The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-10-23
TIE RING AND THE BONDS.
THE LATEST SOHEME TO BLEED "OUR
BELOVED BTATE.o .
A scorohing Exposure from'EI-auditor
Gary-Governor Scott Shown Up in q
Bad Ltght-The Taxpayers Exhorted
to Combine Against h New Tax.
G0LUMBIh, IS. U.. Oct0ber 2I.

To the CITIZENS of South Carolina:
> For theinformation oil the public and, fol
the purpose Of warniHg the taxpayers OF thie
State against 8 scheme which has,6een gotten
up by certain State officials, by which certain
men are to make q large amount OF money
by demanding the people, / wish to address
to you 8 few words. A little more than one
wear. AGO. 1: was appointed to the position
of auditor of State, and since that time
I have endeavored to do my duty In that
connection 10 the, bert OF my1udRment. How
far I have. snccarded remains tor the people TO
decide. The first action which, out of my
regular course. of duties. l deemed 1t incum.
bent ,ipon me to take. was the prevention OF
the circulation Of the Bite Ridge. scrip. This,
IFWas repeatedly told: by the Governor, some
one was going, 10 do; but after waiting uEtl!
almost too late, 7 learned that the acLion OF
the Governor was .imp.y for the purpose Oh
forcing John j., Patterson. the president OF me
Company, to pay certain claims which ne neio
az '7st the road, In the shape OF . noteof the
CON, ~. which he procured 10 q way not
likph add to the reputation of. an honest
man. iIinG, ,ss I have heretofore said, until
almosG. !s;e, for some one to q Z CHG MAJ;
ter into courts, + hudlly instituted the ".
eSsary brL pdiDgs, with the eanctionpo f the
Governor. tier PROCEEDINGS. had been COM,
menced. sna "a usual necessary Inducements
been offered is Excellency, an enort was
mdU6 Nv HUl6t OJGOk thkOio - w
duce me 10 Withdraw the suit. Ten thousand
dollars In cash was offered me by, one party
the dey that the case came into court; and an
Indirect Offer OF $26, 00g In scrip was. subse.
uuently made by another paris, In case l would
consent to Withdraw the suit This: J., or
course, refused; and the matter has been a
bone OF contention betw cen us ever since.
u effort was made soon after the: adjourn
ment OF the Legislalare, and continued LOT
- S-e 80 ffbeaa rpNiffHo tn Indufa me IN
lazy a special tax to pay the interest upon the
entire bonded debtof .lhe.stale, legal and He
oal. to be coHeotedtwuudiately. This lfefus.
sd. although an indnceupent Of $40. 000. in cash
was offered me. to either levy the tax or re-
eignHmy position, for the purpose OF allowing
In, Neagle to make theilsYyilfs1d at the same
timeI war informed tina. Governor scott NAG
refused to make the levi. againsdeotined'to
comply with their wishelL
Now q second effort has been made to force
me to levy q. tag to pay the Interest upon the
FRAUDULENT debt of the State: and to nciud a
lew OF three mills upon The dollar to,rsdeem
$3.50. 0O0, of the Blue Ridge scrIp-:onerqpartet
OF the entire Issue which has, by decision or
his honor, Judge Al Willard, OF the supreme
Court, beef! decided unconstitutional and IN.
valid. -. 4: ta7 j.. IT, G.:-scEga1
! Nov, while / deem 1.-THE duty ofevery good
citlzsu' to pay all just. and lawful taxes, do
not Consider this duty 10 pay every tax that
may be Imposed by .unscrupulous men, VINO
chance to be in power :.Nor:do +! consider 1t
the duty of any oflcer who, through the IoIce
ct circumstances, happensto be the 'appolntee
of such men, to bllndlysOlIow' their. dIctation;
Ing, and acIing as l. consider 1t the duty. OF 9
GOOD officer and an honest man, I have again
refused to comply with their Wishes; sndI
this dsy received an order removing. me
from Office, 1t Ia but just to myself. TO
add, that I. was informed by bis Excelfe1cy
the Governor, that + might .retain the
Office, provided I would make the
levy. His E~xcellency,. while insisting
upon the levy o. th ns !, ss sSssot lnio omns9d-5 me
be applied to- the purpose for which 1t was
levied, ut.that! was none of our business; that
II was 8AE aygty TO 1eYYG Ipe f884 ana ne 9aaeq
standing claims we're not held against the
State, (of which he III the possessor TO the
amount of SAC, 1000, as he himself informed
me.) and that the treasurer would have
no finds to nav them. His only other argu-
rnent was, that he had publicly pledged mis-
word to Henry Clews d Co. that the tax would
be levied, and that, should II not be, he would
stand before the people In the light OF ancon-
ststency.
This scbeme Is, as !. have said, no new
movement; but while auditor OF the State, ]
succeeded In preventing Its contamination.
Being no longer IN sucl position, I am power
less 10 protect your interests, and 1 now leave
It to Won to say, shall tails plot be carried cut
and you be subjected to pay this enormous
tax. amounting to twenty mills for State, and
in this county, FIVE and one.halt mills fol
county-two and one-half times the tax OF Las,
wear! or will you unite N a determined effort e
nrevent the continuance of the frauds which
have Impoverished the people aud dlsgracst
the State t? To bring mch an effort TO q sue
cessful issue, I pledge for my " part m!
most hearty cooperation.
EDWIN F. GARY,
Late State Auditor.