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f j lewis m. gkist, proprietor.! ;|n $nbepcnbtnf Jfatnilj flrfrrspapcr: Jfor t|e |lromotron of t|e political, Social, ^gricnltnral anb Commercial Interests of i|e j&ottt|. TERMS?$3.00 A YEAR, o ADVANCE. VOL. 18. YOBKVILLE, S. C., THURSDAY, A.XJG-TJST 22, 1878. 1STO. 34. ' - - ? ll l i fhe the 'Pug.' CORBIN'S GREENVILLE SPEECH. On the Fourth of July last, Hon. D. T. Cor bin, United States District Attorney, late State Senator from Charleston, Chairman of the State Codifying Commission, etc., delivered a speech at Greenville, in which he exposes some of the rascalities of the thieving "ring" at Columbia, in a style that is truly refreshing. Corbin is a loyal member of the Republican party and a man of undoubted ability and shrewdness. Under these circumstances, his utterances are entitled to consideration, at least by his party associates. The speech has just appeared in pamphlet form. The first part of it is devoted to a defense of President Grant and a rfeum6 of the trials of the ku-klux before the United States Circuit Court, after which he gives his attention to STATE POLITICS. I have now something to say about our State politics. I have been somewhat intimate with State affairs during the past four years. I have, as you know, been as ardent and as earnest a Republican as the State affords. It is true, I have filled no high State office, and hence been clothed with no very high personal responsibility. I have been simply a member of the Senate, and in that capacity, I have done what I could to be use ful. You are ! sufficiently familiar with my history. What I am about to say of the present State officials has long been a source of great regret and distress to me. I say it with shame, and with my heart sinking within me. Four years ago we elected to the high office of Governor of this State R. K. Scott, and two years ago La xxrna ?nnf. linwevpr. hv mv Voice or vote. We also elected, four years ago, D. H. Chamberlain, Attorney-General; N. G. Parker, Treasurer; J. L. Neagle, Comptroller-General ; F. L. Cardozo, Secretary of State; F. J. Moses, Jr., Adjutant and Inspector-General, and J. K. Jillson, Superintendent of Education. They have been in possession of the State government since, and what is the record they have written? Four years ago I addressed you in favor of their election. May God forgive me, as to a part of them, at least, for I am heartily sorry, and will never do so again. [Laughter.] 1 thought then that R. K. Scott was an honest man. I thought he would administer the aflairs of the government in an honest and business-like manner. Though I knew him to be not a great man, I believed that your ; interests and mine could be safely committed to him as Chief Executive officer of the State. I thought Mr. Chamberlain, candidate for Attorney-General, a good lawyer, and that he would advise him correctly, and interpret the laws of the State properly. I believed Mr. Parker would administer the affairs of the Treasury honestly and that the people of the ' State could safely trust their moneys in his hands. I believed that Mr. Neagle could be trusted with the auditing of accounts, and such other duties as should be placed upon him. I believed Mr. Moses entitled to confidence, and that he could be safely trusted with the organization of the militia, and matters pertaining thereto. I had full confidence in Mr. Cardozo, and considered the public records and duties of his office confided to safe hands. I also believed Mr. Jillson intelligent, faithful, energetic, and that the public school system of the State would bw developed under his care. But I have to say to you now that a majority of these officers have failed to meet your and my just expectations, and are not entitled to your respect and confidence, or to the respect and confidence of the people of this State. I say this with regret, but the truth must be told. The Republican party of this State must redeem itself, aud, without fear, favor or affection, drop those public servants who have proved recreant to their trusts. It is with this view that I now speak to you. The Republican party is in a large majority in this State, and to it is com-1 mitted the weal or woe of the State, probably i for many years to come. And if it finds any j of its members are unworthy of the offices to i which they have been elected, it is its plain ! duty to depose them. FINANCES. The first subject of interest to you is the j financial conditiouof the State. This touches 1 you all personally, and to this I at first devote I my attention. How have the financial affairs J of this State been administered, and to what j pas3 have they been brought ? When my ! friend, Governor Orr, who has just addressed ' you, retired from office in July, 1868, he left! the State with a bonded debt of about five i millions and a half of dollars, and a floating debt of perhaps a million and a half more. lTow, in the short period of four years, we j find the State burdened with a bonded debt of1 about sixteen millions, and a floating debt of j two or three millions more; God only knows ! how many. You will anxiously inquire how : has this come about? I will try to answer j your inquiry. Let me first look into the Acts j of the Legislature and ascertain what debts ' the Legislature has authorized, and then see ! how the authorized debt agrees with the debt ! as it actually exists. On the 26th of August, 1868, the Legisla-! ture passed an Act to authorize a loan to re-' deem the bills known as the Bills Receivable i of the State of South Carolina. This Act; that. the fJnvernnr of the State be authorized to borrow, on the credit of the j State of South Carolina, on coupon bonds, a sura not exceeding $500,000, or as much thereof as was necessary to redeem the Bills ! Receivable. The Bills Receivable referred j to were the bills issued by the Legislature of j 1865. This Act provided that these bonds j should be sold at the highest market price by . the Financial Agent of the State in the city j of New York, but at a sum not less than ' should be fixed by the Governor, Attorney-1 General and Treasurer. In my judgment the Act authorized a bonded debt of $500,000, | and was so understood by the Legislature at; the time of its passage. About this time the Legislature further au-, thorized the Governor of the State to borrow, j on the credit of the State, on coupon bonds, a sura not exceeding one million dollars, or so much thereof as might be necessary, to pay interest on the public debt. These bonds were to be sold at the highest market price, and for a sum not less than should be fixed by the Governor, Attorney-General and Treasurer. This Act, at the time of its passage, was supposed to create a bonded debt of one million dollars, and