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-I 4 -4- - . - 1 - DEVOTED TO POLITICS, ?ORALiTY, EDUCATION AND ?0 THE GEN RAL INTJ EST QF TflE COUNTRY. WIL. VIL PICI{ENS, S. C., THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1878. - NO.2 T E 'THIEVES' dARIVAL. AN ABW4DING C4TALOGUE OF T1H XODDER1E8 UNDER CARPET-RULE IN BOUTH CAROLgNA. TH9 WHOLE STATE GOVEliNMENT FED, IOURD, CO1OTUEP INTOXICATED A,D REDVCED TO CIV.ILIZATION AT STATE EXPENSE. Tb joint' committee appointed utnders concurrent resolution of the General Assembly, at -the. special seAsion of 1877, "to ascertain Whetber any improper or illegal use has been made 4f: the public funds or credit of :the State," beg leavo to report u.pon uch special 8ubjects of inves tigation as they deem comnplete, fand to make eupplcimentary repor ts' from tivne to timb upoin i.he :reiidue -of the matters before them,.71ntil fle en tire evidjnce ando conclusions are reported. The committe respectfully invite attention to the evidence und vonch ei's submitted witi this report,.nder the head of ouyplies. The abuses lave been so .grekt. and of such a polpable natuie, that the most cre dulous person would hardly believe that such fraude could be perpetrated under the forms of legislat,ion. Uis tory fails to cite an instance which canl be couinpared withsuch ia carni val of frauds and extravnganjce as C has been held in Soith Carolina, by and thuogh the purchn'e of sup plies for the mermbers of t be Generai Assembly. - In this C(Inlection we submit a wilOnmbe of the accounts bgainst the State, alo u feiw individ ui11 accounts of the average "states ikenl" Of South Car4lina un1der tle lote regime. Wo not only make t1he "ssertion, but presen't the proofs, t ht the wiole country may see how one of "tie old thiree: "' has bei robbed and laid prostrate, through ignor Uncle Onl one side and corrupt advetn turerson tihe ot her. Olr riport is necessarily selaberate; the chaurgeb are 8o grave that we deem it unwise to mrake them un lees substnt iated by *evidonee whbich no one can, don bt, If the simp%I statement were madie that Senators and members of the flouse were furnished with. everything they desired, from swaddling clothes and cradle, to the coffin of the undertak er-fromu brogans to chignona, finest extracts to best wines and liquor3, and paid for -by the State, it would create a snule of doubt and derison; but when we make the statement, and prdve it by several wit nessee and the vouchers found in the offices of the Clerks'of the Senate and 11ouse, all will with sorrow admit the truth fulness of this report. For your guid Oace we deem it essential to place under appropriate heads the class of supplies and.the evidence referring thereto. We first call your attentiost4o the evidence of Mr. Woodr~uff, wlin was Clerk of the Senate at the time, and ne,esprily cognizanut of ev erythIing cofle?fing the fui'nishintg ~f 'su plies. Hie sayes- "Under th b ead of b sBpplies was enwbraced anything that a Be~tor eihose 'to order." -These orders were generally'given t hrough the Clerk, and the acunts: were rendered against thme CJcr'k of the Senate. At. first the orders were modderato, and included only statioin.. 