The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-07-01
THE BOND MATTER.
Senator TilIman Makes . Statement About
The Matter.

Senator Tillman Makes Statement About
The Matter.
COLUMBIA, 8. c., June 2.-The fol-
lowing letter was published few days
ago:
To the Public: I have been absent
from the State during most of the last
two weeks, making silver speeches in
the west, and have been ignorant OF
the furor created by the sgned arh'
cles in the New York Times, charging
crookedness in the bond matter. l
read it, as copied in the State papers
just before leaving South Carolina,
and Immediately decided that the au-
thor was my political and personal
enemy and South Carolinian. I did
not feel that the anonymous attack
was worthy of notice and so stated to
a reporter. On my return I find that
A. B. Williams is known to be the
writer. and this statement Of itself,
will be sufficient to most men as to the
motive of the attack and truth of the
charges. I learned further that DR..
Bates had written a card explaining
the receipt by him of a commission
amounting to about $4,000 for extra
and unofficial work, but apparently
stunning or ignoring the graver
charges directly or indirectly made OF
a collusion with Rhind and the COM
mission. On arriving at Columbia, |
found DR.. Bates had prepared 8 full
statement of the whole bond transac-
ton, but under bad advice had con-,
fined his statement as published to an
explanation of the .commislioR paid
him, which was not at all satiaactc D
even to his friends, and thereby hA1
invited rather than disarmed CRITICISM.
He submitted this statement to mo and
now gives it to the press at my suggess
ton. I have read it carefully and can
corroborate as true everything in CON.
tains as to the facts of the case.
But for the fact that there are others
involved in the so called "bond scan
dal," I would adhere to my original
purpose OF treating it with silent con-
tempt, because Gen. Butler made
practically the same charges at Wal.
terboro in 1894, and I made full and
complete answer to them then.
recognized, however, that the
shafts of slander and malace which
have fallen harmless from me may
wound others who are not less worthy
of public confidence. take occasion,
therefore, to repeat what I said at
Walterboro two years ago. I have
never received one dollar of Rhind's
commission and never made any.
agreement, directly or Indirectly with
Rhind or any one else that would give
me compensation for making the CON.
tract upon the terms agreed upon. /,
worked in the States interest and for
her benefit wholly, and it is simply
damnable that the papers of the State
should give currency and quasi en-
dorsement to these repeated ISLANDERS
and lies.
take occasion to say that the work
done by DR.. Bates was entirely outsid .
of and apart from his official dutieA
and that every criticism of him for it,
in my judgment, unreasonable and
unjust. He consulted me as to the
propriety OF doing it, and I did not
then and do not now see why he
should have refused to do the work
that in no wise conficted with his Of.
fetal duties, and which did not cost
the State one cent. On two occasions
DR.. Bates, in the plentitude of caution
for what he supposed to be for the
best interests of the State, refused TO-
sign the modification of the contract
which the exigencies OF the situation =
demanded, and I overruled !1m be-
cause I saw it our-last and only
chance.
The agreement to do the work for
the syndicate was made two weeks al
ter the last compact was signed, and
he signed that under my persuation.
was associated with him four years
on the terms of the closest intimacy.
If he is not an honest, honorable, con-
scientious and high-toned gentleman,
then we have none in South Carolina.
B. r. TnLMAN.
| ANOTHER STATEMENT BY TREASURER
BATES. gS
The statement of DR.. Bates referred
to by Senator Tillman would make
about four columns in this paper, so
that its publication in this issue is out
of the question. It contains nothing
new howevcr-is but an elaborate re-,
cital of facts and incidents connected
with the bond negotiations and con-
tracts. beginning with the original re-
funding Act of '89, with which the
public are already familiar. The diff
culties encountered in placing the
new bonds are fully set forth.
AS to the commission paid the brok-
er, Rhind, DR.. Bates says: IS
1.-The act OF 1892 under which the re-
funding took place appropriated the
money in the sinking fund for the pay
ment of commission. Not dollar
of this money was used, and strictly
speaking, no commission was paid by
the State to anybody. The interest
from January to July, 1898, as requir-
ed by the contract. was paid feyery
cent of iD to the Baltimore Trust md
Guarantee company, or to the sub
scribers of the syndicate upon their
order. How the syndicate settled
with Mr.. Rhind was his and their own
affair and one with which the State
had nothing to do" -.
Again, the Doctor says upon this
subject: ,,&
sAs for Mr.. Rhind's commission 1t
was matter that concerned him and
the syndicate. Every banker and cap.
isalist in the State knows that the
n, .of,,-loJ fo rp,&oof oH.