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* ~~~ ' " ' - ' BB ~ ~ - =' * ' ? " ? ' ' ???? ~ ~ I 1^ THE THIEVES' ^BNTVAIm REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OH FRAUDS It would bo irksome task to enumerate till the accounts rendered for repairs ou committer rooms. It is sufficient to say that they amounted to thousands of dollars annually, when it is a well kuown fact that after the State Ilsuse was fitted up not a committee room was repaired. See evidence of Robert Scrivcn and others, who state that thoy were in eoustant attendance and that no work was dono, except placing the two wooden partitMEis. No transaction Was allowed to pass without paying tribute to tho inordinate greod which characterized tho time of specific appropriations, pay certificates for 'stationery/ which inojdded almost everything, and for other ag^nints, Were issued to such an extent thatJBey sold on tho streets for from ten to twjdfty cents on tho dolla*." Tho cvidenc^shows that the average member never j^sccived over ten dollars' worth of *tati^icry; but the bills rendered and paKl by the State in one session amounted to ?08,000 for this commodity alone. f ^ Clerk Joucs, inAis emlcncc, says : "Stationery inelude^t rcfr^kmcnts, dry goods, groceries, enrj^^, funjRure, horses and carriages, and miscellaneous articles of merchandise, apti tho names used in tho accounts were ' * GENERALLY MYITIS. To further illustrate the frauds committed under, this, head, wo rofor to vouchers in evidence of A. O. Jones, designated as Nos.' and 5} amounting in tho aggregate to ?8,00(5. Mr. Joues says : "It is asserted that these accounts were for books and Hue stationery furnished the members."? Attention is called to accounts numbered from 10i to 14, inclusive, where it will be seen that iu Jauuary alone one firm furjiishcd ?0,083 20 worth of "stationery," or inoro than fifty dollars worth pel: month to each member. In addition to the above, tho accounts of Messrs. Bryan & McCartcr and Mr. Stokes, well known dealers, who reside in Columbia, aud who furnished ... .i.? 11 i o oiaiiuutiy tu tiiu iiuusu iiuu ouuaiu, uit' itemized, and, from appearances, includ^. most of the stationery actually used. ^ Clerk Woodruff says (aud the vouchenr 'I** prove it) lhat. during owe sessToh^Mtfsh^wflPl ator received a copy of WEllSTER'S UNABRIDGED Dictionary, and a calendar inkstand which cost 825. The accounts of the Western Union Telegraph Company, together with Mr. Woodruff's evidence, will show that even the private telegrams of the senators were paid for by the State. According to evidence *rrd accounts, the Senate often used 810'worth of postage stamps per day. Gold pcus at 810; iukstauds at 825 ; Webster's Dictionary and fino stationery certainly afforded our ''Statesmen" every facility for an extensive correspondence. JEWELRY. We cannot refrain from commenting Upon the large accounts of Mr. Isaac Sulzbachcr, a well known jeweller of Columbia; and cull especial attcntiou to the accounts designated as "No. 27" and "JJ 5," mentioned in Woodruff's evidence, where jewelry was furnished to Senators Whittcmorc, Maxwell, llaync, llev. Wui, Johnston and Representative Tim Hurley. lie also furnished fine gold pens costing as high as 810 a piece, and, judging from the bills rendered, from five to ten pocket knives to each member during the session. The accounts of Mr. Hay den, (a jeweller of Charleston,) designated A 1, by Woodruff, clearly demonstrate the manner in which bills were raised, the amount being for five call-hells 812, and raised to 8112, by inserting the figure one (1.) Wc quote from Mr. Woodruffs diary iu reference to an account of Mr. Ilnydcn for a watch for Senator Whittcmorc : "Wednesday, January 15,1873, collected certificate for 8915, and paid Ilaydcn for Whittomore's watch. (JIIACIOUS GOODNESS ! Whittemnre must have somowhnrn nhont ten thousand dollars this session. That ought to bo satisfactoriy. lie is always, though, after one more." It has long been a mystery to the uninitiated where the matchless diamonds which Hashed their rays of light in the halls of the Capitol, the showy watch chains and expensive watches came from ; hut an inspection of 31 r. Sulzbacher's accounts, and those of a similar nature, will reveal the startling fact that they were furnished by un impoverished State. We submit a portion of Mr. Sulzbacher's account for KKI'AIKINO CLOCKS, Nos. 25] and 2f?], and r'efered to in A. (). Jones's evidence, which will show the .