The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-10-01
A Pair OF Promises.


The main consideration with the Conser'
vative taxpayers, in weighing the promises
OF the two sets OF Radical candidates, is one
OF dollars and cents. No flowers OF rhetoric
adorn the phrases in which the hard listed
taxpayers discusses Moses as so scalawag"
and Tomlinson as "a SNUG faced carpet.
"bagger." The great question is, (which
.sof The two factions is the more likely to
stbrow off the illegal public debt, to reject
..aIl fraudulent claims, and to give the coup
"de grace to the Blue Ridge Script" There
is no unwillingness, on the part OF the public,
to pay the just indebtedness OF the State;
but the Conservatives are o~bstlnately and
bitterly opposed to any compromise Via
| ever with the holders OF tainted and doubt
full securities. Taxation Is frightfully high,
and there cannot be any considerable reduc-
ton until the cost OF carrying on the govern
ment is cut down to reasonable figures. 1t
is important, therefore, to see what the Bolt
ers and The Regulars have to say with re-
gard to the State debt
The Boilers, on tho stump, have been
very free in their denunciation OF oil manner
OF over-issues, and VOW that not a dollar OF
dishonest debt shall be paid. These declara-
tons are very we'll as far as they 60; but
they do not bind the party. They are no
more 10 be depended on than the mild assur-
ances OF Mr.. Reuben TomliDson that he will
not: withdraw from the canvass, even II the
Democrats should nominate a State ticket.
What the public must look to is the platform
OF the two factions. This is o formal pledge,
Which may not be redeemed; but is, in any
event, OF more force and value than simple
word Of mouth. The third plank OF the
Boilers platform is that which treats OF the
public debt. 1t reads % follows
8. That We pledge the honor of the State to
the payment of all It's debt which has been
legally and. honestly contracted; but that we
Will not hesitate to repudiate that portion OF
1t aohich is illegal, and, therefore, null ana
void.
This reads well, although 1t will not bear
a close examination. Messrs. Tomlinson,
Bowen, Corbln & Co. pledge 'the honor OF
'uhe State" which is not theirs to pledge.
AS we'll may Cuflse, ct Hilton Head, pledge
.his life, his fortune and his sacred honor"
The burlesque is too broad. There is not
in The resolution anything more than the
statement that whatever part OF the public
debt may be rejected by the courts shall not
be paid The courts alone can decide
| whether the debt is 'fllegal," and when
| they do so decide, the debt falls to the
| ground, and becomes "null and void" with
out any help from the Boiling Triumvlrate.
Thank you, for nothing! The sophistical
| character OF the plank is evident when we
read The corresponding plank In the Regular
platform. 1t is as follows:
Third. We pledge ourselves to effect In
stuntly q financial reform In the State gov
! erament by s~uspeading the payment Q! tfe M
tereSt on sGsru bond of the State TO aohtch t'eTe
| can be attached u shndop Of a suspicion, anu
| providing for the puncLiial payment OF tne
| principal and interest Of the tatTs!estt0nG0Gy
| valid debt; and that the members oil the Lssis-
| lature elected by The Republican party shall
be pledged 10 carry into effect the meaning
| and intent OF this plank.
The more modest Regulars do not pre-
sumo to pledge 'lhe honor OF the State"
They are satisfied to pledge what they can
| reach, and may be able to manage, VIZ,
themselves and the members OF the Legisla-
ture whom they elect. They do not leave
anything to the delay and uncertainty OF
the law. What they promise is, that they
will Instantly suspend the payment OF inter-
est on every bond OF the State to which
| there can be attached q Shadow OF sus-
picion. This is explicit enough. There is
not only a shadow, but a cloud OF suspicion
resting upon every outstanding bond OF this
State, excepting the nine or ten millions
which were formally recognized by the Tax.
payers Convention In May, 1871.
The Regulars, therefore, stand pledged to
repudiate the six or seven millions OF bonds
which have been improperly Issued. This is
what the people desire and require. The
Boilers, on the contrary, instead CT speak
ing plainly, indulge in speculative palaver,
which means anything or nothing, just as
they choose. No promise coming from either
faction may be really worth much, but that
of the Regulars is the more emphatic and
unmistakable, and, for that reason, the
/ more satisfactory to those who hope Tor a
| diminished debt and reduced taxation.