The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-03-01
THE NATIONAL DEBT.

Editor Gonzales and Senator Graydon
Exchange Views on Proposed Leg
isIatiOn.
At request we copy the following articles
which will be interesting to our people. AS 6
rule we would not copy strong expression!
about brother printer but The State pub
lished them, and we presume we violate none
of the amenities, by reproducing them.
In debating on Monday the resolution rela
tive to South Cardinals claim against the
United States government Senator Graydon
of Abheville, remarked that the editor OF The
State had not read the original house resolu
tion and didn't know what he was writing
about when he referred to the prospective
com mission reaching 100000.
This, Of course, is q mistake, for If the editor
of The State had not read the resolution ht
could not have been able to see job in 1t
The commission, according TO the resolution
was mot to exceed 10 per centum Of the me-
amount received by the State" If there had
been reference In the preamble or the resou
tion to the counter-clalm OF the United States
against the State II that had apparently beer
taken into consideration; the reference would
have been clear that the commission was re
be on the surplus only. But as this was moi
the case and 1t was supposable that the $500,
900 might be recovered and received by the
State and $3.50, 900 Of 1t paid back to the United
States TO meet the counter-claim. II was also
supposable that Is per cent. or $4,000, OF the
sum thus recovered would go to the agent
The resolution, certainly, was not explicit
enough to protect the State against such ar
Of Its terms.
However the payment of $50 500 com m ! issior
for the recovery OF S350.000 would have been
quite as bad az the payment Of 10000 for the
recovery OF 100000. 1t Is difference o
amount but not of percentage, and the argu.
ment of waste and jobbery against the
$50 900 applies quite as fully to the S52. 500 Mr.
aydon g case would not be strengthened mol
The States weakened by the change. MIR
Graydon himself was constrained, after The
State had ventilated the affair, to suggest the
knock king-of OF 66 % per cent. Of the commits
sion he had at first so sturdily defended. On
Saturday he said that "the resolution pro
vided that the attorney should get ONLY /:
per cent. of the amount, and this, In his opin
ion, was small enough sum for undertaking
SO doubtful a matter. 1t would require the
expenditure Of large amount of money on
the part of the attorney who undertook the
for the com mission had grown desperate. Mr.
Graydon suggested that II the senate thought
Is per cent. Too much to pay let them hX 9
lower rate-say per cent" SO while Mr.
ing TO his figures-a "small enough sum-" be
thought on Monday that SIT 500 would be sui
ficient, even though the attorney would have
TO "expend large amount Of money" IN hit
work Clear gain for the stste sss In 10 MIR. Gray
There Is another Interesting feature OF The
affair. On Saturday Senator Graydon said
that 1.-THE present resolution was drawn at the
instance OF Senator Tillman. who IN letter
to member Of the general assembly called
atten tion to this claim and expressed desire
that such step as the resolution contemplat
ed be made" Again in the course OF the de
bate he declared that the resolution "only
carried out the recommendation made BY
Senator Tillman In letter to member O.
the general assem- bly," Yet on Monday might
we find Senator Tlllman telegraphing TO The
State as follows: II protest against employ
ing an attorney as absolutely useless. Five
hundred dollars would be ample compensa
tion took up the facts and prepare the case sc
we could get legislative action here. NO at
torney can do anything but that; the Sontt
Carolina delegation can do all that Is possible
If furnished with the facts and papers, name
ly, get congress to authorize an adjustment
of the accounts"
In so saying Senator Tillman takes the same
position and uses the same argument ts as The
State did on Friday. and Saturday, and Sun
day and Monday-the only difference beine
he declared $500 TO be sample compensation
for looking up the facts and preparing tht
case, while The State said that the FACTS were
at the elbows of our delegation and that II
was their duty to prepare the case. Senator
Graydon. 1t is true, on Saturday read from
Senator Tillman's letter to the member o.
the general assembly" words 10 This erect
look up the papers in the matter" Our sen
ate reporter added In parentheses: "These
are not the exact words OF the letter, but very
nearly 3d." The reason, we are informed
that the exact words were not given is thai
senator Graydon declined to let him copy the
letter. There appears TO be discrepancy be
tween the quoted and the telegraphed words
OF Senator Tillman which II will doubtless be
the pleasure of Senator Graydon and himself
to reconcile.
In the meantime we are pleased to find thai
the authority quoted as conclusive In support
OF this commission raid on the treasury haf
come out over his own signature In justine
tion of The States successful fight on 1t and
shows that job has been scotched which
would have given somebody $52,5OO - Mr.
Graydon's tigures-for $500 worth OF work, or
an "ample" estimate. Senator Tillman'f e
protest reached US after the fgnt was over over,
It's application.
The Answer.
To the Editor Of The State:
The insinuations or charges (whichevel
they may be called) In The State or w ednes
day, in regard to the claim against the Unit
ed States, are as false as they are malicious
Your inordinate vanity Is such that you have
40 patience With anyone who happens TO d1f
fer with you on any matter that you nave ex
pressed an opinion on, and you 40 not nesi
takes different view from what you take on
any subject.
/ now propose to give the public a complete
history of my connection with this matter
and leave the pa3lic TO Judge between US.
l never saw or heard of this matter In my
life until the resolution introduced into the
house Of representatives reached the senate.
On the morning that the resolution came
over to the senate, the author OF the resolu
ton came over TO the senate chamber and ex
plained the purport Of the resolution TO me
and requested me TO take charge OF the reso
luton in the senate. The resolution was re-
ferred 10 the finance committee OF the senate
and the ways and means OF the house, Aa 6
Joint committee to look into the matter. The
ways and means of the house appointed 6
sub committee consisting OF +. II. weston
DR.. Wyche and Z. f. Mellow. The finance
sisting of ]. l.. Glenn, DR.. Williams and my
self The two subcommittee met and select
ed me chairman. We had meeting and w
II. Lyles. Esq, TO come before the suo-com
to which reference has been made In your
columns. This pamphlet referred to Vol. .
Ex. Documents of the thirty fifth congress
which / got out Of the State library and lalo
before the subcommittee. They discussed
the matter fully and the result OF 1t was that
the resolution that was subsequently report
ed by the Joint full committee of the two
houses was recommended TO the fuil com
tee by the sub-com mittee, except that the al
torney general was authorized to employ an
agent or attorney to prosecute the claim, and
IL was provided that the agent or attorney
was to receive not exceeding Is per cent. o
the amount recovered. The full joint com
mIttee of the TWO houses amended the resolu
tion by inserting the governor along with the
attorney general, and authorizing them tc
employ an agent or attorney. and further
1t by providing that the agent OF
attorney should receive as compensation not
exceeding Is per cent. Of the net amount re-
ceiyed into the State treasury. The very mat
ter that you lay 20 much stress upon. that the
resolution contemplated paying per cen
upon the sum owing by the State to the Unit
ed States, was fully discussed by the full joint
committee, and they made the amendment
last above referred to so as to avoid any posi-
bic chance to put any such construction as
YOU put upon 1t. The resolution, as thus
amended, was then unanimously reported to