The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-08-14
rro"surer'P Parker to Secretary Oardozo.
OFFICE OF STATE TREASURER.
COLUMBIA, s, O.. August "a 1872

Ao,'' ~. L. CdTd0S0, Secretary S.Gsc.
SIR: Your extraordinary letter of Au-
gust 8, addressed to your attorneys,
Messrs. Melton and Corbin. relative to
your connection with the financial trans.
actions of the State and treatise upon
constitutional la,o, &c., &C., is before me.
:! will reply briefly to that portion of it
devoted to myself.
First, You say, 'that in November.
1871, l (you) began to suspect that the
conversion bonds that had been sealed
by mo (you) were not being used for the
purpose for which they were intended" t"
MY only reply to this weak and absurd
statement is. that there neuer ,oas con.
oerS,on bond sealed by you; that you did
not Know for what purpose it was sealed,
or might have known, had you desired to
DO 30. If you did not know, it was
your own fault, the proof OF which is
ample. Second, concerning the sterling
bonds authorized by Act of the General
Assembly, session of 1901, you have
made so many ridiculous assertions, un-
substantiated by single line of testi-
mony, that I pronounce oil you have
written upon the subject. except upon
two points, as pure intention, and leave
the public to judge of your motives.
Upon the two points referred to. I have
you sealed $3,500,000, and refused TO
seal any more." the first phrt-yiz: that
you sealed So, 500, ,OOO-is correct. The
other part of the statement is false. as
You were never asked to seal any more.
as they were never taken from the Ame-
ricAn Bank Note Company, for signature
or sealing. This does not rest upon my
statement alone; there is proof of the
fact. which 1 will furnish, if YOU are
bold enough to deny it.
The second statement, "that the Trea-
surer or Financial Board meant to hypo-
theoate the entire $1,000, 900 of these
ponds, as late as March last, without the
knowledge of the Sterling Fund Board,
and were only prevented from doing so
by the timely repeal of the Act and can
collation. Of the bonds by authority of
the Legislature" so far as | am CON
cerned, both as Treasurer and member
OF the Financial Board, pronounce the
same to be false; and for proof of nv
assertions. refer to Governor Scott and
Attorney General Chamberlain as evil
dence.
I will add. furthermore. that all these
oonos were in my possession. in charge
OF the American Bank Note Company,
In New York, from the date of their
preparation, after they had received the
seal of the State, until lust before the
General Assembly adjourned in March
last; and that at no time did contem-
plate tho negotiation or sale OF them in
any manner whatever, nor did I or the
Financial Board attempt 80 to do. I
oefy proof to the contrary, and charge
you with either entire forgetfulness or
wllful perversion of the truth,
In regard to our,statements relative
to sealing bonds in the month of "Octo-
ber. 1871" and following down to the
period OF the passage of the Validating
ACT, so far as it relates to conversations
purporting to have taken place between
yourself and myself, I have only to saw.
that 1 will not admit that there is any
truth whatever in the words that YOU
nave put in my mouth. But it is imma-
te!iai to the public what may have been
said by you or myself upon the subject;
acts and facts are what the public want.
You declare, with great apparent self
complaoency, that ''since October l,
1871, you have not sealed single bond,
though repeatedly requested to do so;"
to which reply. that you have never
refused to seal any bonds presented to
you since that period, until those now
belonging to Messrs. Morton, Bliss &
"0tS PACooAtous Ab nave 0au on |
hand oil the bonds that required for
conversion, already sealed by you, and
still have some for that purpose, but not
sufficient number to meet the demand
above alluded to.
You then go on to state what language
you used to the State Treasurer. and |
what he used in reply, in reference to
the conversion and disposition of bonds.
ell OF which rests entirely upon your
statement. unsubstantiated by evidence. |
and is unworthy of notice. Whether / |
used the language you impute to me or |
not, Is OF no consequence to the proper
Interpretation of my acts, and no gen
tleman would have dragged such irrele-
want matter before the public. Common |
courtesy and the ordinary rules govern
ing official intercourse, if nothing more.
would have restrained any gentleman |
from making public use of private con.
versation; but deny having said any.
thing you have charged upon me in this
connection.
You say next. ''thot (you) have al
ready sealed sufficient bonds for all leei-
innate purposes, Il and that the |
amount OF $6. .151 1897 rs in bonds have