The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-09-23
COLUMBIA, S. C.
Wednesday Morning. Sept. %. 1874.
Tho Difference.

which met in May, 1871. an Executive
Committee was constituted, to whom
where referred all memorials, motions,
resolutions and other propositions,
composed Of the following named geu-
tlemeni James Chestnut, johnson Ha-
good, Thomas Y. Simons, @. W. Dud.
Icy, =. B. O. Cash, +. F. Warley, a.
r. Aldrioh, Henry Gourdin. H. O.
Smart, VIM. Wallace. r. L. DIcCaugh-
rim, Esys Gooayyn, J. L. Westmore-
landS A. IA. Davega, A!'B. Woodruff.
Amongst other resolutions upon which
tMy REPORTED. was one directing them
I'd inquire. and report upon what terms
and for what consideration the mort.
gage of the Blue Ridge Railroad was
executed to Henry Clews and others,
Si1 declared to, be alien prior to: that
6f The Slate on all property described
in it. They reported that they could
but reach one conclusion; that, for
some reasons unknown to the commit
tee. the Legislature had, without con-
alteration. relinquishetl to private in
divlduals the States lien upon tho Blue
Ridge Railroad and tho entire proper
ties of tho other companies, (styled
companies in the Act the Greenviile
and Columbia Railroad Company.
Sach dealings, they say, by trustees
with the property or funds of their
cesf"i que trust, can only be the result
OF fraud. are unauthorized by law and
are void. a resolution was further
proposed by the committee. that an
eminent law firm of Charleston,
Messrs. Porter 6 Conner, bo requested,
ifliin their judgment practicable. to
take such steps as arc necessary to pre-
vent, by due process of Law, tho con-
shmmasionE Of, this fraud upon the
property-hol,iers of the State. The
report. was, yqnsidered Immediately
and adopted y and tho resolutions
agreed to. ''
% In support of the report and resolu-
tons, Mr.. Marley declared that not
only had carpet-baggers been reveling
ih'the luxury Of money stolen from the
State. but that natives, members of
our own household. had assisted to
vletimize5it, He charged that all such
msh We're allies IN schemes of corr1p.
tion, and fraud, and must share in the
opprobrium which must attach to them
in The minds Of all honorable men.
edIt would have been a miracle, in
deed. II. with every thing in the State
Government, and in the plans, hopes
and aspirations of the leading Radicals,
and in: the IGNORANCE, credulity and
readiness to sqcclmb to temptations of
the great black crowd following at
their back, arranged and conducted
upon aagigantic scale of rapacity and
PlaaHdA thefe Should not have been
tog99ad'pscasipAalIs men, even from the
Conservative ranks. who were swept
into the Haelstrom, The wonder is,
that sd few have fallen. all public
business, all corporations and charters
shat;feqnired Legislative action, and in
most cases, too. whatever demanded
official sanction, have been compelled
to pay tribute The condition OF their
very existence has been that they
should npay'it.a Bodies like the Joint
Stock Auxiliary Association have upon
thsif records shd their accounts entries
of sums paid out to Legislators or COM
mittees and indispensables necessary
to be paid, in order to get their har-
ters passed. This has been tho uni
versal practice, for years, and every
thing every where has been conducted
in the same mercenary scale. A great
snare has been spread, whose network
extends to every nook and corner Of
the State, and men have to be staunch
to guard themselves from being
caught In It. While we say this.
and thus show how seductive and
powerful is corruption. which every
where is enthroncd as tic master
principle in the State. there eau
be no excuse for those who fall
into its practice. For certain things