The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-01-20

OSSAA SA~O OSA
tional Bank. at the Citizens Savings
Bank, at Mr.. Swafficld's, at Mr. Hopes,
at Messrs. Wells & Caldwell's, and with
Col. A. @. Haskell, at the Office of
Massrs. Pope & Haskell.
eir ---% -H
Mr.. EDITOR: The use Of your columns
is again solicited, to reply to "Fair
Play" in the Daily Union, of the 18th
inst. This writer, in n very arrogant
and overbearing manner, without reply
ing to the arguments of "Citizens, I"
which appeared in your paper, appeals
to the passions and preiudices of our
people, by abuse of ex- Mayor Mckenzie
and his Aldermen. In tho communica-
tion signed Citizens" great care was
taken to avoid personal.ies-no action
of the present Council was denounced,
excepting only the single one of in
creased taxation; but "Fair Play" does
not follow the example set, and tries to
brow-beat the people into his way of
thinking, by his dictatorial assertions
and acrimonious style-it does not de-
serve the namo of argument-and shows
that he knows we'll that he is advocating
ga lost cause" already decided against
him. It is like viper gnawing file
he con make no impression, although
the venom is ut the roots of his teeth.
he tells US that the present Council left
the beggarly sum Of less than 5000 in
the Treasury, but does not cnlightcn MS
as to how much they received when they
went into Office Without resortlng to
figures, it can be shown that one of the
late Aldermen, on going into Office, had
to furnish the funds to buy mules to do
the street work, and was only repaid
when his taxes became due. The CITY
Clerk frequently had no funds to pay
the street handa-depending on borrow
ing from the Aldermen. The old Coun-
Gil, before retiring from Office, paid up
all bills which they contracted, so fur as
access could be had to them, and left
their successors with less debt and more
means to pay than they received from
their predecessors. True, there was no
So. 600 left to pay Chamberlain and
TradewelD, but they did not burden the
City Treasury with Meir lawyers fees.
I, therefore, ask where the $4,000 came
from to pay Tradewell and Chamberlain.
if the city finances were in the condition
that "Fair Play" represents? I ask
farther, if they (thc said Tradewell and
Chamberlnin) had paid their licenses to
the Council, Of which Mckenzie was the
chief? Also, if they, or either of them,
were not delinquent in the payment of
their taxes to the State? The Council
known as the "oId Council" land by
that name ] will designate them here
after in this communication sold S5O,-
600 stock, represented by $50 shares, in
the Greenville and Columbia Railroad,
for 80, 900. ard applied this sum to the
payment of the bonds issued for this
subscription, as required by the Legisla-
ture Of South Carolina, at the time of
subscription. They did SO in tho belief
that they acted in the best manner for
the interests of Columbia thoy followed
the example of host of private stock.
holders. The men denounced by "Fair
Play" ''as corrupt agents Df derouyi,,q
Northern specuhtto,.s, to whom the stock
was sold, consist of Gor. IL. X. Scott,
Reuben T5mlnson, Co.. Patterson. H. II
Kimpton, Niles e. PurAer, Geo,ye ".
Waterman. j. H. Jenhs, Timothy Hm4ey,
r. G. DeLtnye, f. H. Cmdoso, d. ii.
Chamberlain, and Mei,. associates. .'Fair
Play" denounces these parties rs 'tc0,yuM
agents Of deo0uring NOyihcrn Spccuit.i0rs, :"
and lie editor Of Tie Union endorses "Fily
Plays" argument, us abie, nnnns,ce,uble,
DC Well may Messrs r. X. Scott 4
20: say, SAGE us from o'o friends. Come,
"Ealr Play W,mash and let M friends
0eAoM Mee-thou shouiisi not tcusie I'm
beauties IN obscurity. The truth is, the
stock was valueless to tho owners, with.
out any prospect of ever paying dollar
to the holders. This influenced a sale
Of it by all the stockholders along the
line of road, and the same motives. no
doubt, influenced tho cold Council" in
the sale. The fact, also, that the new
purchasers were able and promised to
put the road in frst-rate order, reduce
freights and passage rates, and be the
means of developing the resources OF the
up-country-a matter in which Columbia
is vitality interestcd-no doubt actuatcd
the Council. BY recent largo purchases
Of iron and other material, they show by
their acts, that they intend to carry out
their promises, which, when done, it
will not be an Objectionable feature that
they should make money by transac-