The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-27
SOUTH CAROLINA'S DEBT
raE MAIN ISSUE NOW IN THg PAL-
MErTO STATE.
How the state waived Her sovereignty
ana Went into the Courts, ana How
the Rsudbsisers Refused to Abide the
Issue-The People Now Determined tn
ANIMAL All Fraudulent ObliS ations-A
RaraIIAl fnr I.anLEianR.
New York SUM-


Parallel for Louisiana.
New York sunt
CHARLESTON, March 14-The earpet-bag-
gers have all left South Carolina ard gone
West Most OF them are in Idaho and Arizona
But Notwithstanding their flight the natives
OF the State who stood behind the scenes Of
| their administration, and shared in the piln-
der Of the people, still remain In power. They
exercise under the new administration as
much influence rs they ever did, and claim as
many special privileges and exemptions as IL
there was no change In the government
These capitalists whom Chamberlain In
weighed into his bond speculations. in order
to coeree their loyalty to himself. are still
| manipulating public affairs with an eve
single 10 their pecuniary advantage. And
those gentlemen who received n moro vaIna-
BILE gift from the State, In the shape Of exclu-
sive rights In the phosphate beds Of the navi-
gable waters OF the State, are still lauding it
over their fellow citizens.
We have changed the name OF the party in
power from Republican to Democrat but the
power behind the party remains the same.
We have modified the downward tendency o,
public prosperity, but We have not stopped
the causes which impel it. The economy OF
the regular governmental machinery has
been restored, but the extravagant subsidies
to those who enjoy special privileges are as
burdensome as ever upon the balance Of the
State.
In order TO settle the matter OF the State
debt, the Legislature agreed to leave that
matter to special court consisting Of three
Of the regular Circuit judges. They we're to
entertain the questions Of law incident to the
claims, and decide them as they would "be-
tween man and man" For this purpose they
agreed that "the State" should throw off her
sovereignty, in her immunity from suits, like
fighting parson or q police officer who lays
aside his shoulder straps when they wish to
test their manhood. It was not only con-
descension to the bondholders, but one Of
those ehlvalric actions which demanded q
generous recognition. The State came out
victorious In the contest before the court
But the defeated parties are not satisfied. and
they have appealed to the State Supreme
Court. Whether the bondhoders can force
the non-conbatant State to fight in that
court is an open question. One thing Ia GER
tain, that II the decision of the special court
had been in favor OF the bondhoEIers, they
would have insisted upon the immediate pay
h
out recourse to further litigation.
The hrst action taken by the bondhoIders
was to get an Injunction from the United
States District Court Judge against the State
treasurer, restraining him from paying out
the moneys collected for paying the interest
upon the public debt for any purpose except
for the inter est. This did not work well. for
the Treasurer stopped paying interest on all
their bonds. good or bad. They therefore
abandoned tIat procedure, and took out
their appeal to the State Supreme Court.
Not satisfied with this, they have asked one OF
the circuit Judges for @ nandarnus to compel
the reception Of the coupons from these bonds
by the tax collector in payment Of t1xes. ae-
cOrding TO the stipulation lndorsed thereon.
1T will thus appear that after accepting the
gage Of battle thrown down by the non-cOm-
batants, they ignore the result. They were
not compelled to accept the challenge. They
might have gone through the regular chan
nels OF the ordinary courts; no action Of the
State could have excluded them from the
privileges OF that public highway. But they
accepted and lost, and now they repudiats
their responsibility to abide by their decision
as 1t stands. In their anxiety to force their
fraudulent claims upon their fellow citizens,
they call those who oppose their demands
"repudiatOrs, aud threaten the State with
withdrawal Of credit. They ignore their own
reputation, and imagine that they control
the money markets OF the world. They are
not apt to frighten anybody by their threats
II the State has done anything imprudent In
the negotiation, 1t Was owing to her own posi-
tiveness concerning her financial honor, in
laying aside her sovereignty and submitting
to the decision OF a court. A State which will
90 this, need not fear the effect Of abiding by
the decision.
To pay these alleged debts would be to i'm
pose an unjust burden upon an i'm mpoverished
people, and to acquire reputation for prodi-
gallty which would depreciate her recognized
bonds. Not to pay them would have ten
dency to check the rash issues Of public Sc
curities to be paid by succeeding administra-
tiOns.
Notwithstanding these plain considerations,
the confederateS Of Chamberlain have had
the ear Of the State Executive, and been able
to control the State patronage 10 their own
interest They claim IL as their prescriptive
right, because they have enjoyed it 30 long;
ana, though they have antagonized the party
In power upon the very issues which pro-
duced It, their claim is acknowledged.
Money by It's power, good dinners, wines,
parades, public fiattery and social recogni- |
ton, effect these strange results. 1t Is the
same with the exclusive rights claimed by
pretty much the same people who hold the
fraudulent Indebtedness Of the State Not
Withstanolng tnat these privileges were
granted by the Radical Legislatures under
very suspicious circumstances, and are now
excluding from the public domain the starv- |
ing work people OF the State, besides exacting
heavy contributions from the agricultural /
population for their manufactured fertilizers. |
nc department In their own interest. The last |
Legislature was chosen against them. Yet /
that body did nothing, and the phosphate |
iords, ID dersion, raised the price Of their fer
tlliZers upon the farmers, and reduced the
pay OF their subordinate diggers. The Legis-
lature appointed commission to examine
the question. Three was the number. The
lawyer OF the chief beneficiary OF the nonop-
oily and good natured adherent Of the same
comprise the majority, with third VINO
Knows nothing Of the question, except WHaL
he learns from the monopolists themselves.
The people of the State submitted TO TINS
condition under Gov. Hamp-
ton, because they looked upon him as their
Iiberator from tyranny; and to question any
act of his administration was sacriege. But
Gov. Simpson enjoys no such immunity, and
the people almost everywhere are exhlDitln2
signs OF discon tent. ne coun-
try papers are outspoken against any further
of the fraudulent debt, and there
is scarcely county where indignationimeet-
ings against the phosphate monopoly are not
held.