Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-07-24
Face the Mnsic.
(From the Charleston Ecws.)

The Greenville Republican, which ap-
pears to have been promoted to the hon.
orable post Of Eulogist-in-chief and
Whitcwasher-in- Ordinary in the house
hold of Mr.. Attorney general Melton,
offers this advice to the citizens who have
made an attack upon the fraudulent state
bonds:
If the taxpayers and bondholdefs"
who are so anxious about the payment OF
interest on fraudulent bonds are really in
earnest, we would suggest to them way
by which they can do something which
would result in more than mere talk, and
that is cause the prosecution Of the men
who have issued the fraudulent bonds.
if there are any such. This would
not be difficult task, and we should
then see whether the state has been
| swindled by its own officers The prose-
cutiOn and conviction of one person con-
cerncd in the issue of fraudulent bonds
would be worth more to the state and to
the taxpayers, as well as the holders Of
bonds untainted with fraud, than all the
speeches Of no matter how eminent law
years to a court from which they ask
nothing. Have they the desire or the
spirit or the. public spirit, to undertake
such ia k?
We concur with the Republican in say
ing that ''the prosecution and conviction
of one person concerned in the issue OF
fraudulent bonds" would be worth more
than any number of speeches. The t"tax-
payers and bondholders,' about whom
our contemporary is so anxious, do mean
something more than ''mere talk" as is
proved by their prompt application for
an injunction to restrain the payment OF
interest upon the so-called conversion
bonds. Their first independent step was
to set about proving that those bonds
were issued in violation of law.
When that is accomplished, they or
the plundered bondholders can pursue
the officials who are shown to have con-
trived and completed the swindle. 1t
would answer as we'll to begin by pro-
scouting the officials, instead of by inn
pugning the validity of the bonds, but
the only person who can effectually do
that is Mr.. Attorney General Melton
mself--.That official knoscs that the
Conversion bonds, to the extent oi
$Il9l, 700, are fraudulent, because that
!, fact is formally alleged by him, as counsel
for Comptroller Hoge, in the answer to
the petition in Mandamus Of Morton
Bliss &Co. And he knotos who are the
persons who are responsible for wbate7el
frauds have been committed. They are
Ex-Governor Scott, ex-Treasurer Park IT
ex-Comptroller Neagle, and his own law
partner, cx-Attorney General Chamber
lain. Mr.. Melton is the only prominent
Radical connected with the present ad
ministration who is not suspected o.
having had finger in the bond frauds
The information upon which to found 9
prosecution is in his possession. We
are assured by the RepuJlican that, il
the whole affair of the bonds, he ha:
shown "a pluck and "selfrespect y :
which are creditable to him, land may
be useful to political opponents ''here
after.' The people of the State know
that it is his duty, his plain sworn duty
to prosecute officials whom he believe:
to have violated the law In his case il
is not needful to speak of "public spirit .
He is bound, by his oath Of office, to dc
what taxpayers and bondnolders' can
not as thoroughly and promptly do. The
Republican assures.us that it would moi
be "a difficult task to see whether the
State has been swindled bv its owr
officers, and one conviction would dc
more to cleanse the Radical party and
keep it clean, than even the preccpt and
example of the Attorney Genera, ssist.
ed and sustained by the immaculate
reputation of the Treasurer and Comp.
tseiler and the Governor Of the Srate.
| The RepuJlican's final question we
answer by asking one: Has it the desire
or public spirit to call upon Mr.. Melton
to do his duty; or does it rely, for the
pursuit and conviction Of criminals, upon
the associated ''bondholders and taxpay,
ers" of the State?