The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-07-14
CoMrrno1lEn DUNN AS REcE1vEn.-

COMPTROLLER DUNN AS RECEIVER.
Comptroller-Genera Dunn publishes
the following letter, in reply to IN cdi-
torial in the Charleston Ners and Cou-
fier:
In your paper of few days ago
noticed m editorial in which YOU mado
some comments upon my having been
appointed Receiver Of tho South Caro-
lina Bunk and Trust Company, of this
city, and also of my having influenced
tho Governor to vote with me to put
moro of the State funds on deposit with
TINT bank previous to it's suspension. AS
have since seen the snmo statements
repeated in the Winnsboro Ne,cs in
coarser language, am impellcd to de-
part from my usual rulo not to contra
dict newspaper statements regarding my
Official conduct, except rs my official re-
cord may Of itself show the incorrect
ness OF such statement, and to request
you to afford me space in your columns
to say, in brief, that, so far ns the dcposit
in the South Carolina Bank and Trust
Company of State funds is concerned,
the first report mnde to me officially by
that bank, after became Comptroller
General, showed q balance of $l83, 900,
plnced there by Mr.. Cardozo Ms State
Treasurer, and, ns am informed, by his
own volition. did vote, in April, with
the Governor, Mt meeting of the Fl
nancial Board, to increase the deposit to
S20O, ,OOO, and let it remain until 1st July,
when 1t was to bo drawn upon to pay the
July interest upon the public debt. I'm
der tho circumstances as they then ex-
listed, believed it right to vote as I did,
and l presume the Governor felt the
same. Certainly we neither Of us had
any reason to believe that tho bank was
in any danger, and if Mr.. Cardozo felt,
as he no,o declares he did, TINT the fail
ure OF that bank WAS only question Of
time, why was it that he put $3.50, 600
there before went into office?
You say you are informed that was,
as o Senator, warm advocate of tho bill
to make this bank and the Carolina Ma
tional the sole banks of deposit, which
bill the Governor vetoed. If you will
examine the journals of the Senate, you
will find that my "warm advocacy" con-
sisted in simply voting aye on the ques-
ton. In doing which, found myself
IN company with every Senator on the
floor, Democratic as well as Republican,
except Gaillard, Of Charleston, the vote
being 27 to against it. If the bill had
not been vetoed, the State would have
not had SO much money in this bank Mt
the time of its failure, and would have
had 500, 900 security instead of nothing,
as the matter now stands. AS to being n
sfockholder in this bank, have simply
to say that have never owned dollar
OF the stock of any bank in South Caro-
lima. AS to the Receivership, the Attor-
ney-Gcneral thought it proper that, rs
the State had SO large an interest in this
matter, somc State official ought to be
Receiver to guard the States interest.
He first offered to ask the opinion of Mr..
Cardozo, who declined, rs understood,
on account of his personal relations
with Alr. Solomon. 1t was then ten
dered me, and accepted as q matter of
official duty. Whenever any action of
mine, rs such Receiver, shall render me
liable to public censure, it will be time
enough for the press to speak. Until
then, it would seem that my record rs n
public man ought to shield me from
such unjust imputations. The press
and the people loudly proclaim that tho
only remedy for existing political evils
is honesty in official conduct. Iventure
to suggest that to abuse, villify and mis-
represent every man who accepts pub
lie Office upon mere suspicion, charging
official and personal dishonesty, no mat
ter what his previous character may
have been, is not the best way to secure
the reform so much needed.