The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-04-03
MR. ED1roR: It issdue 70 the pphiic
that the commun}nsEiiiiS ssiannd Gaxs

MR. EDITOR: 1t .sssdue to the pphtio
that the communfpsStdHS SSiSnad| Fax
Payer, which appeafad fnyGuI celumHs,
yesterday, in defence e0f ;What iss:sn6w
commonly known as th6fsb bill, f
should not be suffered Co pass " h0tit
comment. The assertion which IL ksnaise sea,
that general opinion fators this bill, ana
sees in it advantage TO the true interests
OF the State, Is gross sland er upon, pub
lie opinion in this community and in
the State at large, and needs both con.
tradiotion and Trebuke. II feel no hesi-
tatlon in saying that, with the respccta-
BILE citizens of this State, who have no
personal interest in this bill, there exists
but one opinion as to its character and
merits. That opinion has been declared
by every means given to it to declare
ltself-through its representatives in the
Legislature, through the press nil over
the Suite, md through the privut. de-
clarations of those who usually direct it.
and TINT opinion is not what ''fnx-P Payer"
has asserted it to be. That opinion is,
on the contrary, that the bonanza bill,
or Act, whichever it is, is simply job
and swindle-a thing conceived in
ini1uity-n nicely a;sS;:scI r:.;,! upon
the public purse, under the leadership
of n man whose antecedents must stump
as Infamous aAy scheme to which he is Il
party. This, say. is the general scnti-
ment upon the subject. Whether or no,
the sentiment is justitiablc, from the
facts of the case, is another matter Here
''Tnx-Payer" is entitled to the benefit of
his argument: ''The fact Of the mutter
Is, says philo-bonanzn, "tliat the claims
generally provided for in the bonanza
bill are rs good and valid rs the similar
claims which have been specifically pro-
vided for in the various bills passed by
the General Assembly during the last
three sessions" Shades of Mooney and
Leggett! What an indictment is this
against the Act it is meant to defend!
Our ''Tax-Payer" is evidently conscious
of the dubious nature of this compar;-
son, and, therefore, hnstens forward to
the advantages which the State i, to de-
rive from the ebill-ndvantnges wholly in
dependent ofthe justice of the claims, and
which, indeed, pre-supposc that at lenst
q large number Of them are fraudulent
The advantages are, first, that it is better
to accept the situation, and pay S25O, 0OD
for these claims, than to risk being sad
died with $500, 600 ut some future time;
and, second, that under this Act. the
claims will be examined by commission
AS to the first, we doubt the policy, under
any circumstances, of compromising with
rogues. But, thank God, the time has
passed for us to weigh such bnse shifts,
and none know better than the sponsors
of this Act, how desperate is their chance
for payment outside of its provisions
AS to the second advantage urged. have
now little to say. The advantage of the
commission will depend wholly upon
the character of the commissioners and
the rules by which they arc guided; and
without rejecting upon any of the gen
tlemen named, it may be safely said thnt
no citizen, who, in matter OF this sort,
acts in defiance of public opinion, can
carry with him the confidence of the
public. The fact that this Act is odious
in the sight of the body of the people,
must be alone sufficient to deter any man,
who wishes to retain that atconfidence, from
any act which will assist in giving to it
force or validity. This would be true if
the character and purpose of the Act were
unimpeachable, on any ground save that
of being against public policy, in the all
dition which it makes to taxation, already
too oppressive. It is doubly true, when
it is remembered that this Act had Loslie
for its sponsor, was fostered by White
more, and il with reason believed to be
tainted with fraud and fruitful of job
berry. PUBLIUS.