The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-02-13
Exit Blue Ridge Scrip.

The decision of the Judges of the Supreme
Court in the Blue Ridge Scrip has not yet been
filed, but intimations have reached us, from
what we conceive to be entirely reliable sources,
of the general scope of the judgment upon
which the Judges have determined. Reports
to the effect that the mandamus asked for
would be refused have been published in all
the daily papers. We have received further
information, to the effect that the decision of
! the Court will strike to the heart of the SUBJ
ject, and declare the scrip unconstitutional, as
being in violation of the Constitution of the
United States, which declares that no State
shall emit bill of credit, and of the Constitu-
ton of the State, which provides that no pub
lie debt shall be created save by way of bonds,
&C. If this be the scope of the decision, as
we are advised it is, not only must the maanda-
mus be refused, but the scrip is killed entirely,
and the case which comes up on appeal from
the Circuit Court in relation to it is practically
ended, and the scrip is dead forever.
| If this be true, and We have now but little
doubt of it, great point has been gained, and
the State is relieved of swipdle of near two
millions of dollars. We claim to have share
of the glory of this victory for honesty and the
State. While We have done our part, however,
in defeating this nefarious scheme, there are
others, prominent members of the dominant
political party, 10 whom great, if not the great
est credit is due for the success of this strug-
gle against the Shylocks who have endeavored
to fasten the scrip as debt upon the State.
These men are the leading officials of the
present administration-p prominently, Attorney
General Melton, Treasurer Cardoza, Comptrol-
ler Hoge and even Governor Moses seems to
have stood up staunchly to the rack, in this
instance at least. 1t is our purpose, so far as
We can, and it has been our promise to make
due acknowledgment of whatever good, in our
judgment, the administration may do, as it is
to unsparingly condemn them for what appears
to us to be corrupt or evil. In this view, it is
meet for US to express, in relation to the sue
cessful issue of this scrip, our high qualification
at the course pursued by the officials we have
named. We think they ought to be encour-
aged in we'll doing, for, to our jaundiced con-
ception, it is about as difficult for Republican
official in South Carolina to follow the line Of
duty and of the States interests, as it is for
! rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
If one of their party shows the least sign OF
independence, Immediately his political inau-
ence wanes, and once he is suspected of hon
esty he is politically damned. Such has been
our observation in the past four years. Per-
haps change for the better has come now.
We hope so.
There will be q good many parties injured by
the destruction of the scrip. There are, first,
the bondholders, and secondly, those who pur-
chased and held the scrip. They claim .eequi-
ties as innocent holders for valuable considera-
tion upon the credit of the State. So far as
the purchasers of scrip are concerned, We do
not see where they can have the least claim
upon the State They bought the scrip as
speculation. If they have lost, there is no
reason why the State should make their losses
good. If they had won, they would have
laughed at the idea of paying the State back
the discount at which they bought the scrip.
Since they have lost the State will laugh at
the idea of reimbursing them for what they
invested at the venture.-South Caroiintan.