New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-10-10
SOUTH CAROLINA'S WRONGS.
Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN DEFENDED.

/ M6 CnAmDEhLAlN DEFENDEU.
| ALL PARTICIPATION IN THE BOOTY or THE SOUTH
CAROLINA THIEVES DENIED HIS RELATIONS
WITH THE RISd-THE CONVERSION BOND
| swINDLK.
70 tAs Edttor Of RE Tribune
| SIR: Justice to Mr.. ID. ii. Chamberlain. for
merry Attorney General Of South Carolina aud nov the
candidate Republican party for Governor Of tsas
State demands that certain charges made against him
In letter TO tho editor Of The TRIBUNE In the issue Of
Sept, 49, should be answered. ask you therefore 70
| print the following explanations made by me. without
Mr. Chamberlains knowledge. and based upon what be
has said aud written In the matter referred TO- az we'i
as upon such other Trustworthy Information ~ has como
to me from time from other sources Ihe nrss
| charge OF your correspondent is this;
All the various kinds OF bonds issued by the State
Government were disposed Of under the diresuon ..
Controller General Maggie. Attorney General Chamber
| LAIN and Treasurer Parker.
As understand tho public records. this Is not 'rus
The first authorizing the issue OF bonds became
| law August %. 1861 and reads a. follows:
BE enacted etc. That the Governor OF the state be
hereby authorized TO borrow on the creat Of
sum exceeding 0,oOoooo or as much thereof a. no
may deem TO pay the interest on the pubic
SEC That the bonds issued under the provisions Of
this act shall be signed BY the Governor and counter
signed by the State Treasurer. -.
SEC s. The bonds authorized by this sct shall he sofia
at highest market price and not less than Tor sn
to by the Governor. and state
| Treasurer.
Whatever done was by virtue or this act. ana ~
| cast upon the Attorney General bus ono duty.
namely TO be one OF three officials TO fix the price OF tho
bonds How many bonds were issued, for what pur-
poses and what was done with tho proceeds, were
matters for which Mr. Chamberlain. Attorney Gen
ernal, was not Officially accountable and as Tor his
guilt In standing by with shut ps while MS asso
cates were thevng IL is due to him TO say that he did
not know Of the thefts at the sime was In no sense
privy them and never had dollar from them. That
such is the fact We have his published word. which
certainly good the assertion" OF Scott or tho
| establishment" Of Parker, or the ELIMINATION OF
Maggie, the sources Of Information upon which your
correspondent bases his charges Mr.. Chamberlain
gentleman Of refined tastes and seclusve habits was
time engaged In extensive law practice being
perhaps at the head of bar Of the State and 1t 10
thus possible how he. minority OF one In che
Board might have been imposed on Dy his assocatesm
matters about which be had official responsibility
good many other citizens OF the State were imposed
upon at the time by the same men.
Your correspondent states that ION ChamperiMns
sole recomme ndation, II. II. Kmpton. college class
mate Of his appointed financial agent OF the Board
TO negotiate the State loans 10 NewYork Against this
quote from statement recently prepared by Mr.
Chamberlain and published over bis signature In
Columbia paper:
One of the charges most constantly repeated that
was specially responsible for the appointment o, Mr..
York. Beyond the simple fact that Mr.. Kimpton was 2
college cassmate OF mine there Is NOT 'ne i, ma
State without my Knowledge and without any
to or to any 5y the sa leaving oo
lege. He brought his own recommendssUm on the
impressions, and was never urkeo W mo "P'" va"
other members OF the Board.
1T ia true-and Mr. Chamberlain says II is-that no
had neither seen communicated with MT himp'on
since 1862, when they left college, that Mr. kimp'on
went to south Caroline without Mr. Chamberlan's
knowledge and without, latter believes any ref
erenco TO him; and that Mr. Kmpton WAS left to mako
his own way without being urgedby him upon the other
members of Board then 1t Is preposterous 10 say
that Mr. Chamberlain Is solely responsible Tor the ap-
pointment simply he as member OF the finan
nancal Board of the State. Of the officials TO
vote for Mr.. Kimpton. and because Chamberlain ana
Kimpton knew each other when they were schooDoys
together.
The next statement Of your correspondent that "a
the acts for the Of the State debt were drawn
by Chamberlain. were very ounnngiy worded' ana I'M
instead of authorizing tho issue of bonds TO oene
amount they authorized sufficient amount to be Issued
to raise given sum Of money"
A to whether Mr. Chamberlain drew the acts a.
alleged have knowledge beyond his word, ana that
is that he did draw them Perhaps your correspond
ent kpo WIS better this than Mr. Chamberlain him
SELF As craft in the wording Of them 1t does noe
matter here since the accused did not draw them.
However, may that In point Of fact there Is noth
ing cunning In wording act to raise money 80 that
specified may realized under the act instead OF
authorizing the issue Of bonds to definite amount.
debtedness, which was only means to an end. What
| the Legislature knew how much money must DO
raised, and acting that knowledge they authorized
the issue Of securities enough TO raise that money
Legislatures do not ordinarily at the future selling
price Of their debentures and then gsatng on thas
euess authorize the issue OF "bonds to definite
amount" trusting chance to whether the huctua
tons OF the money market will swell or shriyel tho
price thus realizing more less than the needed.
These considerations usually prevail In legislative
bodies; aud raise are worded accordingly.
that is to say just the Legislature Of South Carolina
phrased its acts. Surely there is nothing cunning"
about that.
But the great swndle that has especially dlsersced
South Carolina was in the conversion bonds" Was
the Financial Board" there responsible Remember
ing that Mr.. Chamberains crime was In being men,
Der of that Board in four and that whatever sins
he has done of that Board let Us
get at the facts.
The act for the conversion Of State securities"
called the Conversion Bond act" differed from all tho
other acts Of financial nature aud follows:
Be Il enacted etc. That the State Treasurer Is hereby
authorized on the application Of any person holding
and in lieu thereof coupon bonds signed ~ me
Governor and countersgned by the Treasurer OF the
state In of $780, $780, and $c0 bearing interest ~
six per cent.
The second section precisely like the above, except
that provides for issuing stock 10 lieu Of bonds wner:
converting bonds under this act and u w Do seen
that the whole duty Of r %s sat@s .sS
about the Attorney General nor about the Financla!
censnre should fall upon Mr. Chamberlain unless 1t be
that as q citizen he criminay negligent, IN which
ssSitants Of South Caroina or that as AtorneyGen
era should have inserted his official hand into the
rious other places where it had business TO be.
In o word Mr.. Chamberlan's SINS are those OF oms-
made as Attorney the greatest being that ne
retained the ofice q moment ater ne dscoverea ,ne