The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-02-07
TnE ANDgRs0N REsOLuTIONs.

q
In our editorial upon this subject, ia
reply 70 the article of the NTe,cs and CbW-
risr laas week. NO thought that our Ian
guage was sufficiently simple, and our
ideas 50 plainly expressed, as to leave no
room for any nisconccption, but, from
the Nesrs and C5uTtw's renly. TO it, we
find that this was mistake, as our
Charleston contemporary entirely mis-
0onstFuea each Of the several positions
assumed by US In the article. Whether
this results from q total ignorance of the
proper use Of the English language on
our part, or whether il is the consequence
of inattention on the part of the Ne,cs
end Courier, must be determined by our
reades. In beginning its reply to ouI
last editorial on the debt question, the
Meas and Courier says:
The substance of the reply of tho An
deraOn lNTELLIGEECER to our comments
upon the Anderson Resolutions is that
the Anderson Committee desire 70 pay
every dollar justly due the creditors OF
the State" but are not in favor Of "an
indiscriminate payment Of everything
that pretends to be debt Of the etate.n
SO far there Is absolute unanimity Of
opinion in South Carolina. The IRE.
concilable repudiators profess to be will.
ing to provide for the honest debt TO t!le
last farthing; the stoutest supporters of
the settlement under tho Consolidation
Act do not ask for the recognition of any
debt for which the State 10 not morally
= Ia ,v1n
to define the meaning of tho words used
on eithe. eide that the divergence of in
tention and purpose Is exhibited.
The Ne,os and C6trier then proceeds to
the point of its whole article when it
takes up our treatment of The illegal, the
fraudulent and tho squandered debt. and
attempts to show that none of these terms
apply to the consolidated debt because,
Let, II was not Issued contrary to law, but
in conformity with the net for that pur.
pose; End, Mono OF these bonds are
fraudulent because they were not sacri-
feed at nominal values, but each Consol.
idated Bond represents two old bonds, as
provided by the act; 8rd, That mono Of
these bonds constitute the squandered
debt, because there was no money in
them to be squandered, but each of them
was given for two old bodds Of the Same
denomination. If we take superficial
view of this subject, the position of the
Ne,cs and Courier may strike US as hav-
Ing some reason in it, but IL we examine
the merits Of the question it viii be
found that its position IL amply o beg
ging of tho whole question, for it assumes
that the consolidated debt is correct with
out producing any argument to prove it.
We wish this very point investigated,
and the Democratic Executive Commit
toe of Anderson County also wishes it
investigated. We do not know whether
Cardozo isHued twicc as many Consolida.
ted Bonds 90 wsa proper c. not. He Ia
now in jail for just as great o crime as
this would have been, end in our judg-
ment the part Of wisdom is TO ascertain
If he did iea,,e even Consolidated Bonds
illegally, and not to assume that Jail
: bird has acted perfectly correctly where
millions of dollara arc concerned.
There in also further question which
Justice aud law require to be examined,
and it Is this: Did oil of the bonds ex-
changed for, Consolidation Bcads repre-.
aeEs ? ;nst debt = the ssta.se e a.ssy
did, the State Is in honor bound to pay
them. II they did not, there 10 nc moral
nor legal obligation to pay them. The
same parties who committed the frauds
in isa,,ihg che old hoaseas ..esred In ss.
ehsass for the old bonds thess Conaoli-
dated Bonds, and il they have attempted
to efIectnate their former frauds by the
issuing of these new bonds, il 10 the duty
of the Democratic party TO protect the
people, aud eliminase every pretended
bond f-ss::ssi. tbs Getbtt Of the State, ii it
tepresents nothing moro than the former
frauds which were put in the shape of
pretended bonds. This same reasoning
applies 10 ell that has been said about
the squaadered debt.
The Ne,ra and C6,.1er then says:
tits evident that the objections of the
> lhHuVlSQutAhIELISlHl 90 not appIy.
10 any of che Consolidation Bonds and
etocks, end they have no force when ap-
slied 70 the bonds aar stocks {undabls
saMsr the Consolidation Acs, and not vat
funded, Every ono of its objections is
e1ully and completely covered by the
Validating Act of March 10, 1872.
The plain logic of this is, that the
Radical party, after plundering the peo-
pie By the isune of fraudulent bonds,
could bind the people to pay them by
their simple psonaise: In other ..sords,
Che Ne,Os ans CSaaisr 10 willing to pay
all of the frauds Without investigation
which the thieves said ought to be paid.
we maintain. 20 both good law and COM
mon sense, that the Consolidation Aek
did not validate any bond which was
fraudulent, fer s.e M !ss..ssss !s.ssss received nothing
for such Q bond ia the beginning, and
has not received anything for it since,
and hence the pronlise wan entirely with
out confederation. Bat eyen if the act
had hayo had that cfSloss., It was passed
by tho men who committed the fraud,
md would not bird the people In any i
moral sense, and hence the whole sabIect