6' ery .and postage .etamps, but they gradually increazsed until they as sunted gigantic pr opor tions. In .the commencement,aof this business (If furnishing members, they gave or dera on the clerks to dedtmet. the S auto'unt from .1 heir par, but very soon the orders largely exceeded Ibhlk pay., and thie scoImnt we,- then * inlnldq#4iAithe, reortI' of; the om,U mittee on Conztingent. Acconnte, aund ps~y certifleatet tags iss'ed for ahgisk *iery description of merchand ise. i aij6A~ thi,,s weroe A3counts for collection and distribu1, tion. As theEe matters became com moh, the Senators claimed that all Atheir ex-penses should be paid by the State, or in the language of Senator C. P. Leslie, "The State had nt tight to be a State tmless she could pay and take care of ))er statcamen." Mr. Woodruff sa% i, and the vouch crSand certificates ,prove, t.hat grati ficfitlon certificates were freqiently issued for the benefit of the Senators. Senators Jervey and Gaillard, of Charleston, afid Senator Cain, - of Edgefi6ld, alto corroborate this tes timony. and acknowledge that they received a portion of tlie frndhilent certifictes thus issued. A. (. Jones, Clelk of the House, testifIas that sup plies were fn1rnished under the head of "Leg itslative expensee, I ics atd stationery," and included refrcsh mente for committee rooms, grcc ries, clocks, horses, carritges, dry good1s, furniture of every descrip! ionI anld mitcellaeois articles of mer chandiso. fur the pers'onal use of thw members. You committee find upon exaumliflation of the vouchers in the Treasurer's oflice that in one1 sesion' there 'was expended under the re.. pectivc heads of 'supplies," " ..i driies " and "incidental expen:cs," not lcs' thon $350),000, $125,00. of which vere speit tor refreshments, including the finctit wines, liquors amid cigars.. * re can 103 prove how ulliver Sally, this s1st6,em (. f traud was prac ticed and carried out by the b)Ils ald individual accounts turned in as vom.Ibers,a pkrtiun (f Which wc es11bm1il with the( rep-rt anwd the e(-; dence of W oodruiT aId Jnes,eleks dSer;reaiL at-Artins W illiam. Woodi-tff testifies that the practice be-aMe so g:ItIal as to eibrace nearly everv lIepublican and several Dcmocratic Senators. Siich acoiunts camie to be regarded as priviluged matters, and the Senate rule req uir ing all reports to lie over one day was general Iy s uspe)nded anid thle report conisidere51 at ounce, aund the a~ccounIts ordeu ed to be paid withliut a disseniting voice.. Senators lett thteir accounts with the chairman of thec Commnittee on Contin gent Ac-. counts. Whlen setiled in this way, they were generally ret urned to Sen, ators rceipted. We find there was a regular system by which these ac counts wvere p.ased upon by the Sen. ate and Ilouse, shrongh the umainip lationi of the Connuliittees on1 Contlini gent Accounts. Th'e following ex ampflel wbill suflice: The committee yvoulId report that they had considered the account of A, B anad C (which were honecet clad ims) aind found them cot rect, and wvould reconinenid that they be paidl, but after the last name on the ac counts we, H)in moat instances, founad the omlinouls words ''and others," or "'sundries and others,'' wh icahbe in#jinterp)reted mear.t f raudl Woodruffr tlcoIntiniuing, says, "'the comimittee to audit the contingenit ex penses of the Senato, clai med tl he right io order what they p'leased and( incl ude it in their repoi't u nder the name of "sundies and others." Jones in his evidence speaks of thema af' "que ecZCouniita," and says they were generamlly paid under the head of "'aiad oth ers." Your committeei find it, necessary to classify thIo va riousi suppl ies futrishefd , ini order that you may peCrceiyeO the magnai tude of the Pobber'y, and the ruthless expendhitures of taxes to pr'ovide for the plesegrg pnd coie t our'"tte nJrder the class of refreshments, we ask atter tion to these sfacts: A r'tAni1in thme StA( 1ouse .was Iittedl u - hein,to pi'ye "wind, 1ign or~ e & cigitre," to hate of c tos,mem1bN%Vorj,e Uonge and thd1r ,iends, at itll hottre of the damy'fd un1~ha.