The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-12-12

OUR FINANCIAL RELATIONS AND THE
GUILTY PARTIES. The following leading
editorial from the Missionary Record oi
the 9Th instant, edited aud published bv
Rev. r. 81. Gain, who was formerly n
member of the South Carolina LeeisIa.
ture: is worthy of attentive perusnI,
coming as it does from tae pen OF rep
resentative oolored man:
Ihe financial condition of State is
the pest evidence presented to the world
OF the worth or uDfitness of the men
into whose hands have been committed
the States interest. The condition Of
this States finances, as revealed by the
reports Of the Treasurer end the Co
vernors message, fixes beyond doubt o
degree OF guilt upon our State officials
whlch Is without a palliation. The enor.
NOUS increase in the debt Of this State.
within two years, with no prospect OF
improvement. and no returns to the peo-
Pie who have suffered the grieyous
wrongs at the hands of their trusted
and tried public servants who have be-
.rayea the trusts reposed in them, is un-
pearaple. There hos been mismanage-
ment and embezzlement by somebody.
The time has come when the neonie
should demand the arrest and arrai9n-
ment OF the guilty parties, aud have
them brought before the proper tri
bunals, and made to disgorge their ill
gotten gains. New York has lately been
CURSED with . horde of robbers, who
have stolen millions from tho public
treasury. The honest citizens haye
risen up in their might and throttled
those villains, aud to-day some of them
are IN prison, and others are under bail.
awaiting the coming of condign punish
ment. We have our Tammany ring.
who ore playing the same high. h.handed
game, and the people must rise up and
demand their overthrow. If the Trea.
surer has been guilty of embezzlement,
let him be arrested, as any other thief.
anu held to strict accountability; if he
has accomplices in the persons of the
Governor and other otlicinls, let them be
apprehendcd and placed in the custody
of the law, SO that justice may not be
cheated by their sudden flight from tile
| State.
We know no reason why these great
criminals should not be punished, as
] we'll as the poor negro who steals q peck
of rice to prevent his family from star
vation. Why should these great rascals
go ''scott free?" Why should the honest
laboring mon of the country be com
PEELED to pay taxes to sustain those
| who ride in luxury and speculate in
| bonds stolen from the State? It is
time that these things cease. The CRY
OF Republicanism will not savo these
precious rascals in the future. That ory
has lost its charm to the negroes, who
| are now starving for want of food and
are half naked. after years labor spent
in following half vugrant life, waiting
for the fulhllment of promises made
but never intended to he fulfilled by
those villainous demagogues. Let them
be aware. The thunder cloud portends
coming storm which will sweep them
| away.
The editor of the Missionary Record,
In the same issue. continues Es follows:
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR FINAN-
DIAL RU1N.-The question of RESPONSE
bllity for the present condition of this
State is one which forces itself upon
every intelligent voter, upon every poor
man, woman and child in the Common
wealth, because every interest is affected
by tho financial wreck Of this State. No
one can scan the reports made by the
| various parties relative to the expendi-
lures and issues of bonds by our State
| officials without discovering the inten
ton Of fraud and peculation. A careful
examination into the facts show TINT
| there must have been deep-laid plan
to plunder this State by few leading
men, whose whole aim was to possess
themselves of the proper power, through
| Legislative enaotments, and then accom-
plish their purposes with impunity.
We trace their actions through O series
OF measures, brought to the Legislature
by themselves. and passed at their own
| suggestions and urgent requests, repre-
senting that without their passage tho
State could not succeed, and the Repub-
lican party could not maintain its power
in this State.
In 1868, the "bill to redeem the bills
OF the Bank Of the State was presented
to the first Legislature which assembled
under reconstruction. It was presented
as measure essential to the honor and
integrity of the State, and it was passed; !;
and it subsequently turned out that
every ono who urged its passage upon
the colorod members Of the Legislature
with 80 much vehemence we're interest
ed. and had bought up hundreds of the
bills and held them, awaiting the pas
sage of the bill. Through this action,
they made thousands of dollars The
next Act Of the Legislature which gave
authority to issue bonds was ut their in
stigation, and so of every Act authoriz-
ing the issue Of bonds, have been at tho
instigation of the State oficinls. Tie
Legislature have had too much conf
denco in those gentlemen, for the good
of the State. Whatever OF crime thnt
may attach to the officials of this State,
is the result Of their own actions, free
and untrammelled by tho Legislature.
Tho responsibility rests with them en-
tirely.
The report states that there has been
an over. issue of bonds to the amount of