- ** nmairuWo I* several hundred dollars. Mr. Glaze, another jeweller of Columbia, has several accounts, some of which are designated as Nos. 01, (12 and 02, by A. t>. Jones. Instead of jewelry we now have gorgeous military trappings for our logis lativo heroes, who belonged to a well ? <juip ped hut badly organized militia. These I amounted to souifcthing over twenty-one ' hundred dollars. In connection with these ' accounts sco cvidcnco of P. Simkins, (under i tho head of "pay ccrtilicatcs,") who states that he purchased sonic articles from Mr. Glaze, and that his account as well as that of S. J. Leo was settled with a legislative pay cortiGcato. Afterwards ho and Lee wero both sued, and ho paid Mr. Glaze two hundred ^.dollars, aud Mr. Glaze still holds the certiJbdc as a claim against tho State! In thcMccouutof W. J. Whippor, attorney at'ljw, designated as C 13, he charges the StatflUhc modest sum of l'B DAY FOR ?OUTY, THREE DAYS prolessijgal .services reudered tiveC. C/Puffer, receiver, Whereby the Stato lost a largo amount of money, by commissions and other means. For years largo accounts amounting to several hundred dollars, annually, have been paid for CLEANING THE nAI.LS of tho Senate and House of lteprcsontatives, while hundreds of convicts were iu the city entirely idle. To illustrate the it 1 ... til ..i... i- it... wvuuuijr |nav,tii;v;u uyw, uu win a lulu, liiiii not one dollar is paid out for such work, convict labor being utilized. Wo have examined the accounts for fitting locks, to the desks of members, and find that during one session the State was charged with 307 new locks, where there arc only 1G 1 desks in the Scuatc aud House, thus giving more than two locks to each desk. We submit a few accounts for wood and coal. Upon a close calculation, we find that during ouc session more than ONE THOUSAND COItOS OF WOOD and one thousand three hundred and twenty tons ot coal were charged for, and at the same time there was not a single wood stovo in use at the State House. Sergeant Williams in his evidence states that not a fourth of the wood and coal purchased was consumed at the State House, lie also says that air. Crews furnished and delivered to any of the members who asked for it this necessary commodity. Front the account of Mr. Mayrant it appears that he furnished Senators Whiltcmore, Maxwell and others with wood. The bills .rendered show that th<mpp$? ot dollars were spent the State. House anAttiHSiUrinSffS? mm Wiftfains tcstlficsTlux^fi^mumTfRe rooms Vcre furnished with stoves every year, and that, when he called for them, the members told him "it was none of his business." 31 r. lMtiicr states that the stoves iu the State House are worth 81,500 at this time, and that he does not find one-eighth of the stoves at the Capitol which ho furnished. We will not attempt to givo the amount of soap, 11 aitt nnrsiiEs and towels furnished, but will simply state that the accounts amounted to thousands of dollars! Verily, they should have been cleansed. We respectfully call your attention to the accounts designated as Nos. 81$, 82, 82$, S3, 8 1, 85, SO, S7, 83 and 89, in evidence of A. O. Jones, and C 7 and A 1 in the evidence of M r. Woodruff, in which it is shown that Suite officials, members of the House and Senate, clerks and attaches were furnished with most of the leading daily papers af the State and a largo number of weekly country papers. In addition to the akovo the accounts, vouchers aud evidence show that novels, law and otliLr bouks were furnished to the members in order that they might whilo away their idlo hours in improving their minds at the State's expense, though thousands of their constituents' children were unable to