- Weodrnfsadanc dered for rireshmentf, includiirg the best liquers and cigars, and served pil in a room adjoining that Qf the Clerk of the Senat6 and kept opeti at all hours, and was visited daily by State oflicials, Judgel, Senators, members of the House, lawyers, cd itor'13, newsjpaper reporters and citi zens generally, irrespective of party, and that they discussed latters, State and national, in Ile most agree able n' anner over their "sparkling glasses." Not satisfied with the es tablishmont of a bar room in the ca1pitol, they employed i porter, who had chaig of the "rufreshment" room1. The porter states that for six years the Stato lHose bar room was genertaly opened at 8 o'clock in the morning, and kept o)en until from 2 to 4 tho next morning; that duriing that timo somic one was constantly there eatig, smoking, or drinking, and that "Itnday furmed no oxcej) tion to the rule, an.d he says "ho IeVel S:N a bar rcom egnal to the State llouse refreh mnt room, 1or di inkintg, Gmokini and talking," that a la.rgc n1)jrity of tle mllllbers who assemnbled in the'room, were R pub licaus, but that Democratic Senators aId RUepreCetafiVes WOre there also Ie mentioned the immes of Senators 1winmann and 1.1 leoMbe, anld. R epre1. sentative V..-M. Smith as daily visi tots, "th!at m1).1y of the members WOUld h1:1 ..t 01he rcom buf''ru break fs,hunig adrink,- Or VNye-Openecr." lHe c. m not Ce-stimflal the eXact asotMlig-.or driunk, but nteerzted at.-- i ..mC ( reveral 1-n! n per win , :eun p :-erthr,fwnl in. The I best ei "I'la d wme.s we,te forn.1i bd, 1n1d t.,at oficti what 11he CO idored good article would be rejected. le could not keep a suflicient anount of cigars on hnd ct supply the de, mlland, a6 m1 of thmiled on0 or two of their ockets when ea-ving and wou,' d fIrcqluewtly carry t.f a h.>lo Cf iebaIiIIm in t R11 hame w Zy Hie is porter~ now,\ an st( ays t hat no siness stopped3( w~ hent Go v. I atUfiJni took chatrge of the State Hioned. It will be observed that the State furnished a room, a porter, and re freshipe ntIs for our "~m cstteie," w hile they were plhot ting how to rob t he people they piretetnded to represent; readly to vote for aniy fmeatsure that would en rich t htemselves at ihe po bs lie exjCense. .In addii oni to the re, fresh men ts furntishe1d at thle State llonso, latrge quantlities (f wvineis, liin rs amnd eigZars anid othIer th iigs were tsent to the hot uIs, boanrd in2 htouses andt residoneies of State di cialds, Set at.ori, member s and 1 iti fientd3. Th1is is showna by .thle vone (h etrs ini reCOuts renideled, an(I the ov'idcece oft W oodhn1f who says, thtat "'the matter' ' of refreshmencti ,~ Ii ke oIthers, alumed11(( the larges' priopor..~ tions3, and orders wxere g..iven f ti r~:2s amnd cigaf it ich were set to the Ibo 0h3 boartditng hou'ihts and1 res!~ieneej of the mttmu er1. ad their Olerk Jones says t hat the most ex travagan t aiccoun ltsH were renderedi for' reCfreOshmenCits f or Ol 1 cmiueeO rooms, and It ht, eountd it useless to re - monstlate. Sergeanit- at-Armis Wilh i ns test i fUita then IHous~e (lid not keep-a r freinhet roomIi, thait he wats (orderedf' to blt\ wines atnd. ligniors fotr the mnembers, atnd I hat lie d id buy thbem from. vir. GAibsoni and Mr. Solomnen. flis e -idence is corroborated by .Mr. Gibso ~, anUdie orders~ gi ven h im, a few wit wh we submttit with this repor Among the mnember's 'thust furi s ed we find( the nlameis of' T. II utrk , memberi)oi tronm Chaleston,l P.