ker,
shaw's views on affairs in South Carolina, for
the reason above indicated, and because he is
by both parties acknowledged to be Christian
gentleman of real ability, extensive expert
ence in public life, little influenced by partisan
considerations, friendly to both races, honest
in all things, and candid to fault. He was a
prominent officer in the Confederate army OF
Northern Virginia, was chairman Of estate
committee of the Carpenter reform movement
which made such demonstration of strength
in this State few years ago, and is now the
favorite candidate of the Tax Unions for the
Governorship. If he does not accept nomi'
nation for Governor, he will probably be a
candidate for Congress in the district now
represented by the Hon. A. S. Wallace, whose
box" speech, delivered few weeks
ago, so excited the negroes in some OF the
counties of the middle section. | found Gen.
Kershaw perfectly willing to answer all ques-
tiors propounded with view to giving the
people of the North truthful statement OF
South Carolina affairs. Subjoined isa report
of his views:


A GOVERNMENT BAD FROM THE BEGINNING.


Gen. Kershaw said I may state in general
terms that the government of South Carolina
since reconstruction, almost from the very be-
ginning, certainly very soon after, was con.
verted into sort of job business, having for
its object no other purpose than the enrich
ment of the ofice-holders. This remark is SO
general in the application among the political
leaders as to admit scarcely of any exception
to its truth. In some few instances, I sup
pose, there is no doubt that corporations and
private persons natives of the State, and
commonly classed with the Democrats and
holding social relations with them-have en-
couraged this corruption by buying the pas
sage of acts of incorporation and other bills
for private purposes. There was hardly a
possibility during the last six years to secure
legislative aid for any such purposes without
resort to the use Of such means. think, too
that men having some character have been in
duced to unite in some Of these speculations
at the public expense, in order in some sort to
render them more plausible in appearance
But these instances are very rare indeed, and
the parties known to be engaged in them
have suffered quite as much in public estima
ton as those from whom less was expected
The growth of this corruption was gradual
1t first began in comparatively small amounts
and as the parties we're rendered bold by sue
cess they were indefinitely increased in the
amount and number of the jobs, until at last
the State is bankrupt, its credit exhausted
and the people determined, in my opinion, to
endure it no more. AS an evidence Of the de-
liberate design to plunder the State il, he
large bond transactions, the acts authorizing
the issue of bonds in every instance, l believe
certainly in most, do not provide limit to
the amount of bonds to be issued, but only
specify the amount to be raised by the issue
of bonds. Hence, if the object were to raise
S2,000,000, bonds to the amount Of $4,000,
900 might be issued or any other amount
which might be necessary to raise that sum
in the market, and the act on its face would
seem to justify the transaction. The spolia
tors, when they speak of the amount of the
public debt, often resort to the amount au
thorized to be raised as limit, while the &C
tual debt created to raise that amount re-
mains yet unascertained. have been told
that these acts were always drawn under the
immediate superintendent of the then attor
ney-general, Mr.. Chamberlain, now the Re
publican candidate for Governor. | suppose
the legislation Of no country will show such 6
trifing with the public credit as they manifest


THE NEGRO IN POLITICS.


Very few of the negroes have derived any
advantages from their share in the dirty work
A few of their leaders have grown rich, but
the most of them are as poor as they ever
were. The little they got as members of the
Legislature on y served to promote the form
e ro y, no nt hitc p6 foctac and tr
unfit them for honest industry. l believe the
masses of the negroes, wherever they can be
made to understand the existence of these
frauds, are as much opposed to them as could
be expected of people so little interested in
the question of finance. But Of course they
are permitted to understand very little about
it by their political teachers, who find ready
answer in mendacity to every attempt made
by us to explain them. With very few ex
ceptions, Office has proved utterly destructive
to the colored man, whenever he has been
brought within its seductive influence. Few
of them hold an office for any length of time
and nearly all leave it with bad and demor.
allied habits. A number Of offices have been
created to find place for the colored "whippers
in" and dependents of the Ring, such, for in
stance, as places attached to the two houses
of the Legislature. These are said to mum.
Der some hundred, and each ofthe incumbents
receives compensation OF six dollars per
day. A gentleman informed me that he was
present on one occasion when Republican
senator was making calculation of the
amount required to pay off the employees of
the Senate, when he laid down his pen and
said, "This is a id shame! The pay of
the attaches of the Senate exceeds that of the
Senators by $4,000" The effect, of course,
is very demoralizing upon these unhappy peo-
pie, and tends to perpetuate the reign of cor
Fundamentally every brieht younp fellow.