no more, and only so much thereof as might be necessary. The issue of bonds for this purpose was necessary, as the interest on the public debt had not been paid during the past year or more, and it was iraportant that it should be provided for, if the State expected to maintain its credit in the future. Soon after this, on the loth of September, 1868, the Legislature passed an Act to close the operations of the Bank of the State of South Casolina. I strenuously opposed this measure, as I thought it ill-timed and unnecessary. Besides, the bank had been much complicated by contracting debts in aid of the rebellion and I thought that common prudence required that its affairs should be fully investigated before the State undertook to administer upon them. However, my views were overruled, and the Bill passed. This Act provided that all bills issued by said corporation prior to secesk. sion should be funded by the issue of bonds on the part of the State. This Act provided no limit, except the amount of the bills of the j bank then outstanding issued prior to the war. I I have learned from the Treasurer's statement I for October 31,1871, that the issue of bonds j under this Act amounted to 81,189,400. This amount I therefore assume was the amount authorized by the Act. On the 17th day of February, 1869, the Legislature passed an Act to authorize a loan for the relief of the Treasury. This Act provided for a loan, upon coupon bonds, of a sum not exceeding one million dollars, or as much of that sum as might be necessary for the relief of the Treasury of the State. This Act provided, further, I that these bonds might be used as collateral security for loans by the Financial Agent of j the State in the city of New York, under the direction of the Governor, Attorney-General, Comptroller-General and Treasurer of the | State ; who might also authorize the Finan! cial Agent to sell these bonds at the highest market price, but for a sum not less than should be fixed by them. As to the propriety of this Act, I was never fully satisfied, but my recollection is that I voted for it upon the assurance of the Governor and Financial Agent that it was absolutely necessary. It authorized, in my judgment, a bonded debt, not exceeding one million dollars. On the 27th of March, 1869, the Legislature passed an Act to provide for the appointment of a Land Commissioner, and to define his powers and duties. This Act Drovided that the Treas urer of the State should be authorized to issue to the Land Commissioner, bonds of the State in the sura of $200,000, if, in the opinion of the Advisory Board, so much should be necessary. Subsequently, on the 1st of March, 1870, the Legislature passed an Act to amend an Act to provide for the appointment of a Land Commissioner, &c. Iu this Act it was provided that the Treasurer of the State be authorized to issue to the Land Commissioner bonds of the State in the sum of $500,000, if, in the opinion of the Advisory Board, so much be necessary. These are the only Acts of the Legislature passed during the last four years authorizing the creation of a bonded debt on behalf of the State, and, if you have followed me carefully, you will perceive that the whole amount authorized is four million three hundred and eighty-nine thousand four hundred dollars. Now, by the official statement of Mr. Treasurer Parker of the public debt.of the State at the close of the fiscal year ending October 31,1871, the bonded debt of the State amounted to fifteen millions eight hundred and fiftyone thousand three hundred and twenty-seven dollars and thirty-five cents, or, in round numbers, sixteen millions of dollars. Now, take from this amount the amount of bonded debt in existence when the present State officers came into power, and it appears that the debt has actually been iucreased about ten and a half millions. Now, how does this tally with the amount actually authorized by the Legislature ? The amount authorized by the Legislature, as already shown you, is four millions three hundred and eighty-nine thousand four hundred dollars. Subtract this amount from the actual increase of the debt, and you find that, without authority of law, there has been added to the State debt over five and a half millions of dollars. Fellow-citizens, this is a true statement of the case, as appears from the financial report of Mr. Parker, and I take it that he has made as favorable a statement as he possibly could. My own opinion is, that the in crease of debt is considerably more tnan tne sum stated, but that I may not be charged with unfairness, I take Mr. Parker's own statement. How shall we account for this enormous but lawless increase of the public debt ? The amount is startling, and fills us with consternation. What can we say, what shall we do, in view of the facts, as they are admitted to be ? How was it done ? I will give you the explanation that has been given for this increase of the public debt. Mr. Parker gave to the public an official statement of the debt of the State, at the close of; the fiscal year of 1871. In that statement, 11 discover the deep and damning explanation, so far as it goes. The Legislature, on the 23d I of March, 1869, passed an Act to provide for I the conversion of State securities. This Act provided that the State Treasurer should be authorized, on the application of any person holding stock or bonds of the State, to take j the same, and issue in place thereof, bonds of the State. This Act was intended simply for the accommodation of those who held one class of State securities, and desired to change i them into another class of State securities. It was never intended by the Act, and no ; such intention appears upon its face, to in- i crease the State debt. But in Mr. Parker's j statement, before referred to, it appears that! there has been an issue under the provisions ' of this Act of seven millions one hundred ! and ninety-one thousand seven hundred dol-; lars. In the name of heaven, why is this ? . Has he converted the stock and bonds of the ! State to this amount? No. By his own offi- j cial reports to the General Assembly he shows that he has converted less than two millions ! of the stocks and bonds of the State under the provisions of this Act. Thus it appears that there are now afloat j upon the market, and probably in the hands of innocent holders, without law, and without authority of any kind in their original issue, at least live millions or aonars in conversion i bonds. Who of our State officers are respon-j sible for this ? First and foremost among i them are certainly Robert K. Scott, Govern- j or; N. G. Parker, Treasurer, and D. H. Cham- j berlain, Attorney-General, who constitute the ; Financial Board, to which must be added, af-! ter the first of February, 1869, J. L. Neagle,j