~ Si ;kiiis, iromi iC4gelield, J. 1). IBosto , ii-omi No wl)berry,.Jamnes A. lowl y, of Gergtownt, Speak~er S. J. Let of A iken. We su bmlit aspe cimenIr (0rder given) to Mlr. Gibson, f)i' Ja ie~ A IJowley, wich was dutJ S$ livkqed in one da.y: &"One box chit pagne, one box of port wine, on box whiskey, one box braudy, one box sherry wine, tLrec. boxes gigars. " Mr 'Bowey was one of the leading colored members of the House .and Chairman of the CoMTnittee of Ways and Means, and it .Js eaRy to nuder stand why lie repo'rted favorably up on the enormons tax levies and np propriation bills of the House. Wd append an order to Mr' Gibson from Rev. W. M. Thom11as, iMember from Colleton, and Chairman of the Com Iittee ou Claims: "Mr. Gibson, tbere is a mistake, the order calls for .two )ox- of wine, please snd. the other, W. M. Thomas." Mr-.Gibson in his evidence says ie was paid in legis lative pay cortificates tor all supplies and t1hat .ho always furnished the best a-rticles. Wo also refe'r to the evidence of Win M. Fine) who kept a restaurant in this city, and, who Sa"6ys lie fiIirnished supplies conidsting of "eatables, winez, li(nors' Aid ci gars to different legislatiio emmlnit. Lees, for whiebl he received pay certificatee," and that the largest am,)unk issued to hift at one liinC, for the,4e supplies, *vas U1,800. Hardy Soloim, a lear iII gro eeries has numerons large account1> amonllg the voleblers. 1Ie testifies that h1e f'rishlud Wodruff and Jmn; witib sipplies, but not as ClCIks iii their respecive bouses, ad that he wvasi paid by the State. iTroaurer onl present&ation of the pay certifi etes which wvere i6sued to-him fo! his vec1nUts. 16u Connuection, with tIe evid;ec of Mr. Slomnon ue call atuenti.n Ito his itenlized ace pl)ts, whi -;(b w E W(-1 1wrntob himn and ,III ICXC.(d to his evidence 1uider the hIoad (if supplies, wherehl .ANPpear' t'ho Iin s if t I i fcLlo i1 1 p \i )ers6ns to'' II ~~i ikfC 0i h C Ili(5~ whom hie turnit-bed "refreesha.en0lt,: 14. S. Jicobs, venators Joh W ilsol WV. E. 11L eIImbo,3 D). Biemlann,l J. uJ. Wbite and C. D. llayie, Gov. 1. K. S,cott, C.,m1ptroller G3eneorah. J.. . Ne aglec, Lj!ieenant( Governori Ran sieir, St.ate Tr.'easu rer N iles (G. Park,~ Myers, S. L. Duncan, .R. II. Uucm bert, Dr. 8. A. IV'semani, - Miller -- McLaughlin; John 1B.. Dennis, 13. Bvne, W. J. McKinlay, John Dix, R. -M. Smith, WV. HI. Joties, Nelson Da vies and Genecral William Gurney, County Treasurecr of Charleston. Your commfhlittee) also find eon thie ex amniniation of this item .zed .account' and( thie evid,CnlCe adduced before us t.hat Messrs. .JIones and WVoodr .LJ madine paymwent on ervypral occasipus by check anid c:amb; .neverthele!ss, on ex:uniing thle paymenits mado. o thec State Sreasmror to .Mr. Solroon on1 pay cer'tilflcates issued to hima, it 1s shiown that ha hans drawn $d,00oveir above his entiro account, and worse still, thmese certiticates were hll iesned beCIfo 1st of Marchl, 1873, aftei wVh ich im e e wa~ pad otherwise. Wec also lind( thaift ini the .year 11872 t here wvere isuted' to( him IJcertain) cel t mica'es to t he amountoi $24.380 50. while hnis itemiiized accoun lt.shu~s that thrcwas onily due him for thne years 1871 anid 1872 311, 203.48, proving that hie was p'aid $13,177.02 over the amnounnt clai meid to have beeni fur mm ished by b it.. Co)nninenit unilnec.s sary. -* \We kno'.w of nn. better. mnethoud oi illus:trat in;1/th1e r'eckless expendit uro of mioney for this i class sof -sup plies tharn by refering t&o thi"aecour renider-ed, someo of -which-'wHi l)e fou nd appenlded to the evidence, and we call attenitionm to aeccomunt designated "Exhiits W 2" amnd "W 3" Wood" ruf' eidence, wherei 1i is iowmi that (on Marebi 4., 1872, Soloni on for'nishi.d tbne Se'nate 61,031.worth of winae and liquoiand i t 7th do of' am monit hI $14852,75 wveb(, aggre gat(inig $3,483.75$. This8 alQount was pur1chased!