Wilmington journal., 1876-01-07
MOnsIER ToNs0N AGAIN.
Poor EiOrtda-Mr. SwepsOn With
His Little MOrfga&cEhe
Echoes of E:ecOnstructfOu
Correspondence o. the Savannah News.l


! Correspondence o. the Savannah News.l
JACKSONVILLE Fla, Dec 27, 1875.
savonarola laundering forth in the
streets of Florance tleinvective against
tyranny, eff men will ka thieves lei
them be honest thieves," strikes us at
nrst blush as utteriug a solecism oi
the widest proportions. But the tu-
multuous reformer merely intended to
make distinction between that spe,
cies of villany which dazzies US by its
very bolduess and the rascality which
| takes refuge behind transparent
mask rectitude. The Louisiana scale
awags OF 18G6-70 Were an instance of
! the former. They we're consummate
robbers but they never professed to be
a'.y thing else. The facts outlined be-
low will at least Indicate some repre-
sentatives Of the latter class, who's
while endeavoring to conceal them >
selves under a veil of integrity. are
deeper in the abysm ofirredemable I'M
righteousness than their more coura-
geous contemporaries. When Dibbl,
and associates controlled the J. P. &
NJ Railroad, an inscrutable fusion
was accomplished between the inter
ests represented by Dibble and the
an:agonistic claims of Swepson and
his compeers. It was always a matter
of wonder why Swspsou, with hIs six
or seven hundred thousand dollars in
L. and G. bonds cOalcsced with the
other side. The consolidation having
been effected charter was obtained
for the Tallahassee and Chattahoochee
end of the railroad, and all the surs
roundings appeared as smooth and un-
broken as jujude paste or re-
Cancellation of lovers. Time
few on apace /; the four million
bond bill was passed and anon
came an avalanche of suits
and counter suits. terminating in q
quasi victory for the State with the
rece Mt decision of the United States
Supreme Court, and eventuating in a
debt Of four millions to be liquideted
by the dnuizens of this peni lsula.
The debt is hard, relentles fact-a
certainly. How about the road? The
astounding truth is gradually disclo-
sing itself that Dibble aud associates
executed to Swepsou as price of his
support, first mortgage bond for
twelve hundred thousand dollars on all
that portion of the road lying west OF
Lake City, and that by virture of the
lien thus secretly created, Swepson-
we beg pardOn-Mr. Swepson, is the
virtual owner of tn corporation and its
franchises. The existence of this de-
cnment has never been widely known,
and with the full knowledge of its force
ADD vilidity Bisbee, Stearns, Creeky
Chinuy and Others rogues give the
State fraudulent first mortgage for
four millions, and succeed in fasten-
ing the load upon tho people. The
lean Of Swepson is entitled to priority,
and il there is any peniteniiary within
the confines of this great Republic,
Randall! and his fellows should be en-
titled to it. Property ownars in this
nrovince viii! be compelled to pay the
four millions; ;5wepson will reap the ben
eft from the road. 4 few of thu Radi
calls hoped that Swepson would forget
ali about his ownership. and are groen
ing because there is no ikeli-
hood of his making fool of himself
by doing anything of the sort. The
rotund wirepuller, Conant. will fail to
realiz- al expected fortune from a flu
ger in the PIE. Off with your hats,
gentlemsn; hail to Swepson-Mr.
SwepsOn.