The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-12-30
tss 4 Zero" the spartauburg correspond
'ent of the New York World. saya:

lent Of the New York World, says:
The absorbing topic for the people OF
South Carolina is the disclosure Of the
great fraud perpetrated by Gov. Soott:s
Treasurer Parker, Attorney General
Chamberlain, and State Agent Kimpton.
tEhese four men have Gtolen over Sc, 600.
QUO from the State. making 81, 500, 600
each for their valuable services. So
says the report made to the Legislature
by. the committee appointed to investi-
gate the matter. ''Bowen, the biga-
mist" is.at the, head OF this committee.
and is now having his revenge for his
persecution by certain Radicals OF this
state. He ssys part of the oyer.issue
OF bonds was to convict him, and he in
tends TO hunt It up. Re v.. elected On
shat platform, and many Democrats,
having confidence In his threats, voted
for him. The report made'bS Bowers
committee confidently assert, that an
oyer-issue has been made Of over SO, ,OO0,- :
900, ), -,...-..,s. e..... mi.
And adds:
1T is but just to say it is not thought
that Attorney General Chamberlain
shared in the plundor., His sins are ra-
|ther OF omission than commission. He
knew the frauds, or had every facility to
know them, and stood by and looked on.
Chamberlain has the respect OF the peo.
pie, and great many Democrats, under
the passive policy, would vote for him
for Governor. FhrAp ~
We find Zero" sadly at fault here.
In view Of his intellect. education and
pretensions, it is but just to say that the
Attorney General is more oulpable than
either of his less accomplished confede-
rates. To soy nothing OF Ohamberlain's g
intimate connection with, ,',
l.. The Land Commission swindle.
2. The Financial Board bond swindle
8. OF general neglect of dnty as At
torney- General.
4. OF giving Parker an opinion favor
ing fraud. ~. e -
s. Of Kimpton's retention in office.
To say nothing, we say, of all these
charges, he is further guilty OF legal
completely with thes fraudulent drawing
up of the money Acts OF the Legislature,
which opened the door to fraud.
Think Of 0e authority being given for
The raising Of --- millions Of dollars on
6ondsi Thus. to raise 81, 200. 900. under
the AttorneyGeneral drawing up, or
conniyanoe with the drawing up of
the money, Acts, it was possible for the
Acts to be 30 construed as to let the
Financial Board issue an indefinite
amount of bondsl 500, 100000 of
bonds might have been issued to raise
81. 900, 900 of money. OF course, the
Acts should not have been so construed,
because it is an established rule, that no
statute can be properly construed SO as
to work an absurdity. But this does
not help Chamberlain He is RESPONSE
BILE for the framing of the money Acts.
He stood by, and,s with his legal brass
key, opened the doors of the Treasury
of the State. When he should have
stood, Metellus-like, with sword drawn,
to protect the treasury of an impover-
ished people, he stood with the key and
opened the door, and afterwards and
ever since. has stood by, and opened not
his mouth. y And now his friends try to
save him, and say. "Pnt him on the wit
ness stand, and he will tell ALL" Yes,
like Others, he will confess, after his
confessions are unnecessary. Put him
in the dock, and not on the witness
stand. "Zero" is much at fault-badly
fooled. OF what people has this man
the respect? And to talk OF a great
many Democrats, under the passiue policy,
voting for him for Governorl Under
the "possum policy" he may be voted
for; but Heaven save ua from any
passive" or ''possum' policy, on the
part of the Democracy. We will have
none of it. Our policy is action, and
audacity under the law is the word.
The New England Society.
This society celebrated, recently, in
Charleston, its fifty second anniversary