Comptroller-General. I regret to name one j of these gentlemen, because he has been my personal friend. I refer to Mr. Chamberlain,' Attorney-General. But I am now dealing with public officials, and not with personal friends. I presume that the Financial Board, in the issue of bonds and the increase of the State debt, acted as a whole, and the majority determined what should and what should not be done. If any one of them is not guilty of | participating in or countenancing this enor-' mous increase of the State debt, let him say so, and fix the responsibility where it belongs, j The record of the Board has never been made | public, and we can only consequently speak j of its action as a Board, and not of the acts of individual members of it. If you have ; followed me carefully in my statement of the ; several Acts of the Legislature authorizing the issue of bonds, you will note that in no i instance is the Financial Agent of the State, in the city of New York, authorized to sell or dispose of a single bond, except at the rate fixed by the Financial Board. It follows from this that no bond of the State could have been put upon the market except by their authority. ! Fellow-citizens, how can we characterize i the conduct of these officers ? I will not attempt to .do it. I have denounced in your ; hearing, the lawless acts of the ku-klux klan 1 in unmeasured terms. I now denounce, in i vour hearing, with the same vehemence, the \ * * " : lawless acts of these State officers. I think i the crimes committed against the State by ! each differ, not so much in character as in degree. The ku-klux klan took the lives and i property of many of our fellow-citizens. Our State officers have taken only the property. As you have seen, a large proportion of the ' members of the ku-klux klan arrested, declined to stand a trial before a jury of our ! citizens, but plead guilty. Our State officers i have practically done the same thing. This plea of guilty is found in an Act relating to the bonds of the State of South Carolina, approved March 13th, 1872. This Act was in ! troduced iuto the House of Representatives ! by Mr. John B. Dennis, a member of the I House of Representatives from Charleston 1 county. Perhaps some of you may know ; him. He has become extensively known i throughout the State as the furniture man of ; the House of Representatives. I thiuk he ' had become chiefly distinguished for his contracts in connection with the purchase of furniture for the House. But this Act, introduced by him, is evidently not his own, as it i bears internal evidence of having come from our State Financial Board. It recites modi estly, "whereas the bonds or obligations of this State have been issued from time to time, of a larce amount, in accordance, as was sup I posed by the officers issuing the same, with 1 the authority and provisions of the Acts of | the Legislature," (which I have mentioned,) j "which bonds are particularly set forth in the ! report of the State Treasurer to the General Assembly on October 31st, 1871; and, whereas, doubts have arisen whether said issues were in strict conformity to th^ provisions of said ! Acts; and, whereas, doubts have been raised j as to the validity of said bonds; and whereas i the credit of the State is affected thereby; I therefore, be it enacted, &c., that said bonds ; and obligations were lawfully issued, and the acts of the officers of this State, to the extent of all issues of bonds enumerated, be in all things ratified, confirmed and established; and said bonds are declared to be legal and vaiid bonds of the State." Now, my friends, if this is not a plea of fuilty entered by our Financial Board, then confess that I do not, though fifteen years a practicing attorney, know what constitutes that plea. It is nothing more nor less than a confession of guilt. If the bonds had been ' * nfUU lom tltktf TIT Q Q if 1KJUCU ill ailUlUOUbC nibii ian nuj nuo aw ?w cessary to pass an Act ratifying and confirming their issue? If they were not issued in accordance with law, then this Act became absolutely necessary to cover the guilt of these officers. There is no escape for our Fiuancial Board. They are shown to have issued, j without authority of law, at least five millions of bonds, and, to cap the climax, they come before the State and coolly enter the plea of guilty. They should have added to their plea "God be merciful to us miserable sinners." [Laughter.] Now it becomes important to know what has been done with the money of the State during the past four years. To what use have the annual revenues from taxes, and the proceeds of the sale of these bonds, beeu put. There have been collected during the past four years about three millions seven hundred and eighty thousand dollars by way of taxes from the people of this State, and there have been received from Mr. Kirapton, Financial Agent of the State, through whom the bonds of the State have been sold, about two millions two hundred and eighty-two thousand dollars. Thus, from all sources, it appears that the State officers have collected and received about six millions and sixtythree thousand dollars. This does not include about one million dollars of taxes collected since .January last. What has been done with this immense sum of money ? If you look over the appropriations and accounts of the expenditures during the past four years you will find this money is pretended to be accounted for in one way of another, under general heads, that give no information, and no one but the Treasurer can understand. You will find if you inquire of the bondholders, however, creditors of the State, that it is now a year since they received a dollar of interest upon their bonds. Probably one of the most startling facts in connection with this brief financial statement is that our Financial Board have permitted to be sold upon the market, (because that matter was committed to them entirely by law,) ten * 1 'A Ml* /? 