attend school for the want of hooks. In evidence of the above we refer you to accounts designated as A 2, W 5, and others of a similar kind, and the evidence of A. (). Jones. The accounts of W. Iv. Greenfield, Hardy Solomon, M. J. (Julnan, and others, show the amounts paid by the State for the use of so-called committee rooms. These rooms were not only uacd during the sitting of the General assembly, but wcro often occupied the entire year at the extravagant price of ONE DOLLAR I'Kit DAY KENT for each room. Add to this the cost of furnishing, gas bills, refreshments, &c., and this of itself would prove to the world that South Carolina was cursed with the most extravagant and corrupt class of legislators known in ancient or modern times. We refer to accounts designated Nos. 2 to 5 respectively and No. 73, included in A. (). Jones's evidence. Tt has been clearly demonstrated that a sufficient sum has been paid in five years for rent of upper rooms in more than one-building to have purchased the entire building. We cull your attention to what seems to us a most palpable fraud, designated as No. (55 in evidence of A. (). Jones, where it. K. Scott certifies that an account for room rent, amounting to ?f>,2*lf) (50, "is justly duo." Mr. .Junes, in his evidence, says that this is an account of It. K. Scott for the rent of a cottage for one year. It could not ho sold for that amount today. Mr. (dreenfb ld says, in reference to (his matter, that h" rented the cottage in rear of Mclvemie's building to li. K. Scott, to he used as a remrl or I CAUC#B^OOM V f \\ during his candidacy tor thp Tinned 1Stat<%| Senate, that ho wns*paid bywovwlipf'Sooty! and that he has no kuowleage o(VMfc?er&J fieatcs being issued in payment tlto&A?j? The voucher dosignatedday VVooHpr as No. 2G, is for rent of the frcsidonoo |F John" J. Patterson, for tho use of SchatoJfWhittemore, OwenS, aud others who refilled in stately mansions, enjoying their gauM stolen from an impoverished pcoplo -wliS their poor dupes iu their lowly cabins wo* sujfering for tho necessaries of life. J A TUE ROM. OF RASCALS. V P Tho private bills of Stato officers/senators and members of tho House, refotrcd to hi^taoTddencc of Woodruff and Jofea, inLieutenant Governor Ransior,XlaUtenant Governor Cleaves; senators C. P. Lcslto, L. Wimbush, Frank Aruiui, II. H.,IIayno, B. F. Whiltcuiore, II. J. MaxweB, C. 1>. Ilayno, Y. J. P. Owens, W. E. Jlhnston, J. M. Allen, J. llollingshead, Robert Smalls, W. 15* Nash, S. A. Swails, Geo. F. Mclntyre, E. S. J. Hayes, Jas. A. Grcois, John JjCC, ?j. J'i. urceu ; rcprcscnuuives?*jas. a. Rowley, Tim Hurley, Joseph 1). R$ston, J. R. Donuis, C. II. Sperry, S. J. Leo, P. Simkins, P. 11. llivers, W. M. ThufciaifcW. II. Jones, F. J. Moses, Rcnj. Ryas, Nmou Da vies w For further information wo refeffc' to various bills of this class, dcsigiuAd by Woodruff as Nos. 1; 2, 3, 4, 5, G, 7?, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 21, 24, 25, 28. ?, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 30, 37, 38, 39, 40, 4\, 42, 43, 45. 40, 47. 48, 53, 78, 110, lJifcllG and 113, C 12, A 2, A 14, W 4, W %U 2, 11 5, D 9, 11 10, II 15; also to Nos. 21 rnd 51 in evidence of A. O. Jones. To enumerate the bills designated by Mr. Jones in his evidence as "inythjj" and "'nucer accounts" would fill hundreds hi' pages. A few aro inserted to illustrato nlis manner of robbing tho treasury. The *<friginals arc submitted in his cvidcuco, numbcrod an follows : No. 0. A. Wasliburnc $ 700 00 No. 43. James Stebbins 803 15 No. 58. A. L. Stingum 8,504 19 No. 81. William Hall 1,000 00 5A. Making an aggregate of.... 320,308 80 MYTI1S "AND OTHERS." Mr. Jones says tlicso "myths'' wero pushed through under cover of -'and others," and that "the number was so great it would have been foolishness in hiui to havo made inquiries concerning them." lie also says if ho had placed any impediment in the way of certificates being issued to pay this class of claims lie would hFe lost his position, and that in some instances the only supplies furnished was the paper on which the account was made