The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-08-14
eoyEKNoK scorT's POLICY.
VETO OF THE BILL FOR REDUCING BONDS OF GER
TAIN PUBLIC OFFICERS.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
COLUMBIA, August IL, 1868.

1fr. President and Gentlemen OF Ms Senate.
have tbs honor to return to the Senate, in
which it ori .inated, can Act to fix the amounts
of the official bonds Of certain public officers,
and to impose penalties on entertainments, !"
without my approval, which am constrained
to withhold for the following reasons:
noint The embarrassments encountered in
The inauguration of our new State Government
will be best overcome by proceeding in such
manner as to command from the first the con-
fidence of tho capitalists in the financial policy
Of the State.
ANY measure appearing to countenance re-
taxation of the precautions with which the
State guards its funds, will impair the public
credit. Such measure, now tolerated, wouio
he n blow struck at the financial standing OF the
State. at a time when all important cons1dern-
fions demand that it should be yigilantly and
vigorously upheld.
tn whom the public funds are entrusted for
safekceping, seems to me dangerous to tho
public credit. Many Of the men who have been
elected to positions OF trust are new 10 the pup
lie service. They have not been tried We
helieve thew are true men. Those who know
them cxnress unqualified confidence in their
INTEGRITY. But the peculiar circumstances in
which thew are placed demand that they should
furnish the amplest guarantees OF their OIL
ciol rcctitude. Tho ability to do this is the
only sufficient answer to the often repeated
charge that the party in power has advanced to
POSITIONS of responsibility @ Id trust tpose who
were without respectaDillty ana gooa stanuhS IN,
amount of the bonds to be required of public
officers new one, the billnow returned might
be unobjcctlonnble.
Eut the circumstances must pe duiy Wclgn-
ed and it cannot be overlooked that the re-
ductlon of these bonds now WILL be understood
and believed to be mace 10 meet individual
cases of men who were elected Win tull
knowedeo of the requirements Of the law.
Ieplslation 10 meet special cases is always OBJ
iectionable, and the present Is probably u time
when more harm will result from such lesis-
lation than at any previous moment IN our
history 1t is not pertinent, however, to III.
ouirc particularly what may be the Individual
character of the officer and othcers who chanc-
ed to be personally lnteresteu III securing Ine
proposed reduction.
The so;rce of danger is in the principle, and
does NOT rest on personal grounds. The prece-
dent is bad. When once we begin to accom-.
modate local requirements to suit special
cases, the mischief is done,
In the case of some of the officers of coun-
ties. it is understood that q proposition is un-
der consideration to diminish the responsIblli-
ty by assigning part Of the duties to other OIL
GERS. In cases where the responsibilities may
be thus reduced the reduction of the bonds
required would not be improptr.. But, upon q
careful consideration Of the whole subject, and
with the deepes; concern for the interests OF
the State. / feel compelled to disapprove the
act to reduce the bonds now required by law oI
those officers elect whose duties and respon-
siblIities remain the same as those of the pre-
sent lncumbents and their predecessors:
The section guarding against embezzementt
OF the public moneys meets my unqualified
approval, but am compelled, for the reasons
above given. 10 dieapproyc the act as Whole.
ROBERT K. SCOTT, Governor.