The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, March 15, 1878, Image 1
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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$.