out. Sergt. Williams testified that vouchers and accounts were made out in tho names of lictitious persons for large amounts passed upon by tho committco on contingent accounts, and pay ccrti&cates drawn for them and delivered to dif&rcut members. lie recognized No. 1 referred to in evidence of A. O. Jones as one of that class. It calls for 31,125, and lie thinks it was given to W. II. Jones, a member from Georgetown. A large number of accounts were made out in the name of John Williams, sergeant-at-arnis, among them Nos. 55 and 1)1, amounting to $5,432 02, also Nos. 1)2 to 111, inclusive, amounting to $15,030 OS. While Mr. Williams was being examined he said : "I know nothing of most of th^sc accounts. 1 allowed my name to be used to assist the members from time to time.? JJo.vlcy, Dennis, Thomas and others were frequently benefited by the use of my name. The State received no consideration what ever for the certificates issued iu the payment of these accounts. I did not know my name was used so often, nor fur such largo amounts, until now. 1 aim sure it was arranged by introducing a legislative claim in my name and adding the words 'and others' to it, thereby getting it passed without creating any suspicion that it was a fraud. 1 remember the $5,500 account; that was lor the committee 011 contingent accounts. 1 think they took $500 apiece. They promised me $500, but never gave it to me." Your committee cannot undertake to enumerate all the accounts submitted with this report, but will refer you to a few rendered by Messrs. Kinard and W. 1). Love & Co., dealers in dry goods, and to those of Messrs. Strauss k Uro., 1>. Jlpstin, Win. ilobitisoo, dealers in clothing. Clerk Jones in referring lo the accounts rendered against Scrgoanl-at arms Williams, sayB: "it seems lie was appealed to by those who were naked and ho clothed thcui, by those who wero hungry and ho fed them." CONCLUSION. Your committee feel assured that no language, by way of comment, would add forco to the simple statement of facts attending this era of revelry, embracing peculation, embezzlement.'- and robberies of a character hitherto unknown in South Carolina. The perpetrators arc covered with infamy and 1 disgrace, and should be punned daring their , natural lives fUUt the sword of Justicc hang1 ?g bj^itfrcad ovor their heads. jadalHn) justice to the honest taxpayers of can be said to relievo those who participated in I^Rtr MrfpflWmiog from such stupendous mMHR^btr?c8tiu)ony submitted shows persons oithcr were reckless of ^Qlntenst of the pooplo of tho State, or Wirrt|5cd at, connived at, or colluded with the rftUttrs to fleece tho poople?a collusion as tafl&liating as the facts are digraooful and Mtblo. w Wo regret to plaoo this on record ; but it is true, and the facts as proved justify your committee in joiuiDg with the good JMopI^ftheSta^^denouucing suolyxm-1 ^ R>A^ chriir^ H. A. Meetze. Ou part of Senate. S. Dibble. g. muller. J. G. Blue. Ou part of House. the cost of bad boads. The Enormous Taxation Imposed for the 1 'rioihyc of Riding Over liad Hands? Our People Hear it I Villi perfect Equanimity. [Extract From TVoftv-or P.utJfonl'* A<l<lrew Before Georgia Agricultural Society.] We complain heavily of Radical taxation for the last twelve years, and wo have abundant and just reason for complaint, but 1 venture tlie assertion, that we pay more for the privilogo of riding over bad roads, than for our national, State and county taxes combined ; and this point, I think, is susceptible of demonstration. Now, let us see where these taxes come in. Jlerc is a farmer, who, for the comfort of himself and family, invest ?200 in a buggy. Now, ou a system of hard, smooth, wcllgradcd roads, this buggy ought to last, in good running order, for ten years. In this instance, the annual outlay for buggies is ?20. But what are the real facts in this case'/ Does the buggy last teu years ? On our rough aud uneven roads, with ruts and holes into which the wheels are constantly falling with the momentum of sledge-hammers, wo doubt whether the life of the average butrgy exa. 1. 