1 11 / J* and a nail minions 01 aonars 01 uonus ior j about two millions two hundred and eightytwo thousand dollars; thus placing a weight of debt upon the people of this State that cannot be discharged for years to come, and for which they have received the most insignificant consideration. No well informed man believes they sold at this rate, but I am taking them at their word. If 110 more money than this could have been realized by the sale of our bonds they should not have been sold. I know it is said, with some truth, that the present State government came into power under great financial embarrassment. The | State Treasury was empty, and they had consequently, no immediate means with which to pay the ordinary expenditures of the government. But there was no such pressing need, has never beeu one, during the last four years, as to, in any degree, justify or require this enormous increase of the public debt at such a cost. The Legislature were annually informed by the Governor, Treasurer and j Comptroller-General, of the amount of money needed for the coming year, and the Legisla- j ture, under their recommendation and advice, provided for it. BuJ in looking through all j those various appropriation Acts you will find, j by comparing them with the expenditures subsequently made, that the State officers have been governed by no law in the expenditure of money?have not limited themselves to the appropriations made. .tor example, the Governor drew on the "armed force" appropriation, last winter, and used the money for another purpose not contemplated in the Act. This has been done constantly. They j have spent your money lawlessly, wastefully,' and, in my judgment, criminally. [Cries of "Tell it! tell it all!"] I will now proceed to indicate to you some of the ways and means by which the State V?oc? Kaon frkKKorl ito rmrflnnno mfori nwnv I I JHW * UUUVUj ilnj A w VUUW (UV< VVV? ?W||MJ I like the dew before the morning sun. THE LAND COMMISSION. In March, 1869, the Legislature passed an Act to provide for the appointment of a Land Commissioner, and to define his powers and : duties. The Act provided that the Governor, Comptroller General, State Treasurer, Secretary of State and Attorney General should constitute an Advisory Board, and that they should appoint a suitable person to be known as the Land Commissioner of the State of South Carolina. This Land Commissioner was to hold his office at the pleasure of the Board. It was made the duty of the Land Commissioner to purchase any lands in any portion of the State, at such prices as the Advisory Board should determine, not to exceed in amount, however, the par value of the stock provided by the General Assembly for that purpose. The Act provided for the issue j of $200,000 in coupon bonds, if, in the opinion of the Advisory Board, so much should be necessary. Now, it appears from reading the Act, that the object of the Legislature was to purchase lands as they might be offered for sale, and to sell them out in small lots to the poor people of this State. At a subsequent session of the Legislature, in March, 1870, the Legislature passed an Act authorizing an additional issue of bonds in the sum of $500,000, if, in the opinion of the Advisory Board, j so much be necessary, for the purpose of the Land Commission. XTr>tir uaii tuill nnfi/>n tViof flip T.nnrl flnm. ; missioner, in both these Acts, is made the simple servant of the Advisory Board. He could 1 not make a purchase without their approval, i and not a dollar of bonds for the purpose ; could be issued or used unless, in their judgi ment, they were necessary. Now, what has been done by the Land Commissioner and Advisory Board ? By the report of Hon. H. ; E. Hayne, Land Commissioner, dated No; vember 10, 1871, we have some information. Here let me say that this is the first, last and ; only report that has ever been given, although | the law requires that there should be an an' nual report made to the Legislature. The ! truth is that the transactions of the Land Commissioners and Advisory Board were so ] infamous that they would not make them | public, although great efforts were made in i both Houses of the General Assembly to obj tain a report. Mr. Hayne was appointed ; Land Commissioner in March, 1871, and was unable to get possession o.c the records and j enter upon the duties of his office, until four nr Oup months after. Bv verv dilipeut and ? - ' - *"w ?- - ?- j ' j o I i earnest effort he was able to ascertain some1 thing of the doings of the Board and his prej decessors in office. From his report it appears that about 8500,000 in cash have been I expended in the purchase of lands and no i more. I mean by this that it appears that I the whole aggregate of money paid for the | several tracts of land purchased, as shown by I the deeds of purchase, amount to this sura, j Now, if you look into Treasurer Parker's re! port of the moneys paid out on behalf of the Land Commission, you will find that he charges to the State about $750,000 in cash. Thus, you perceive, upon their own showing, admitting all the transactions of the Land Commissioner to have been fair and just, here is a quarter of a million of dollars unaccounted for. Now, fellow citizens, what have we to say to such public servants? [Cries of "put them outl put them out!"] I am unable to go into the details of the transactions /? .t t t iL. A J | ot tne j-iana commissioner or me auvisui j Board. It would be too tedious to you for rae to undertake it on this occasion. [Cries of "tell it!" "go on!" "tell it all!"] But I should say to you, to show how -little confidence can be placed in the honesty of any of their transactions that there was a single purchase in Charleston county, which, probably, fairly illustrates them. On or near the Santee river, in Charleston county, are some wild, unimproved lands, significantly known as "Hell Hole Swamp." These lands, constituting this swamp and the forests about it, were purchased for $120,000. My recollection is that the tract contains from twelve to fifteen thousand acres. Now I learn, from reliable sources, that the money actually paid for this tract was about $30,000, leaving some one or all of the gentlemen of the Advisory Board and Land Commissioner to net the handsome sum of $90,000. [Cries of "tell it!" "tell it all!"] Now, fellow-citizens, I do not pretend to locate the frauds of the Land Commission upon any one of the gentlemen who have been Land Commissioners, or members of the Advisory Board. All I have to say about it is, the fniuds have been committed. The Advi sory Board, as 1 have told you, without whose sanction no tract of land could be purchased, consists, and has consisted from the beginning, of Governor R. K. Scott, Comptroller General J. L. Neagle, State Treasurer N. G. Parker, Secretary of State F. L. Cardozo, and Attorney General D. H. Chamberlain. The successive Land Commissioners have been, C. P. Leslie, R. C. DeLarge, and Henry E. Hayne. As to Mr. Hayne, it is but just that I should say that all the expenditures of money for the purchase of lands were made before he came into office, and no imputation or suspicion rests upon him. Of the other gentlemen, individually, I have nothing to say except this, that, under their administration the frauds have been perpetrated, and, if there is any one of them who has not participated in them, or profited by them, let him come out and say so, and let him show to the people of this State who the guilty parties are. It is fair to presume that a majority of the Board controlled its actions, and, that, consequently, some one or more of the Advisory