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— » o I _ I l/V V I* I28 03 Tourgee, mv recollection is that thin wa* a ^.pj jH,t u-(m draft of A. \V. Tourgee, drawn on me with-; riS„lts fr,liil ikj! i*av it until•V) 37 ! out authority, anil 1 • 1 i*1 not j»av it1459095100On109590013050280355365504593755564900U20Dl!KDO00140000000052340000007.8788891!«7410The way the People were Swindled.Our readers will remember that in 186S-'9 we denounced the Railroad appropriation liills then before the Legislature. We had reason to believe that they were being passed by bribery, and for that cause we denduneed the proposition to make appropriations to the A., T. O. Ilailroad and the Wit, Char. Ruth. Railroad. Bui all the bills were passed, and it is well known that not a mile of Road was ever built with the proceeds of the sale of Stale Bonds.AN e have but recently had lime to look over the Report of the Commission appointed by the Legislature to investigate thefrauds and swindles practised against the State.From the testimony of Mr Geo. NV. Swep-son we copy the following, showing what influences were brought to bear to induce the passage of appropriation bills:“Question (to Geo. NV. Swepson)—NVere there any bonds or proceeds of bonds or money used to procure the passage of any ordinance or bill through the Convention or Legislature? Il you have any information or knowledge on the subject state it fully.AnHirer—Tn the special session of 1868 a bill was passed making an appropriation to the western division of the NVestcrn North Carolina Railroad. The bill did not accomplish the purpose, as no tax was levied to pay the interest. In the Fall I was elected President of said Road. I came to Raleigh and urged the passage of another bill through the Legislature. I was then told by Littlefield and Deweese, who were lobby members, Littlefield being the principal, tlwit I would get no bills through the Legislature unless 1 entered into the same arrangement which they said the other Railroad Presidents had made, to pay ten percent in kind of the amount of the appropriation. 1 understood from Littlefield and Deweese, that all tlie other Presidents had mad.? such an arrangement with them. 1 had no conversation or agreement with the Railroad Presidents invsclf, but it was gencrallv un-lt;lerstnolt;i that each ot them halt;l employe.!Liltlefu M as a lobby lawyer. I then airreeil ■ • . * * to their proposition, and afterwards paidLittlefield upwards of $210,000 in money, and some bonds, for iiis services in procuring the passage of bills ilmmgh the Lcgisla-ture making appropriations to the westerndivision ot said road.Quvs.—IIow did you make payment toLittlefield?A /in.— 1 paid money in various ways, sometimes upon Littlefield's order, sometimes by taking up his notes and notes of other parties at his request, sonictiimsin money to him and some bonds.Qur.i.—NVill you give tlie names of the individuals to whom these several sums of money have been paid?Atm.—I have a list of the various sums of money paid and the time and persons towhom pafd, which list I will furnish hereafter as a part of my testimony. 1 have it now and will furnish a list of the lxmds paid out.Ques.—You stated in the former part of vour examination that von would furnish a list of the names of persons to whom money and bonds were paid; are you prepared to give that list ?Ans.—Since my last examination, I have had a full examination made by my clerk and book keeper, Mr Rosenthal, of the accounts kept by him, and 1 hereby furnish to the committee a copy from the books of the account entitled M. S. Littlefield with G.\V. Swcpson. This account I believe to be correct. The same was kept by my book keeper and clerk, Mr Rosenthal. This list embraces the amount of $211,713.31, which I slated in my report, made to N. \V. NVood-tiii and other commissioners, had been expended to secure the charter and appropriation on account of the NVestcrn division ofthe NV. X. C. Railroad Company.Qut*.—NVill you state particularly oti what account these various sums of money were paid, ami whether you have vouchersfor the same?An*.—I stated in my previous examination, 1 was told by General Littlefield and Deweese that I could get no lulls through ; ,jom an,j the Legislature unless 1 entered into the I they*only same arrangement agreed upon by tlie other acii'mr in* ; Kailroad Presidents, which lie said was to 1 t|)v two ri pay ten per cent in kind on the amount of, „,0irtw.t ,r„A merch call attent suggestionIf the Soutruin them; Colton ami and meat, do next FaPlaxtin informed Iportion ofprepa ratio! made on aunless this some ehee coining vt growing pc it is not de very sliort-nf America time, is itwho is giv consider w cept for thmore than to remem cheaperth another t\and corn 1 has been ■ has enabldcrop at a n since the m supplies is coud : Fro is to be a 1 ly used oi likely resi deuce reci the experit suiting in ; account, large crop, will be iuc we undersl men at ab the busy ? called in, ition, and i be paid, operating i crop to I lo hand, siipn what can will be V them, dece ruling, ami respect, to ever, is t ha be very hn lie made 1 good scasov»supply froi of any jiom countries, have evervcannot be: mine what with a ver wheat and what cond leave the j these sugi the folly o! Would it i you want, y«u can elt; safe, and t vances shoHowThe folh the Xashv that is doii ricultural newspaper“The iliand uponm a largemethod ol problem is of an abuo existed hei labor on tl ploy then of the Sotnegro is ai leges ol II: same laws The negro st meted tc the Southmagnet di:each othersome time after it had gone ilt;» ju*lt;»ti*^t. Hiiion «*f tlI did so.”‘ The following is a list furnished by Mr Swepson’s clerk of some of the persons who were bribed with nmnev :“JudgeToorgee $2,Too, Joe Iloldcn $950, J. T. Deweese $16,000, John llyman (col.)every fnrci I to regain 1 heron theI NVe pro;founded oi may be lie I. As th and more beginning wiih it, hinegro moi wamleriimto any l«*c;lives whicltriouB citi with comfSinclair $3,500, Gen. Kstesaml French $-’o.-913, ‘•Senator Kppcs (col.) $05, Downing (of Fnioncounty) $ l.ooo, J( Abbott $20,CKJ«\F NV Foster $25,000, I'eck $*,5iMi, J ..I Heck $15,000, and other sums amounting, ail told, to $241,713.81.”We do not believe that the alt;»mv list contains the names of one-fourth of those who were bribed, board thei directly or indirectly, or of those who misus ’d or their own squandered appropriations made for Railroad pur- such comf poses previous to the operations of the Radical he ought! Legislature of 1969. Why did not the Fraud Com- that theymission extend its researches further hack, and in- labor, andi form the public how the appropriations made for, try will bI Railroads previous to Republican aclmint*trations men ts^ andi were used?2. As tl
Newspaper Details
Charlotte Democrat
Charlotte, North Carolina, US
Tue, Mar 12, 1872
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Adrienne B.
USA 22 Jan 2023
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