The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-09-09
WHO BRIBED THE SENATE?
TOMLINSONS PLUMP DENIAL OF THE
TRUTH OF THE CHARGE.
What he has to Say In Reply to Melton
and Cardozo-His View of the Phos
phate Grant-No Money In 1t, except
for the State and the Labortng Men.
CHARLESTON, 8. O., September 8.
TO THE EDITORS OF THE NEWS.


GENTLEMEN-On returning to the city to-
day, my attention is called to your editorials
OF Friday and of yesterday, in which you refer
TO charges made by F. L. Cardozo and 8. W.
Melton against me with reference to my al,
legged connection with the passage of the phos'
phate bill; and, looking upon at least one o.
these gentlemen as having som character fol-
~veracity lett, you may properly demand that
I shall meet the charges. had already been
Informed, In a private letter from hr. Corbin,
OF the statements made by Mr.. Cardozo and
Mr.. Melton, at Yorkville, and was awaiting
an opportunity to notice them publicly. By
| YOUR kindly interference, I have that oppor-
tunity. / have not yet read Mr.. Aelton's
speech delivered in Charleston, but under
| stand from others that the statement made In
that speech is substantially the same as that
made at YOrkvilIe.
Mr.. Cardozo is represented as saying at
Yorkville, "Mr. Tomllnson is no better than
Moses, 30 far as corruption goes, for II Moses
did issue fraudulent pay certificates, Mr..
buy up the Senate to pass the phosphate bill
over the Governors veto. He told me this at
the time, and I have TO doubt that he told me
the truth"
I can only say that this statement Is q bold,
unblushing and unqualified i%alseh0od.
Will you tell me how | am 10 prove that MT.
CardozO tells an untrlth when he makes this
statement? He might with as much propriety
say that I had tried 10 bride him to murder
somebody; one assertion would be just as
reasonable and as true as the other. Bnt II
he repeats these assertions until the crack OF
doom. I do not see how l am to prove their
uniruth. I can only place my assertions and
character against his, and let The public de-
eide for themselves.
NAV say, however, that In his speech at
YorkvllIe, previous to making the above state
ment, Mr.. CardoZo said of me that II had
been his friend for SOME years, and was an hon.
est and upright man." Mr.. G. maythink that
uprightness of character Is consistent with q
weakness for bribIng senators. do not.
Mr.. Melton is represented as saying at York
Vile that he had been told land would give
his authority iEMr. Tomllnson asked for it,)
that he (Tomllnson) had borrowed the money
or endorsed O note al the bank to get the
money which was used for the purpose of
passing the phosphate bill through. This Is
substantially the same statement as 1hat nude
by him In bis Charleston speech. In reply I
have to say that there is absolutely not
the shadow Of trnth In the statement.
I am bound 10 believe, even against some
reasons Tor lack Of iatth 10 his perfect v~eraclty,
that in this instance MI. Melton thinks he has
foundation for his charge, and l will be only
loo glad to have his authority for the assertion
he has seen 6t to make. -,
OF course you do net ask me nowto prove.
that somebody did not tell Mr. Melton that /
had done thr, thing charged; although the lan-
guage OF yoLf editorial OF Friday would seem
to Imply that IT was my duty so 10 do.
respectfully submit that there Is no paral.
lei between the charges made against myself
and those made against Mr.. Moses. II is 1u-
dIcIally proven that there have been fraudu-
lent Issues OF pay certiacates-see the af1da-
Wit of Treasurer Parker In answer to Judge
7 yK44 sgdG 1r 9 Eas IL !EEh!G4 1t L. sA hszaJ taa1
redeemed at the treasury. and that 70. sooo,'
900 the treasurer's notes had been given, TO
say nothing of the large amount not yet aiken
care of by the treasur,r-and YET you seem 10
that I have stolen o horse or robbed 8 bank,
In the same category with these charges
which are OF judicial record. 10 your desire
to hold the scales even between the two Rad
ioal factions, l fear you lean O little to the
other side.
In conclusion allow me TO say, that my con-
neotien with the phosphate bill was Just this.
I voted for 1t because thought 1t for the in
terest OF Charleston and OF the State to do 80.
/ urged the Governor net to veto 1t for the
same reason, and tor other reasons not person
al to myself, and ! have as yet seen no reason
to regret my action. For my stock In the
company, which Is not $4,000, nor anything
near that amount, / have paid precisely what
every stakeholder In the company has paid,
including In the list some OF the most honora-
BILE business men In Charleston. Some OF the
widest and most absurd things have been said
wit. reference to The grant under which the
with which / am connected and
Others associated with us are aching. Without
betraying bnslness matters which do not con.
Germ the public, permit me 10 say, that up to
thia time the only parties who have reaped
any benefit from thar grant are the State OF
South Carolina and the hundreds OF mechanics
and lsborlDg men employed by these compa-
niles,
lam, very respectfully,
Your ooediept servant
REUBEN TOMLNSoN.