The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-03-24
The Legislature and the Funding Bill.
|: The following letters are published by

/. 1ae ioiio"lng letters ere published by
request:
NEW IoRK. March 2, 1874
Hon Niles G. PMker-DnAa SIN: ]
duly received your valued communica.
ton OF the Goth ult., for which I beg to
tender you my best thanks. Your com.
munication 1 perused with care, and
have carefully noticed your views on the
present financial condition OF the State.
l had the paper sent to the New York
Times Office, with the request that they
would publish the same. They did SO.
on the 2Sth ult., and made it the subject
OF leading article. I mailed you o
copy OF the paper, and you will see they
have not very elevated opinion of your
present rulers. In truth, there ia bnt
Que opinion here about tho Republican
party With yon, as seen in its acls, and
that IS simply disgust. lam Republi.
can-one who 5s!:oyes in the right OF
the colored race to freedom and TO citi.
1snship-hnt I am one Of many who
have been grievously disappointed in
the result There is q strong
and increasing under. current of opinion
flowing over the country. that Congress
was rash and ill-advised in giving nm.
qualified citizenship to the enfranclised
coIored race. The Republican
organization have cut off your State Co.
vernment as dead wood, too heavy to
carry. The New York Times disowns
them entirely, and I have not seen
paper in the North or West come out in
their defence. The Washington Mroni
Gle made on effort to explain the figures,
those terrible figures. that record to the
world the fruits of fraud and corruption /:
but the task proved too much for their
moral instincts, as they sickened and
broke down at lheir labor. The party
created debt, legalized it solemnly. in
The race Of society then stuAity them
selves by dSocning il. The present
Government was elected especially upon
their promise TO reform. Another such
reform Government, and you will have
u revolution. There is q point where
iorbcarance ceases to be virtue-that
point hos been reached in the affars of
yonr State. + One great uues-
tiou remaius-can reform, the genuine.
real reform. be brought about in your
State by the Republican party, and
would it obtain the confidence Of the
entire people of the State? Any other
reform will fail, and the State will be
lost to the Republican party.
may seem to have written strongly,
even harshly, but only echo the voice
OF public opinion here. The reform, pariy
now in power in Columbia has as vet
given Us nothing 6ut broken promises. T
remain your most obedient servant,
w. 8. B.
NEW YORK, March 6, 1874
Hon. NILES G. PARKER, COLUMBIA, S.
c.: l had to close my previous letter to
you somewhat abruptly, on account Of
having to leave the city on business,
and 80 had not time to comment on the
funding" bill passed by your Legisla-
turc, and now made law. cannot.
and do not, believe that they we're in
earnest IN passing such q measure. A
State with its credit gone, by the iniqui-
tous action OF its rulers, its leading clti-
zsns meeting together to ask Congress
to remove the same! Surely, they must
have been far lost to all sense OF right
and true citizenship when they who
made the debt sought to disown it, and
li1 the brand Of repudiation on the once
proud State OF South Cardinal How
they are expected to reform the State
and rebuild Its fallen fortunes, by GiNing
lis credit. is beyond my comprehension. .
1t they thought to frighten the bond
holders into u compromise, they reck.
oEed without their host. There are men
who know their rights, and know also
how to maintain them; and, moreover.
have tho keys Of credit III their hands.
and will take care to keep the door OF
relief shut against the "Prostrate State"
unit! they (the Legislature) accede to
the Just claims now so inso!enNy though
ignoranAy, trodden under foot. But T
believe the aim and object of the mea-
sure was to ride back into power upon
its pretended reform. Reform can
never be reached by reputation! Ho-
nest through cheating, nerer! If they
were not lost to all sense of Statesman
ship, they would see that they are
merely playing into the hands of the
Conservatives. When you see the lead.
ing newspapers in Boston, Cincinnati
ead Chicago denounce the present State
Government as band of robbers and
brigands, it is time to pause and think.
Hrper's Weekly, of this week, has q
very strong caricature of session of
your Legislature, by Thos. Mast, which
Is causing much comment. There is no
use in denying or Disgusting the fact,
that the Rep blican party is SICK: Of South
Carolina. 1t has brought much odium
and disrepnte to the party, and there is
o strong desire to ''drop it," The Con.