The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1878-03-07
Editorial Correspondence.

COLUMBIA, S. c., March l, 1878.
Dear Sentinel: "How is the vote going
to stand upon the bond question: is
the fret interrogatory put to mem~
ber of the Legislature by nealy every
person with whom he meets in Co
lumbia at this time. Those who are
in favor Of toisting tho fraud upon
patient, long suffering and plundered
people, answer invariably, "our side"
THE credit and honor of South Caro-.
lima mus be maintained, you know"
The credit and honor Of South Caro-
lima indeed! 1t n man forges your
name to paper and realizes money
on it for his, or any other persons beno-
fiji, is your credit and honor to suffer
if you do not pay it? Wouldn't he
indignantly refuse to pay tho money,
and rclentlessly pursue the forger
until he secured his punishment for the
crime? He most assurcdly would,
and aS the same time receive the
tharlss of evory honest man in his
community tor his energy and zeal in
redressing his wrongs and procuring
the punishment of crimc. Every bond
proposed to be eliminated from the
public debt is plain and paIpable
fraud. There was not the shadow
Of authority of law for their issuance,
and they stand, in my opinion, upon
exactly the same footing rs that OF
note forged on private individual
But those who favor their payment,
say il is better TO pay them than TO
Grip up" the. funding Act. This is
another sophistical reason. The fund.-
ing Act, ae is plainly shown by the
report OF the bond commission, never
contemplated the funding of these
fraudulent securities, but to the con-
trary expressly forbid it. Those bonds
are not an obligation against the State,
and upon what grounds Representa-
tives can Justify their action in voting
for their payment, l can not SEQ. The
total amount Of the fraud, after being
scaled, is 81 ,S04, $3.50. The voto in
the House will be close. on account
of the NoIid vote of the Republicans,
which will be cast in favor OF tho trau.
du!ent bonds. A large majority of
tho Democratic members are in favor
Of sustaining the bond commissions
report, but the bonholdors represen-
tatives on the fool, by the aid of the
Republican vote may be able, for the
time being, to saddle fraudulent
debt of near two million OF dollars on
the Taxpayers OF this State, but it is
only short time to the next election,
and then the people will have an op-
portunity of speaking, and let them
do it in such tones as will mako the
holders of fraudulent bonds and their
allies in the Legislature, quake in
their boots.
Tho fraud committee has sub
m'tted another report, cmbrac
ing the pringting ring swindle
&c. These are the most daring and
bare faced frauds ever brought to
public view. Tho Tweed ring in New
York city pales into insignifcance be.
fore the work of tho South Caroline
Iing. Five or ten thousand copies
of the report will be published for the
distribution amongst the people, and
as tho newspapers from time to time
will publish it, they will be fully i'm
formed as to its contents
When the final vote on the "bonC
question" will be taken, l can moi
say. About twenty long winded
speeches yet to make on it, and tho
session is likely to continue until the
18th instant. d. f. b.
We noticed, on our way to Ander-