The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-26
THE TRIANGULAR FIGHT AGAIN.
Another Leaf OF the History or the
Would-Be State Treasurer,

The folloWlngis an additional portion of the
letter of Governor Scott to Secretary of State
Cardozo, In reply to the latter's attack upon
Scott and Parker, as published In The NEWS
of the 9Th instant. 1t was written and ad-
dressed to Mr.. Cardozo at the same time as
the remainder of the letter, but has never be-
fore been published in any newspaper:
In answer to certain specific allegations con-
tanned In your letter, desire to reply as fol-
lows:
lst. You state that the attorney general had
furnished yon with hs legal opinion, that 1t
was your duty to seal all bonds that the finan-
cial board directed 10 be sealed. Now. as
sert that the financial board never demanded
this duty of you, and whatever bonds you did
sea-, you did 30 at the request OF the treasurer
or hnancln, agent, and repeatedly urged you
not to seal any bonds Without notifyiog me-
aud your reply was that being elected 6y the,
people, you were independent of the Cover
nor, and Intended TO discharge any duty de-
volVed on you by law, without reference to the
Governor or bis wishes.
2d. Your statement that 1t would have re.
qnired the sale Of the whole amount (s6,O ,O00,-
000) OF the sterling loan bonds to have paid the
existing public debt Is 80 Indefinite that 1t s
impossible TO determine your meaning. If
you mean what you say, tho ''public debt"
then 1t is plain that, even If these bonds had
been cold at par, the amount realized would
not have paid the entire public debt; but ii
you mean 10 say the 'foauog debt" then
due to Mr.. Klmpton, amounting to about
81, ,287 900. (the payment of which, In Itself,
would have cancelled nearly six million dol
lars of bonds held by him as colaterals,) y and
the unpaid appropriations Of the last session Of
the Legislature are the only evidences oil
Indebtedness, and know OF no other floating
debts against the Stale.
81. do not know whether your stated con-
versations with the treasurer In relation to the
sterling loan are correct or Do'; but this do
know, (Which can be atteated to by many,)
That members OF the sterling loan commission
have publicly charged that, had 1t not been tor
my opposition. this sterling loan would have
been placed on the market and, according to
their belief, resulted 10 the amelioralion oil the
financial condition of the State.
4lh. Your statement that on certain bonds
handed by the financial agent to The treasurer,
that gave him authority 10 do With them what
he pleased, pronounce as an unqualified false
hood, as no such conversation ever took place
between myself and the treasurer, or any other
person. The conversation that occurred be-
tween Mr.. KImpion and myself was had 10 the
presence of no third person, aud, therefore, no
person whomsoever could state as 10 the eX-
act words that were uaed. But even had
made the remark attributed to me, 1t would
have given neither the treasurer nor the fnan-
cIal agent authority to use bonds at :heir pleas
ure. The treasurer is bonded officer of the
Stale, and therefore the proper custodian of
all securities when execnled. We're to say
to him that he could do what he pleased with
such securities, It would give him no authority
to improperly use them, and, In fact. 1t wouli
confer upon him no authority whatever, In ad-
diton to that already vested In him as Lreasu-
rer. Very respectfully,
ROBERT z. SCOTT, Governor.