Board may be entirely free from the imputations now justly chargeable to the Board. If so, as I have said before, it is due to themselves, and it is due to the people of the State, that they make a full exhibit of their record. [Cries of "tell it! Tell it all!"] SINKING FUND COMMISSION. "Wrttrr aa tr> tVio Rinlrinnr T?nnr1 fV?m miaflinil On the 1st February, 1870, was approved an Act to provide for a sinking fund, and the management of the same. This is probably one of the most pretentious Acts embraced within three short Sections that was ever drawn. It says: "That for the purpose of paying the present indebtedness of the State and the interest thereon, and such further indebtedness as may be contracted, &c., the Governor, the Comptroller General, and the Attorney General of the State, the Chairman of the Committee of Finance of the Senate, and the Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, are constituted Commissioners to be known as the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, and they are to receive and manage the incomes and revenues set apart and applied to the sinking fund of the State." It is made the duty of these Commissioners to sell, on behalf of the State all such real and personal property, assets and effects, belonging to the State as is not in actual public use; these sales to be made upon such terms as they may deem most advantageous to the State. They are required to make an annual report to the j General Assembly of the condition of the | sinking fund, and all sales or other transac- i tions connected therewith. This commission ! has now been in existence two years. They | have sold large amounts of property belong- J ing to the State, consisting of both real and ( | personal property, but they have never made ; one line or one word of report of their transactions, although the General Assembly, early last session, requested them to do so. We know, by the disappearance of the public i property, rather its passage into the hands of private individuals and speculator -, that they I have been at work. But they hav. not deignj ed to tell the people of the State, c r the Legi islature the details of their transactions. One 1 or two things, however, have come to light that they have done, sufficient to indicate to you what we are to expect when their full j history is written and published. Fellow-citizens, you are all familiar with the history of the Blue Ridge Railroad.. That was an enterprise espoused by the State and the city of Charleston. The State and the city of Charleston, up to 1871, owned all the ; stock, or nearly so, in the road. About three : millions of dollars had been spent in the con-' struction of the road. The State had expend- j f>d nhnnt. a million and a half of dollars, and i I the city of Charleston had expended something over a millioD. The State had endorsed, in addition to this, and guaranteed the bonds of the road, to the amount of four millions more. About fifty miles of road have | been built, equipped and put in running} order, and immense labor had been performed j on important cuts and tunnels. "While the 1 work was in this condition, and the work of 1 construction going on, this Sinking Fund ! Commission deliberately sold to a private j corportion all the stock owned by the State in the road, which was far more than a majority of it, and gives a complete controlling interest in it, for one dollar per share, realizing the petty sum of $13,100. Thus they have passed out of the hands of the State an enter 11 1 * _ . _ ;i I prise upon whicn naa Deeu expenciea a ran-1 1 lion and a half of dollars by the State, and ! the credit of the State given for four millions i | more, for a mere nominal sura. In ray judg1 raent, the sale was absolutely illegal and void, j as the Act organizing the Sinking Fund i i Commission did not authorize them to make ! such a sale as this. The terms of the Act do i not comprehend a transaction of this characI ter. They were to sell only property not in i "actual public use." What are we to say of I public servants who would thus sacrifice an important public enterprise of the State in this manner? I think you would agree with me j that, at least, they ought not to be candidates 1 for reelection to office. [Cries of "Put them out!" "Toil it!" &c.] The gentlemen responsible for this transaction, as I have said to you, are Governor R. K. Scott, Comptroller General J. L. F,eagle, Attorney General D. H. Chamberlain, W. J. Whipper, Esq., Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, and Joseph A. Green, Chairman of the Committee of Finance, of the Senate. Now, it is barely possible that some one or more of these gentlemen did not assent to this sale; but, if so, the public are not aware of it. It must have been done by a majority of them, at least. If any of them desire to escape from the odium of the transaction and can honestly do so, iet them come forward and give us their record. I pronounce this transaction simply infamous, and sufficient to blast forever the character of anv Dublic officer engaged in it. To show show that these officers who made this sale, and the private individuals who made the purchase, were satisfied that they had no right to do so, it is only necessary to look into the Act of the Legislature which was bought through last winter, which confirms this sale. By the Act of the Legislature of the 2nd of March last, this sale was expressly confirmed. Now, if the Sinking Fund Commission had a legal right to make this sale, why was it necessary to confirm it ? On the other hand, if it was illegal and void, it was absolutely necessary to have it confirmed by a solemn Act of the Legislature. There is another little item that I should mention in connection with this Blue Ridge Railroad for which the Financial Board are responsible. In 1870 they loaned to this road, without one particle or shadow of authority of law, $200,000 in money. By this last Act of the Legislature, the Blue Ridge Railroad Company were discharged from all liability on account of this $200,000. Thus was perpetrated and consummated a fraud upon the State Treasury of 8200,000. Thus all the investments of the State in the Blue Ridge Railroad, with its endorsements of bonds, and its $200,000 in cash, have gone glittering and glimmering into the dark recesses of the pockets of private speculators, all through the unfaithfulness of these gentlemen composing the Financial Board and the Sinking Fund Commission. F. J. MOSES, JR. Now, fellow-citizens, I desire to pay my respects to F. J. Moses, Jr., Adjutant and Inspector General of the State and Speaker of the House of Representatives. This gentle man is a candidate for office, like all the rest of them, and therefore spreads his record before us for our examination. In