Year: 1873

on stole right hand and left with reckessness and an
audacity without parallel The robbers under 1t en-
braced all grades Of people The thieves had to combine
TO aid one another 1t took combination Of the princi-
pal authorities to get at the Treasury and they had to
share the plunder alike. All the smaller fry had their
proportions the legislators and obbymen included INC
principal Of the Scott administration are living ID
Columbia and nobody undertakes to call them to ac-
count They do not attempt to conceal their
wealth. If everybody not implicated In the robDer
ies of the Treasury, would be founu 10 Dhg
them 10 light. All that people know Is that the state
bonded debt has been increased from hye 10 hfteeh
Millions and that boslde this there all sorts OF cur
rent obligations to pay anOat issued by state officers
who had authority to bind the Treasury They are all
tnctlred with fraud and of them such scanda-
ous swndles that the courts have been able temporarily
to stop their payment.


SOME LEGISLATIVE swINDLEs.


The whole Of the administration which terminated


its existence in November 1872, was morass OF rotten
ness and the present administration was born OF the
conceptions of that but for the exhaustion Of the
State there is no good reason believe it would steal
less than its predecessor. There to be hope,
therefore that the vianes of the past will be speedily
uncovered The present Governor Moses, was speaker
of the last House. and he credited with having issued
during his term in Office over 100000 OF pay certi1
Gates which still unredeemed and for which there
is no appropriation which must be saddled on the
taxpayers sooner later The whole issue is denounced
as grant robbery The Blue Ridge Railroad scrip Is
another scandal embracing several millions of pure
stealings. The case is briefly this Some years ago
charter was obtained for railroad across the southern
end Of the Blue Ridge from South Carolina into Ken
lucky 1t was difficult work, and the State promised
aid on certain conditions The road was never MADE
and these conditions were fulfilled but since the
restoration the State obligations authorized to be
issued But this was not the worst OF II. The sum
authorized was s1scO,OOO 1t turns out that on the
strength of this authority 100000 of the scrip has
been issued rendered available TO the holders
by being made receivable for taxes and in this way mas
got spread abroad The whole scheme has been for the
moment frustrated by decision of the courts that the
entire transaction is fraudulent and void from the start
With s5OO0OOO of this stuff anoat, which the
Legislature can legaze if the members are paid enough
what hope there that the State will escape liability for
the emissionf


TIE THIEVES BOLD AND SHAMELESS.


These sample items of the cOrupoDs Of the late
outside of the increase of the bonded debt
The niquty laps into this administration. for the
old Speaker has been chosen Governor and the present
Legislature has chosen Patterson Senator.


Yet the last canvass carried under the sting OF
the charges OF corruption against the Scott qdminisra
tion and 1t hoped that the present would be an i'm
provement upon that Tie election Of Patterson soon
after the assembling of the Legislature and the manner
in which he chosen, gave sudden dash to those
hopes Then it has been found that OF the most
unscrupulous white and black robbers who have, as


members lobbyists long Piled their nefar0us trade at
the capital, still disfgure and disgrace the present
Assembly. So tainted is the atmosphere with cOrrup-
ton so universally implicated is everybody about the
government of such q character the ornaments of
society at the capital that is such thing
influential local opinion to be brought against the
scanps. They plunder, and glory in 1t. They steal.
and defy you 10 prove it, The legalzation OF
fraudulent scrip is regarded simply as a smart
operation . The purchase OF Senatorship Is
considered only a profitable trade. Those who
make the out Of the operation the best fellows
"How did you get your money !" was asked OF prom
nent legislator and lobbyist. al stOle 1t" the
prompt reply The same man pursues his trade to-day
openly and unabashed. A leading member OF the last
Administration told he had the credit of having
robbed the State of his large fortune Let them prove
it" was .his only answer. Meanwhile, both OF them
openly reve in their riches under the shadow of
the lean and hungry treasury whence their igotten
gains were ched. AS has been already said, it is be-
leyed that the lank mpoverishment of the treasury
and the total abasement and destruction of the State
credit alone prevent the continuance Of robbery the
old scale. AS is taxation is not in the least dmn
ished, and two millions per raised for
State expenses where 100000 formerly suffced. This
affords succuent pasturage for large crowd. For
must be remembered that not dollar Of IL goes for
interest on the State debt The barter and sale OF the
offices in which the finances Of the State manipua
ted, which divided among the numerous small
ties under system Offering unusual facilities for the
business, go ON with much activity ever The
new Governor has the reputation Of spending $4,000
$4,000 year salary OF $500 but his financial op
erations are taken a matter of and only
ferred to with slight shrug Of the shoulders.


THE BLACKS LESS BLAMEwoRTHY THAN THE WHITES.


only the residences OF the white thieves who
have stolen their half million apiece, pointed
out in Columbia, but here and there comfortable abode
OF some sable ally whose sole business is politics. But
while the coored brother has had to DC content hith
erto with smaller than the white which OF itself
would account for want of relative show he also more
prodigal in his expenditures. He spends freely,
peciay for the ladies. Still his savings to be
despsed. Sambo takes naturally 10 stealing, for he
used 70 it. 1t bis notorious weakness slavery
and in his uDregenerate state he Is far less cupabe
than the white The only way he had TO possess
himself OF anything to steal II from somebody else
The white Is really the responsible party for his
tbefs He may well turn and say to his former master
"the viainy you teach, will execute" The narration
have given sufficiently shows how things have gone
and are going this State but its effect would much
heightened IL there time and for details Here
is one. The total amount OF the stationery bill OF the
for the years preceding 1861 averaged 500 per
annum. Last year IL was $4,000 But the meanness
these legislative robberies is not Hess significant
the character of the legislation than their ma agnitude
Last year the treasury In great straits
occasions Tor money 10 anticipate the taxes. Some OF the
banks came to aid and advanced about 100000 They
this year compelled TO 90 before the Committee
Claims TO get reimbursed. DO you believe that tho
shameless rascas refused TO pay the claim unless they
allowed 10 bag IS 20 per cent OF 1t for their
share Another class OF men who allowed TO rob the
state freely comprises those who control the printing


fees The influence Of free understood u South
Carolina. IL always was, and II was mnzzI ed accord.
ingy Nearly all the newspapers IN the State are now
Tha
them 0d Hbiaa. One nstallment Of $4,000 lately went
abOnI % papers IN ranglng from 81 900 &IOll