The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-06-28

this floor my voice shall be raised in thei
behalf, and | will use all the talent ant
energy / possess to defend their cause
against such injustice and oppression a
the passage of this 9Th section is calcu
lated to heap upon them.
object to the passage of this section
again, because it delegates more powc
to this commission than am willing t.
delegate to any set of men on earth
The fact of it is, since the corrupt decis
ion of the grand Presidential Commission
| have perfect horror for investing 81
much power in any set of men. | woulc
not, l know, accept myself so great .
delegation of power, and | am not will
ing to give it to any set of men. am
sir, in favor, as Gov. Hampton advises in
his message, to appoint a commission tc
investigate all these debts, and they
should report back to us at the next
meeting of the General Assembly, and
then let us act on their report before
paying one cent of interest on them
This will be throwing more safeguards
around the interests of our State and our
constituents. 1t will be remembered, sir,
that every bond on which VIC pay inter
est will be acknowledged as honest and
valid. 1t may be illegitimatc now, but
as soon rs we pay the interest on it it is
an adopted child of the State, and will
have to be paid, it matters not how un-
just it may have been originally, as this
act is an acknowledgment on our part
that the whole bond is Just.
Sir, 1 further take the ground that we
should pay all the just debts of the State,
but that there are no just debts made
since the war, unless the State has re-
ceived value for them. The debts were
made under the mere pretcnsc of law,
passed by set of corrupt carpet-baggers
and dishonest scalawags in the face of all
the earnest protests of all good people in
the State through the TaX-Payers' Union,
the press and the stump, saying to the
world that those debts were unjust, and
that they were forced upon us, and that
we would not pay them. And, sir, if
men chose to risk their money by buying
them at low rate, it is their own mis-
fortune, brought on them simply by their
own acts, being warned of the danger
and acquainted with all of the facts con-
nccted with the investment. Sir, let us
not act in haste in this matter, which in
wolves the interests of our constituents
to the amount of six or eight millions of
dollars, but let us take time to separate
all the grain from the chafl, and when
let us in good faith pay all the
Just debts of the State and no more. Sir,
if you call this rcpudiation, am repu-
diationist; but this is not repudiation ;
it is merely refusing to pay forged and
unjust debt.
My opponents have harpcd loudly
about the "fair fame" of South Carolina,
and, sir, I rejoice as much in the "fair
fame" of South Carolina as any member
on this floor, and would be as far from
furnishing it with dishonest act, and
would make as great sacrifice to pay
all her honest debts, l am sure but while
carefully guard the "fair fame" of our
State, l feel it equally my duty to guard
the interests of my constituents at home,
and to enter my most solemn protest
against saddling this immense debt on
them and their descendants-a debt
which has perhaps not benefited an
honest man in this State one cent.
Georgia, after Gov. Bullock left the
State, refused to pay large amount OF
unjust debts made under similar circum-
stances to ours. And did it ruin her
pure name? No, sir; her bonds arc
worth to-day from 81 to Sl.10 on the
dollar. But Virginia was so very partic-
ular about her "lair fame" that she re-
cognized all Of her debts; and what is
the result? Her bonds are to-day worth
10 cents on the dollar. This will be our
fate if we try to pay all these unjust
debts. We will be unable to pay our
Just ones, and the pure name of South
Carolina which has been boasted of So
much will be sullicd and blightcd by
bankruptcy, or her bonds reduced as the
bonds of Virginia are, to mere nominal
value.
I have been much mortified to see dur
ing this discussion the very unfair means
employed to carry this fifth section by
my opponents. They have even, some
of them, thrown fire. brands between the
two races, aud tried to kindle anew the
almost cxtinguishcd fire of hatred and
bad feeling, telling them that we did not
want to pay these debts because the col.
ored people had the majority in the Leg
islaturc at the time they were passed
This is not our objection. Our objection
is, that they are unjust and fraudulent
and my colored friends will remember
that they do not own any of those bonds
but that they and their constituents will
be taxed to pay them, and that they have
never been benefited one cent by these
immense fraudulent debts. Again, they
have said if you do not pass this 5tl
section the State cannot borrow money
enough to pay the members, and you vii
not get your money. [ hope you will
remember the committee on Ways ant
Means reported before this discussion
commenced that the State had over ONT
hundred thousand dollars now withir
vaults, and that our pay would be Ger
tain. We have no reason to dispute thcl
report, and if it is true we do not wan
to borrow money to pay the mcmbcrs, a
we already have plenty for that purpose
| hope no member will be induced L
vote for this section through fear of no
getting his pay. l, for one, would vot'
against it if | knew | never would sc
one cent of pay.
Again, they argue that not to vote TO
this bill is to oppose Gov. Hampton
plans and his administration. TO thos
/ remark that we have had the Governor
word to the contrary in his message, an'
| take it for granted if he has changct
his opinion in this matter, that OF cours
he would and should have sent us mes
sage informing us Of the change and al
vising us how to proceed.
They say, Mr.. Speaker, that this bll
strcng gthcns Hampton's administration
| say, sir, it evidently weakens it, on tn
same principle that Il man beginning II
the world badly in debt, weaSens an,
retards his future progress. Remove al
the fraudulent debts and the great loa'
is removed from his administration. Nc
gentlemen, be it far from me to retar'
his administration in the least. Sir, hi