1 1 /! if il *_ l. 4 icuus oeyouu uvo years. xi mis no iruo, then there is an annual expense of $40 for buggies?$20 more per annum than in the case of good roads. This extra $20 per to all-mtentfi ayd pwpepee, a tax for llic privilego of using bad roads. And how multiply this .tax for every man in the .State of Georgia, who rides iu a buggy, and what a fearful" array of figures does it L ring out; a tax for the privilege of bad roads.? What I have said in regard to tho baggy, holds good with reference to every class of vehicles; from tho $900 pleasure carriage, down through the list of road wagons, carts anu humbler conveyances. 1 venture to say, that, if we could get at tho extra cost of carriages, buggies, wagons, etc., with the wear and tear of harness, And the unnecessary consumption of horses and mules, wo should be astonished at the hugo amount in dollars and cents, that this fearful array of items would foot up ; to say nothing of personal discomfort, and the wear and tear of patience, which cannot bo reckoned in dollars and dimes, but which seriously detract from enjoyment. Again, another heavy tax which we pay for had roads is this, that we arc compelled to keep a number of horses and pay an amount for their support which would not be u ccessarv under a svstcm of eood roads. S / 4 C" It is a fundamental uiaxim with eminent road makers, such as McAdain, Telford and Stephenson, that a good road should ho perfectly level, or nearly sons the nature of the country will allow. Trustworthy experiments by theso engineers have shown that when a road rises one foot in height for twenty of its length a horse can draw continuously only one-half the load that he can on a level; and, thereforo, on such a road tiro horses will be needed to do the work of one. Xow, take the common county and neighborhood roads in our State, llow many of them can you find that have as good a grade as one in twenty '/ llow very frequently do we find a grade of one in ten, or even as high as one in five? If a horse can pull only half his proper load, when tho grade of the road rises one in twenty, of course when it rises one iu ten ho can draw but onc-forth of his propir load.? And it is an undeniable fact that many por nous oi our roaus uo navo mis injurious grade. What is the consequence? If the load of tho horse is adapted to his power of drawing on the level road it follows that when he comes to a hill rising one in twenty, or still worse, of ono in ten, his strength is over taxed, he becomes prematurely woru out, and there is a consumption of horse flesh which has to be rcsupplicd with new horses; and new horses, in their last analysis, mean simply monjy. On tho contrary, if the load of the horso is accommodated to what he can easily draw up a slope of one in twenty, or of ono in ten, thon ho is underworked on the level portions of the road, and an excossof horses must be maintained to supply this inequality of work. I think it a moderate estimate to say that, taking all the farms in our State, at least one-fifth more horses are fed and maintained to do the hauling over bad roads than would bo roquirod on fcsystom of good roads. If this hypothesis bo correct, then do we not pay a tax for the privilege of bad roads, equivalent to the expenso of supporting oue-fifih of the horses and mules iu Georgia? Another plac|-whore tho tax for bad road comes in, is tho loss of time. Hero is a farmer who lives ten miles from Apicricua, or some othor market town. He hat a wagon and two good, mules; ho loads on two bales of cottou and starts for Americus.? With the rutty and*boggy roads, steep hills aud deep mud holes, you know it is a good day*8 work to get thoso two bales to Americus, and return in tho day. Wo will suppose at a moderate estimate, that his wagou it would bo just as easy for his team to carry four bales, as it is uow to carry only two; in other words, ho could then accomplish in one day, the saino amount of* hauling that uow requires tiro days. His toam, as I have said, being estimated at 82 00 per day, and his boing compelled to tako two days to accomplish tho work of one, is it ? 