his office as Adjutant and Inspector General he is charged, under the direction of the Governor, with the general supervision of the enrollment of the militia. The Act authorizing the enrollment of the militia was approved March 16th, 1869, and by looking into the expenditures reported, we find that about $110,000 have been expended for this purpose. Now, does anybody know anything of the labor done? Has there been any accurate enrollment of the militia of this State? If it has been, I have never seen the man yet that said he knew the fact. Mr. Adjutant and Inspector General Moses has never made a report, that I am aware of, and we are left to conjecture the transactions of his office. It is very certain but a few companies of militia, or a few regiments, at most, have been organized throughout the State, and, in most instances, these organizations have been effected through private enterprise. But, in his position as Speaker of the House of Representatives, we know more of him. As the presiding officer of that body during the past four years, in addition to his duties of presiding officer, it has been his duty to countersign the pay certificates of the members and officers of that body, and the pay certifi- J cates or orders for all other expenses of the House. The House of Representatives consists of one hundred and twenty-four members, and they have heretofore been entitled to receive six dollars per day. The sessions have continued usually about four months, and the AAnnA/^MAn^lvv nfrtfA rtn fl llfM* fKfl uicuiuciS) L-uuocijucu iiiy, ncic ?u uuvu) IUI uuv session, to between six and seven hundred dollars each. The last session of the Legislature lasted one hundred and seven days, and each member, consequently, was entitled to $642, making the whole amount required for the session, for all the members of the House, 879,608. Now, there are connected with the House a considerable number of employes, such as clerks, messengers, doorkeepers, porters, pages, &c., numbering probably fifty or sixty. We will call them a hundred, and that their pay was equal to the pay of members. This would give us 864,200. This added to the pay of members would make the expenses of the House 8143,808, for which Mr. Moses could countersign pay certificates. Now, fellow-citizens, the number and amount of pay certificates signed by Mr. Moses, I am credibly informed, exceeds the sum of one million dollars I These pay certificates are to be found in every county of the State, and even in the city of Washington. Persons have them who could neither read nor write, who were seldom near the legislative halls during the whole session, and who have done not one single act of service for the House of Representatives over which Mr. Moses presided. I am credibly informed that two or three hundred thousand of tbemhave been redeemed at the Treasury by Mr. Parker. Now, fellowcitizens, what have you to say of such a record as this ? Can it be possible that such a man, who has recklessly, lawlessly, and, as I j think, criminally certified pay certificates in this manner, can have the audacity to present himself as a candidate for your suffrages in the coming election ? I understand that Mr. Mosos does not deny the fact of this tremendous issue of pay certificates, but blandly says, "I admit I have been extravagant in this matter, but I am a candidate for office against Scott, Parker and the rest of them, who have the State Treasury at their back, and it is the only way that I can meet them fairly. They will use the funds of the Treasury to secure their reelection, and I must use mv nov pprf ifiontes " Will the neonle of this State tolerate such rascality? Will such a ! mau receive a single vote? [Cries of "No, no, not one."] I also say no. The probability is that the State will, at some future time, be compelled to redeem these pay certificates, and you and I will be taxed to pay them. Fellow-citizens, I have given you, in as brief a mauner as I could, a sketch of the financial transactions of our State officers, and I think you will agree with me that the bare recital is enough to shock the sense of any honest man. Can the Republican party of South Carolina live and tolerate such men in I office as we have had in some of the State of-' fices during the past four years ? I tell you no. No political party under the sun ct.n long survive such an administration. TAXATION AND ITS EFFECTS. Let us look at the situation; how you and I, and all the people of South Carolina, are ; affected by this vast increase of the public 1 debt, by this reckless squandering of the pub- i lie funds. The annual interest upon the debt: contracted must of course be paid, and the : State government must be supported. The interest on these sixteen millions of dollars of bonds is about one million dollars per annum. It costs, to run the State government, about one million and a half more. Now, the people of this State must be taxed, to pay this amount annually, about two millions and a half of dollars. The tax must be levied upon the property of the State, which, during the past year, has been appraised at about $160,000,000, which will require the imposition of a tax of about sixteen mills upon the dollar, or, to make allowances for losses in the col lection, about two cents on the dollar. This tax will cripple the industry and retard the growth of tne State in every respect! Capitalists will not come here and invest their money, and the citizens of this State who have got money will be compelled to leave, as their property will not be remunerative under such heavy taxation. Not only will the property holders feel it, but every poor man will feel it He will have to pay higher for the rent of his house, more for every article of food that he consumes, and will receive a less price for his labor. To illustrate to you how this tax affects the poor man, I will repeat to you a conversation that I heard upon the cars. One gentleman?I think he was from Winnsboro?said to another, "the taxation is enormous, and I cannot stand it I cannot carry on my business, meet my obligations and support my family." The other gentleman replied, "it's all easy enough; I will tell you how I do it I will make the damn niggers pay it Last year I {>aid them seventy-five cents a day for their abor. This year I will not pay them but fifj ty; and if the State government increases the j taxes next year, I will not pay them but tweuj ty-five cents a day." 1 * < it. .