The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-08-04

For President of The United S.ates.
HORACE GREELEY. OF New York.
For Vfce-P President
b. GRATZ BhOWN, OF Missouri.
Who're tho Fault Lies Tor she FAILURE
10 Prosecute the Omoial Thieves.
"Our esteemed contemporary does not
intend to do ipjustice to the Executive
Committee OF the Tax.Payers' Oonven-
tom we feel quite sure, and plain state-
ment Of the facts will be sufficient to in
duce it to retraot, its eminently unjust
structures. In q late conversation with q
member of the Convention, we learn
that soon after the exposure of the bond
frauds, the Committee met in Columbia
and. adjourped to Charleston, to have q
full ,a1ia free conference with the Cham
Der. Of Oommeroe and Board Of Trade.
It was then determined to prosecute the
ring, and General Chestnut and Judge
Aldrioh were appointed to prepare and
conduct the prosecution. To this end,
circular vas issued, dated 9th Decem-
Der, 1871, calling on each taxpayer to
contribute small sum to raise fund to
defrsy the expenses, and committees
were appointed in each district. Up to
this time, not a single response has been
made"
The above is an extract from recent
article in our contemporary, the Eosning
Journal. Of Aiken. We do not truly
wish to do injustice to any one. and GER
tainly not to the worthy and highly es-
teenaed gentlemen who compose the
Executive Committee of the Tax Payers
Convention. We have plenty o; enc
mics to the State aud, to honest govern.
msns to expend the vials Of our wrath
upon, without earping spitefully at our
friends upon the Executive Committee.
Sill. We do not think that it can be called
m injustice to say that they have "done
nothing" That is the general verdict of
the people; and it is true our contempo.
Yary himself, in the explanation he gives.
confesses the truth of the statement, and
attempts to avoid it by throwing the
onus' on the Taxpayers. The argument
ig that they would have done something.
But the taxpayers, though requested go
to do. did not contribute the funds ne.
oessary to institute and carry on the
criminal prosecutions. sE
Two OF the committee, Gen. Ohesnut
and Judge Aldrich, did, we know, make
very earnest and commendable exertions,
and the former. and perhaps the latter,
too. spent considerably from their pri-
vate purse in getting mp the evidence for
prosecution. But large number of
the committee did nothing whatever,
and did not even attend the meetings;
30 we are told by the best authority.
But we do not wish to quarrel with the
Executive Committee. only to stir them
mp TO action now. The prosecutions
might very we'll have been begun sooner,
but we have probably lost nothing by
waiting till th g time, when the evidence
is abundant and unqueationable and the
courts are propitious. !, Here is the evi.
denoe elicited in this Gibson case, show.
ing that between tuo end three millions
Of dollars haye been uulawfully issued
from the Treasury Nearly all the State
officials had hand in it, of course. II
is plain breach OF trust. which ia felony
under our statutes. and is sufficient to
send every mothers son of them to the
penitentiary for ton years. Let the
Chairman call meeting of the Execu.
tive Committee here in Columbia, have
consultation, publish a short address
in the papers to the people, calling upon
them for funds, and appoint an active
committee at each Court House to col.
lect, and we know the money will be
forthcoming. We will publish the ad.
dress in the PHOENIX, and keep it stand.
ing.
Printed circulars sent around to few
individuals here and there never effected
anything, and no sane man would expect
them to. Nor was it very wise, in oul
judgment, to name the sum to be rub
scribed at twenty-five cents. It is pa
tent, at any rate, that there was mis-
management somewhere. Will any one
say that there is not man in the State