The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-09-01
4 1onmhT- =
Tbs Press anu ~. ..,-.~ - .
w. A. LEE, EDITOR.
Wednesday, September 1875.
Goycruor Chamberlain Interviewed.

CIc,ylcsiou .NcurS tt,lcl Courier as to parties
and po!itics in the State and especially
as TO his alleged connection with the,
trauGs as disclosed in the recent Parker :
trial. The Governor states that he Will
not volunteer a denial Of such charge,
and that self respect required nm 10
wait until such charge was put III 4
form which would enable him to meet
it. He, however,, in answer to Il 4ucs-
tiou OF the reporter gives the charge an
emphatic and unqualified denial. He
says;
"! say to you that the statement to
which you ;!lt.,ic is false in every actual
ur conceivable phase, degree, sense or
Ilucs,iing. | not only never had amy
fpa,t or lotnin, or knowledge of, such Il
| transaction, but l never in auy way
owned. held Or was in any manner i'll
Eterested in any cQnpensGr anything coll-
ngctss,, with eu.ls sohs, Saifd a never eNtsf.
| towncd ofs held q, eonsolidated bond. IF
iyou can frame a broader or more ex-
piicit denial of everything connected
with the coupon business l will adopt it.
! [ have no knowledge of it whatever,
except what the public have through
! The ciuvestigation of last winter and the
recent trial. If any man living can
connect ne in any way whatever with
these coupons, let him come forward.
! Idcfy tic ,Voria to 10 it,"
! lie states that it is unpleasant and DIS
! disgusting 10 have his name connected
with such charges, but that no fair
minded man should be affected by them
!unlil they assume such shape that he
Icould answer them. With regard to
! the prosecution Oh corrupt officials, the
Governor says.
II am in favor Of holding every pub
lie officer 10 u rigid accountability, and
! if ne violates the Jaw am in favor of
his punishment. ! shall do my whole
duty in every such c;lse. If have any
Knowledge Ol dishonest transactions L
shall place it i'll the hands OF those
who's" duty it is to prosecute Offenders
against the law. L will aid amy man
WHO is engaged in such work in all
possible ways. | confess, however, that
| ! ain not so much interested in what Is
past and gone us l am in what IS pres
eat and coming. 1t will, think, task
All orr energies to the utmost to stop up
I the open leaks, and staunch the run-
ming wounds. Another thing; when
, prosecutions are started, if they are to
command the public confidence, they
, must ue 50 conducted as to give evidence
,ha: the motive actuating the state is
tic public good. The moment they
seem TO pc used It's political machines
| they viii br worse than useless. Where
ever sec or shall be shown an oppor-
tunily to aid in publishing crime or pre-
venting cr.n,e l shall 60 my duty, and |
venture now 10 say that l shall not be
the first 70 cry Fold, enoughv y Time
will show whether | or others will find
prtiGcutial reasons for dealing gently
with put,lic offenders. In the mean-
;iua malicious rumors and tales that fill
! .!ic air viii h0t disturb ne.
lie stated that his powers and duties
in ihis particular had been largely over
c.tima.cd as inc had no voice in the
actual prosecution of offenders, and
could only like any other citizen bring
the evidence before tl.c solicitors and
grand jurcs, out that to the full extent
of lis powers, he would enforce the
! law.
AS 10 the Solomon Bank failure and
the consequent loss to the State he dis
claimed amy responsibility. The de-
posts Of the Dank at one time amount
! ell to Il million Of dollars, and it had
! b4>n his policy to reduce the State de-
posts to &3OG ,H91, which amount had
been fixed by The Board, and was the
us,al amount during the past winter.
! Ihr failure OF the Bank Was IN unfore
seen calamity.
Tie Governor is hopeful rs to the
future Of good government in the State,
and relies as well upon the support of
thc thinking Republicans, as of the
Conservatives. He says:
"There are carpers, malcOntents, re-
dictionary politicians among the Con-
scrvatives and the Conservative press,
who seem seem to think it wise to seek
to diScredit me and my work, but am
satisfied their influence is limited as
| their number is small. There are doz-
ems of letters lying on this table from
the best and most trusted men Of this
State deprtcatiny such course, and as
suring HE Of their ardent and constant
support. At amy rate their course will
not affect luc.'
The Governor states that his course
has met the cordial endorsement Of the
authorities at Washington, and that the
only fear entertained there is, that
there was not wisdom enough in the
State TO continue the good work of 70
form. With regard to the TaX-Bill he
states that his views lave not changed
aud that owing to the failure of the
Bank and Trust Company, it would be
necessary that the Legislature should
bring in new bill.
The course Of Governor Chamberlain,
we think, commcnds itself to the cor
dial support Of all the friends OF good
government i'm the State, and VIC regret
! to see that he has been made the subject
of repeated attacks at the hands of the
Conservative press. Such assaults, to
say the least Of it, are unwisc and i'm
polite and give aid and comfort TO those
enemies of good government who are
seeking to advance their own selfish
ends BY oUstructing the cause Of REFORM.
They are also in violation of those
pledges OF sympathy and cooperation,
which were everywhere extended to the
Governor upon his entrance into office.
| It is worse than folly to be seeking now
to unea:th the records of past admins
trations to find some charge against an
nigh olicia+who is fighting our battles