1?:..r? ii.-.:- 't: uuvu iuuicui imciuuvu, lukii in huh case, me faruicr pays a tax of $2.50 a day, for tho privilege of using bad roads ^ilew multiply this item by the uumber of Tanners in the State of Georgia, who go thrigh this identical process numberless times during the year, aud what a fearful burden of taxation it piles up. If this tax came in a visible, tangible shape, or if it wcro collected by government officials, backed up by bayonets, what an amount of righteous indiguation it would pi^ivokc ! But it comcB so noiselessly and qtiictly that our peoplo bear it with the equanimity of Christian martyrs, and in deed seldom think of it as a tax at all. At a certain town in Georgia, which annually ships from ten to twelve thousand baljs of cotton, there was a few years ago a long, narrow causeway leading to a bridge, J said bridgo and causeway being wider than I necessary for one vehicle, aud yet not wide enough for two. Whenever, therefore, a vehicle fairly secured the entrance to the causeway, it was necessary for the olhor vehicles at tho cud of the bridge, no matter how many they were, to wait until the first vehicle had entirely passed over. On onoocacsion, I passed this causeway, and at tho end of the bridgo I counted eighteen vehicles ?buggies with ladies and gentlemen, wagons loaded with cotton, carta wUh wood, etc. There they stood, on. a wintry day, reminding one of "patience sitting on a monument smiling at grief," waiting, with Christian resignation, for a ono-horsc team to drn<? it? slow leugthi along tho causeway and over the bridgo. Tho owners of these vehicles never onco dreauicd that they were paying tho heaviest sort of a tax for the privilege of riding ovor a causeway too narrow for two vehicles to eo abreast; nor did thoy onco imagine that the loss of time in buggies, wagons, carts, etc., with tho vexatiorr incident thereto, would have paid tho cost of constructing a wider embankment, twice over, in ono season. All this is altered now. To tbo crodit of that town, be it said, a few enterprising citizons saw the heavy tax that they were paying, and resolved to pay it no longer; and now they have a broad embankment and a wide bridge, ample enough to cover any amount of travel. Are We in Danger ??Governor Hampton seems to think so. Else; why his warning to his audience on the 22d ultl Why the extreme caution that characterizes his every word and action ! Tho elections in Sumter, in Georgetown, in Newberry, what do they indicate ? How many negroes do you know who even profess to be Democrats? Do you suppose that the recently unearthed secret history of Elliott, and Nash, and Wright, and Sam Lee, will have any otlior effect upon tho rising young negroes of the Stato, than to stir them up to follow these illustrious exemplars ? ]>y what majority was Hampton elected, when there was no decent white man who dared to say aught against him ? For stealing?ninety thousand; against stealing? ninety-one thousand. Two years ago, then, ninety thousand citizens of South Carolina came out openly and declared for thievery. : With all the decent people united to a manj with all the enthusiasm developed by a struggle recognized as vital, wo carried tho State by one thousand majority, in a total vote of moro than one hundred and eighty thousand. If our pcoplo believe that they will win without special effort, if they bolicvc that Republicanism has no lifo left in it, tlicy aro ucBiincu 10 experience a most grievous disappointment. Then too there is an undercurrent, tho strength of which we cannot yet measure. Hut this we know, men who aspire to office will often risk the public weal, that they may advanco themselves.? Some plausible argument can always bo fjund by self-seeking demagogues, to justify bolting. Let us recognize the dangers of our position and set ourselves to work with energy and unanimity. Let us reorganize our clubs and prepare in time for an aetivo campaign. We will not win if we under* rate tho difficulties which are before us.? We will win if we determine to overcome them.?1*\ in rem vide Nr\r$.