Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-11-02

1t would put an end TO all prospects OF
| improving the commercial relations OF
the United States and Canada. This is
one of the questions which the people
should keep in mind in casting their
votes next November. - New York
Times, August 22nd.
Morton's Candidacy a Speculation.
Several leading Democrats claim that
the nomination of the Hon. Levi p.
Morton was financial speculation, and
it will surprise New Workers to learn
that the State of North Carolina is being
stumped on the issue from facts alleged
to have come into the hands OF Senator
Ransom when he was in the city last
week.
Ever since the opening of the present
campaign Mr.. Morton has taken the
liveliest kind of interest in its progress.
This was but natural in a candidate
the Vice-Presidency, but there was one
thing that puzzled Senator Quay.
That was Mr.. Morton's great anxiety
about North Carolina. Every day or
two he would drop into National Head
quarters to see Colonel Quay. When the
rosy outlook in New York or Indiana was
laid before him, he took it as matter of
course, and would then ask: "But what
do you hear from North Carolina ?"
He insisted, it is said, that North Caro-
lima could be carried for Harrison, and
urged Mr.. Quay not to be afraid to put
the money in the State. His knowledge
of the political situation of the State, it
is said, astonished the Chairman, mas
much as he never showed the same
knowledge of any other State, except, of
course, New York.
1t is claimed that he even subscribed
what would be his salary for three years,
in case he was elected, for campaign
purposes, with the provision that an
aggressive campaign be oponed at once
in the land of the Tar-heels, which gave
eleven electoral votes for Cleveland in
1884 by plurality smaller than that
which defeated Mr. Blaine in New York
Mr.. Ransom came here to find out
what had become of the special tax
bonds issued by the State OF North Caro-
lima in 1868, while the State was under
carpet-bag rule, and repudiated three
years later.
The bonds, he states, are now owned
by the great banking firm Of Morton,
Bliss & Co., and with accrued interest
amount to upwards OF $30,000,000.
When issued it was pretended that
these bonds were to be devoted to the
building of several internal railroads, in
the promotion of which Milton S. Little
field was chief actor.
A special tax was levied for their pay
ment, which gave them their name.
The railroads were never built. Little
field brought the bonds to New York
and sold them for what he could get and
built no railroads.
1t is history that as soon as North Car
olina passed from under carpet bag rule,
these bonds were promptly repudiated
on the ground of gross fraud, and con-
stitutional provision was enacted for
bidding their payment unless author
lied by a majority of the voters at the
ballot-box.
Morton, Bliss & Co., it is claimed,
bought up $14, 10000 of these bonds on
"spec" for mere song after their repu-
diation, and have made several attempts
to collect them through the courts.
Test suits have been brought on indi-
vidual bonds in the United States Circuit
Court of North Carolina in the name of
persons living in the State to avoid the
provisions in the Eleventh Amendment
of the Constitution. One of these suits
is now pending in the United States
Court of North Carolina.
If it should succeed, the collection of
the payment would be difficult unless
the Legislature and Governor should be
in favor of paying it.
These are to be elected with the Ma
tional ticket this fall and with one of the
three Supreme Court Judges would in
sure the payment of the bonds, and this
North Carolina Democrats are claiming
as the supreme motive of Mr.. Morton s
great interest in the State of North Caro-
lina.-[N. Y. Morning Journal.