*1 JNow, my irienas, cms illustrates toe situation exactly. If the property holders of this State are heavily taxed, they cannot afford to {>ay the laboring men so large prices for their abor. Thus, all of you are immediately and vitally affected by the terrible burden of taxation, which has been heaped upon you by the misconduct of our State officers. But I must pass on. THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Another, and, in my judgment, quite as serious a result from this financial mismanagement, has happened to the people of this State. In 1869, the Legislature adopted a thorough and extensive common school system by which it was intended to reach every child in tne State, and furnish him or her with the means of education. The working of the whole school system has been paralyzed for the want of funds to carry it on. Teachers who, in good faith, engaged in teaching, were unpaid, and had to be discharged. Our schools nave dwindled, the education of our children is neglected, and we are to-day scarcely any further advanced in education than we were in 1869. Thus, fellow-citizens, civilization itself and the elevation of the colored race of this State is retarded by the misappropriation of funds of the State by our public servants. This is a loss that we cannot estimate. It is a loss to be felt for years to come. In this particular department of the State government the Republican party specially prided itself. It was made the theme of our speeches four years ago, and then two years ago, that intelligence was to be disseminated everywhere, and the people educated and elevated. But I say to you to-day, and I say it with shame for the Republican party of the State, that all of these promises and these just hopes and expectations are disappointed. Not that the Republican party, as a whole, did not desire it, but because the means provided for these ends have been diverted to other channels, and our institutions oflearning are left to dwindle and die from starvation. OUR PRESENT EMBARRASSMENTS. At una lUULUCiib WO two 1U tuc uiusu UEjfiui able condition. There is said to be no money in the Treasury, although nearly one million dollars of taxes have been collected since January last. Nearly all our public officers are unpaid, and our various institutions for the insane, deaf, dumb and blind, and even our ponitentiary, are suffering for the necessary means to sustain them. All drafts upon the public Treasury are dishonored. I learn that even the quarantine upon our coast, unless aided from other sources than the State Treasury, must be broken up, and our people left exposed to many foreign and malignant diseases. But, fellow-citizens, I fear I have wearied fou already. (Cries of "Go on. Go on!"} am certain that I have exhausted myself. I have given you but an outline of the conduct of our State officers during the last four years. There is an infinity of detail that I have been unable to mention for lack of time. I have said enough to show you that we must have a change at Columbia. As I said in the outset, it has given me great pain to speak of these men as I have been compelled to speak. But the truth must be told, in order that a change for the better may come. I am no candidate for office myself, but I call upon you, I call upon all the good men of this States, of every class and condition, white and colored, to rouse themselves and effect a change in the management of our State affairs. I call especially upon the Republican party, of which I have been a member since its organization before the war, to purge and purify itself. Let no personal considerations, no personal attachments, no preferences, control you, but unite upon honest and capable men for office. This is the only way out of our present embarrassment. Let all unfaithful, dishonest public servants be driven from every place of power ; let honest men come to the front, and let us do what we can to redeem ourselves. If this is done we can safely predict a long career of prosperity and happiness to the people of South Carolina. If we cannot do this, but the same set of men are to be retained at Columbia that have mismanaged our affairs for the past four years, then I say to you with anguish more than I can express, "(>od help the people of South Carolina." [Long, continued applause.] ! From the Detroit Free Press. THE HISTORY OF GOV. SCOTT OF S. C. a letter from ex-attorney-general a. williams. Ionia, Mich., July 30, 3872. A few months ago I read a newspaper article which gave a brief history of Governor Scott, of South Carolina, and stating among other things, that he had lived in and went from Napoleon, Ohio, to that State. Anxious to learu to what extent, if any, the article referred to was correct, I recently wrote to an old acquaintance of mine who has many years resided in Napoleon, Ohio, and is one of the most prominent, exemplary and trustworthy residents, making inquiries as to Gov. Scott, and received a reply, a copy of which is here?*A^ tTAit ft\n miKlinntmn in mnr Willi lUi naiUCU \AJ JVU avi |/uviivmmvu 4U jw. paper. It shows the kind of men which the Grant bayonet policy has been constantly forcing upon the Southern people as their rulers since the close of the war, and since, too, he said, "Let us have peace." But how much "peace," I ask, would or could there have been in Michigan, with such a governor, forced upon its people by some outside and irresponsible power, ruling over and plundering them ? Do Grant and his office holders ana thieves promise any reform of these infamous abuses ? Is such rascality to go forever un?nd nniuliinnM^ nf inafinA 9 "Th MUV* uu II M4^/k/Wi V* J MM ?>?VW there no balm in Gilead, no physician there" for the South ? Is there nothing in store for them but the vinegar and gall of robbery and iron rule ? Is there nowhere in this broad land the intelligence to choose, the heart to love, the will to select and the power to do the right by them?generously lifting ! them out of the slough of oppression ana ruin, and making them feel that we are again their brothers, and not eternal enemies ? Are the voices of humanity, Christianity and lofty patriotism forever hushed as concerning their welfare ? Are party and not country, office-getting and not peace-bestowing, tyrannical rule and not public good, the considerations which shall animate us as a people ? Nay; I believe a bright aud happy day is dawning?one wbicb snail Dnng peace ana healing upon its wings, and a perfect union of hearts, hands and purposes, of a redeemed and reunited and prosperous people, constituting one great and noble brotherhood, leaving to history the things that belong to history, and concerning themselves only with the present and future. May Deity, in the plenitude of His goodness ana wisdom, speed the broad dawn of that day with its full light and glory. But I have unintentionally and too much enlarged. Begging pardon and hoping your readers will all carefully read and well consider the subjoined letter. A. WILLIAMS. Napoleon, 0., July 25, 1872. Hon. A. Williams : Your kind favor came to hand to-day, and be assured I was glad