( for. thle Senatte wit hin Lthroo days.Lag atotswe furi, d the House A the smE1 time,.aud to the Swiate durin1g same week, by other parties, all of- which is sho%yn by the vouchers. We also call attention to accounts in the evi dence.of A. 0. Jones, designated as n-nbqr 951 to 261, inclusive, where it.is shown that Mr. Solomon lialone furnished the House with $5,877.15 wortlh of wines and liquors within t.wo months. Mr.-Solomon says he had ho difficully in* making collec-. tions while they did business with him.. Thus it clearly appears that bills contracted for the gratification of oir "staeemen" wera pr)mnptly paid-, while' the vilest of-,,criminab wee liat doned to keep them from st.,rVing, and turied Vont t1pon an tragpd. people. Tle unfortunAto iumatcs of the Luaatic Asju' m' wore at the S-me time sIffering'from wal" of proper food and clothing. The frep schools wore closed and teaclk. ars unpaid. Those fraudulent ex. penditures were not confilned to any partic.ultr year, as will appear L>y the vouchers turned over to your con mittee. 'e now call attention to thG ac conits cif George Syimers, nientoff ed in t-hc evidence of Mr. WoodrnfT, designattd AA, A-B, AC, ALH, ag gregating $34157.80 from March 1, 1871, to the 7th day of same month, montinlfg to 1orc, thau $ 450 per .ty for wines any liquors for othe Stnate alone. The evidence and Volclhers are not confiYed to Solws non, Fine, Gibson and SytLmer, bit prove that -ME1rs. Coopr & Taylor, Vn Kennedy, and Joseph Taylor, citizens of Columbia, also hirnished supplies of the samno ebar-, acter. Vo insert a literal copy of no nof the billa - found among th, volchers of the clerk of the Senate: Cy"USImBA, Feb. 22th 1872. Gov. A. J. Ranaier, Dr. To Joc Tay lor Ioicoulrs & s6gars and other ars tieiulars - $280.00 Recuievecd paymenm J jo Tay lor. 11lis tr'ade was not confined to Co luia, ps shotwnt by the vouchers of Messrs. Klinctk, Wickenberg & Co., of Charlestoo and othe-B, or to the wate, as p)roved .by the account of Kubu & Co., of Philadelphia, deal er's in wines and liquors. We call especial attention to thir accounts designated as C 15, in the evidence o t W ood ruif, a mount ing to -$1,G80, for.uished to Senate at one tiie, and to No. 83, in evi dence of A . O). Jones, amounting to- $2,088 for use of ilonse, and delivered in onel day, also to aLccun t of Mr. i. Syminers in Woodru.iff's evidece)C, designated at No. 16, by' Woodruff, in which sweet meats and de'ieacies o'f overy kind that could temupt the epicure were supplied. Tis~ is only one of many) such in. our p)ossession. In additiv'n to the parties above desig.. nuated, we find that flumerous other perWsonsl furniish qd ?"refr.eshmenC)ts" uni der the head of "su pp lies,"' and ren, dered bills against the State for amo(unts ranginig from $100 to; $3, 000, as will be seen by vouchers at rochled to the eviden'ce. T1he pr1iCes pahid for these ,sapplies were hioSt extravagaat. Ini Wood reflIP. evidence there is an account des;~iat ed as iNo. 11, in w hich Mr. iSy I1~U m ersicarges.$20 per gallon for' b)ranidy, sherry wine $1.0, whiskey $8S, eigars $10 per 100. .In the~ itemized account of Mr. Solo,moni the pices are' eqully 8 as unconfscionale -lager beeC- p4.50 pe~r dozen, b)randy by the dozeni (quarts) $40, cigars $20 per' 100, c'hampa~gne' $40 by the tan-e, p)art wineO $40 1)er d zent. An estimnate (danunot be found of the amut of wns, liguors and cigare used in a'siigle seSSion, btut 'enough is shiow n by the~ bil.s rendei ed and the cortificates issueod to dlemonstietc that to haiwn used all thl aspr oha:ced, every niemnber of' the UIOiis and Senato muat have consi~umxed dhe gallon per day, with a few extra bot. ties of ale and wine throwh in, and smoked not less than ond dozen CI gal's within the same time. During thi& era of "elevation"A. while the average statesman was de privod of the enjoyment of his acm cuWtomed luxury-the succulent wa% termelon-it is iit strange to find himg seeking the luecious fruits. of tropical climes, hienco the bills of Mesro. Brookbanks & Co. IIe (Brookbanks) says in his evidence "Lliat he was connected with a confectionary and fruit store, that he - furtiished such articles as were usually kopt in sncla establishinens, and that ho rendered billk made out under the hdad,-f sm dries, and received'in- payment legis. lative pay certiff'cafe." We anb. mit a portion of these acounts, and P- to those designated, N0s. 51, 56, i , 68, 69' and 74, agregating 81,080. Woodruff says "thoso ac, counts were for fruit and cigmrs fur? nished the Senate." W also refer to the evidence of i. 0. Jones and John Williams, concerning other ao counts of a similar natIuro. We cannot bettor illustrate thq ef frontery of Carolina'a leading states men at that time than by referring to account designated 4is 214,J in eVi. dence of A 0. Jones, where it ap pears ti-at 4en. Wi. Gurney; Trefheo urer of Charleston Coity, claiitt 't have furnished refreshiments td dS' amount of 81,500; but, straft t'aR the itci'nized account of Iard' Soifr mon Ir6ves that Own. Gurney was the Iecpiient of supplies from Sloo mO1's sturo,andl thit the State aid for t samo. Sergeant-at-Arms ifHia-ms says of t1his bill: ''I. kugw,. of no supplies being furuiehed ,by Gen. Gurney, nor do I klTow Agte thing of No. 21j, referred to in A. 0. Jonc3' evidence." We will now proceed to show sb enormou expenditures for,otheriptI poses. Tho first we shall considwir hat of' . e LJRNrfURIL We find that there has been "idid out within four years' for furnitur-e alone o.ver *200,000, and* of ite amiount Mr Beorry anid Mr. Fagsty, furnituare dealers, testify that at tI@' present time there is at theStt [louse only $17,71~5 wvorth appraisedl at the prices charged for it, a lis';oj which was sworn to by them andJ iR attached to their evidenee. Thijs in clues #325. worth of f urniture pur# chased by Attorney General Meltoir; and paid for by him ont of his cons tinigent fund, and at this time Is sin the Attorney General's office. Mr, Berry says he furnished ahrenm ber of of committee rooms OirtsideOef ihe State IHouse, as 'well ha bed rooms. lie remembers 'furnishid thet rooms occupied by W. J1. W'hip% Green and others, and some of the rooms he furnished as often as tbree times. HIe also furnish ed 'roms al Mrsi. RandalPs' for Speaker Moses.... Tradlod. fu rniitureo to moerp bers for' pay certificates,.and furgished atmost. all the offices in the State 'louse every session.. In. continuation ho etAtee that lhe furnished at least- forty bed r'oome, but'does not know w bo obons. pied them all; or what became of this furniture; he was patid for it in legis. lative puty certificates. Wo ask reference to the evidence of' Sergeant at Arms Williams on the subject of furniture. HIe says he ptr chased a lot of furniture from Mr. Berry, consisting of be, tables, washstands and bod room sets. Sono of the rooms thuns furnishod wereo oC cupied by W. J. Whippet-, W,1X, Jones 'arnd James A. flowley. He docs not know 3hat became of the furniture, but endoavored to colct ILa and was told by J. II. .Dontis, Janioa A. Bowley, 'Bonjamin .Bysndt Minort that heohad nothuing to do wid it. C3onsequen thy;, ho 'trort6de h'udll no more abotit. lId rys the~ rodnie CONTi'N UED) oN 5K~coNJ P'AUM