to hear from you, and to learn that you are on the right track, politically. I am for Greeley since the Baltimore convention, and I hope and pray that he may be elected, and I really believe he will be. Governor Scott, of South Carolina, I suppose, is really a resident of this place yet His family was still living here when he was first elected governor, and they have since spent abont one-half of their time here. R. K. Scott came to this county some twelve or fifteen vears aeo. and located in the little one horse town ofTPlorida, in this (Henry) county, as a doctor, having never graduated or attended medical lectures, content to practice some five or six years. He was a candidate for justice of the peace, and beaten in his township, while his party had a majority. Afterward he sought and obtained the nomination for county treasurer, ran and was defeated. He then went into the dry goods trade in his own town. Afterward he came to this town and engaged in the same business and failed totally, worth nothing. Then be went into the army as lieutenant-colonel and got to be brigadier-general, and came home, and through the influence of Jim Ashley he got the appointment in command of the freedmen's bureau at Charleston, South Carolina, and was finally elected governor. Br. Scott is a very clever fellow, large andjsortly, and very good looking, but very ignorant, yet tells a good story well. In writing letters, I AUliAnnwinktf WAWr T TlKMUimA ItUlO 1U UlUlUglB{UI^ TUi T IUUW1> ?? v. be is now worth a million of dollars. He owns a large amount of real estate in this and adjoining counties, and thousands of aoree in the northern part of Michigan, in oompany with other men, and he has made tnis money off the people of South Carolina. It is said that Jay Cooke loaned him the money and he bough* $80,000 of these South Carolina bonds for forty-four per cent on the dollar, and then, as governor, recommended that the interest on the State bonds be paid in gold semi-annually. The legislature passed the bill, and immediately the bonds were worth ninety cents on the dollar. I suppose he had several thousand or hundred thousand dollars of these bonds, many of which were fraudulently issued ; and had he not bought off the legislature last winter, he would have been impeached as governor. Perhaps you saw some account of it. When he came home from the war, and before he got the appointment in South Carolina, I asked him how he stood politically, and he told me that he should go with the party that had the least to do with the negroes. He is now building a fine brick house in this place; bought a large farm adjoining this place, laid it out into town lots, and has sold the most of them. He has some very valuableproperty here, including a tavern stand. He drinks whiskey and gambles largely for money. AGRICULTURAL REPORT. The report of the Commissioner of Agriculture for 1871 will be ready for distribution during the latter part of the present month? three months in advance of the usual time of publication. Two hundred and twenty-five thousand copies of this report were ordered by Congress?Senators and Representatives receiving between six hundred and seven hundred each for distribution among the people. Many topics of a deep interest are discussed in the forthcoming volume, and it will prove a laboratory of valuable facts. We quote a passage relating to the agricultural prod actions of the country in 1871: "The agricultural production of 1871 has been less, both in quantity and value, than that of 1870. The heaviest deoline in production is seen in corn, which fails to reach the quantity of the previous Tear by one hundred millions of bushels, while it exceeds that produced in 1869 by a difference still greater. The amount of wheat harvested has apparently come very near the product of 1370; the quantity of oats grown slightly surpasses that of the previous year; and barley, rye and buckwheat, always presenting moderate figures, differ in their aggregate of the two years by very slight degrees. The difference in the quantity of cereals is, therefore, mainly due to the reduction in the yield of corn, which showed relatively a decrease of 9 per cent, yet actually leaving more than an average crop. The total quantity of cereals, as estimated, was folly sixteen hundred and a quarter millions in 1870; and in 1871 fifteen hundred and a quarter; their values, respectively, in round numbers, one thonsand millions of dollars and nine hundred millions. As compared with the other grain producing countries, ours now stands abreast with Russia, in some years slightly ahead, while the two together equal, in cereal production, all the countries in Europe west of Russia; "The area in cereals, so for as we have been able to determine it without the help of the census?a singular omission in the national ? mkiAk *kio IHAnavlmnnf in euuuieittuuu iu nuwu mio i/cjhhuuwii u> vain called the attention of the law makers prior to the census of 1870?was sixty-four millions of acres last year, and sixty-nine in 1870. More than half of this total area, as also a larger proportion of the aggregate value, is attributed to the maize crop, which is, and must be for many yean, the principal cereal crop of the country." * . Extraordinary Story.?In a village not far from Berlin, an old couple lived very quietly upon their little property. Both bad carefully purchased their coffins some years ! ago, as is often the case among country folks. The coffins were placed in a stable, and were used as a receptacle for different things, es pecially for storing up baked fruit and other articles intended to be kept for winter use. Not long ago the old man died suddenly. The son, who was a soldier quartered at Berlin, hastened at the summons to pay the last ! respects to his father's remains, in the meantime the mother had, with the help of another son who lived with her, put all the articles together in one of the coffins, and in the other had duly placed the mortal remains of him who for so many years was the partner of her life-long journey. The coffin was carried to the grave by the hands of stout country youths, followed by the sorrowing relatives and sympathizing neighbors, while the bells tolled out their melancholy dirge. Tho following day the son had to return to the garrison. The anxious mother wished to give him some of the fruit, <fec., that was packed away, to take with him on his journey, and on going to the remaining coffin for that purpose, what was her horror to find the body of her husband. In the confusion of the moment the wrong coffin had been borne to the grave, and now there remained nothing else to be done than to dig the first coffin up again and bury the dead body, while a second funeral oration had to be pronounced by the village pastor.