The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-05-27
GRIFFIN AND IILLNAN.
= TART CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN
TWO OFFICIALS.

+ ALL COhhGSS SOtNCCNCG OC WGGN
TWO OFFICIALS.
Governor I'illmnu Calls the Snpsrintend-
eut of the State Lunati.: Asylum to
Account. ard the Latter Defends Him
self with Some Acerbi:y.
COLUMBIA. ). C. May 1S.-The fol-
loving correspondence between Gov
ernor TilIman and DR.. Griffin, which
concludes with a request for the resig-
nation of DR.. Griffin, will be read with
great interest. The letter referred to
by Governor Tillman in his opening
note was published in the News and
Courier:
COLUMBIA, SC, May 5, 1891.
DR.. P. Z. Griffin, Columbia, 5. c.
Dear Sir: IL your letter to the regents,
a copy Of which was handed me last
week, you complain of unfair treat.
ment and an eX-parte examination OF
witnesses by the committee.
| beg to remind you that when the
investigation begun no charges had been
preferred against anyone, and the COM
mittee. including myself, looked to
getting at the truth only-hndlDg out
If ANYTHING was wrong with the lnstl-
tuition or It's management. The devel-
opmentS were of such a nature as to
provoke more thorough inquiry along
certain lines, and you were promised
an opportunity to crosSquestlon Wit
neSses or bring in testimony IN rebuttal.
As soon as the testimony was reduced
TO writing copy was furnished to the
regents for their anu your use, and you
had the opportunity you asked. But,
instead of doing this, you entered on a
discussion of the old and new methodS
of treating tn" insane.
The Constitution imposes on me the
responsibility for the fitness and eitl-
cheney of the officers and the employees
of the Asylum. | must perform my
duty. however disagreable it may Ice,
and yet l viii give you the full oppor-
tunity to eNonerate yourself II you can.
I write to ask whether you still wish TO
crosseXamine the witnesses whose teS-
timony condemns you, or to attempt
to impeach their veraclty.
l ours SCSCLiO4Iy,
3. r. Tillman, Governor.
s OFFICE S. G. LUNATIC ASYLUM,
May 5, 1891.
To his Exceliency, B. r. Tillman,
Governor-Sir: In reply to your letter
lust received, beg to state that shall
have the honor to communicate with
YOUR Excellercy some time this after
noon or evening, either personally or
by letter.
l have the honor to be very respect
fully your obedient servant.
7. E. Griffin, Superintendent.
On the same day DR.. Griffin wrote the
following:
OFFICE S. G. LUNATIC ASYLUM, I
May ). 1891.
To his Exceliency. b. r. Tillman,
Governor-Sir: After more mature
consideration of the subject matter OF
q. your letter of this morning, am con-
strained to recall my hasty promise to
reply this evening, and l therefore beg
your EXcellencys indulgence Tor day
or two longer.
have the honor to be very respect
fully.
Pc. Griffin, Superintendent.
OFFICE S. C. LUNATIC ASYLUM,
May s, 1891.
To His Excellency, B. R. Tillman,
Governor-Sir: I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt Of your letter
of the 5'h of May, instant. in which,
referring to my answer and report to
the board of regents Of the Lunatlc
ASYLUM, of date 2Sth April last, and to
the recent Investigation made by the
legislative committee, you inquire
whether still wish to cross-eXamlne
the witnesses (whose testimony, as you
are pleased to assert condemns me,) or
to impeach their veraclty."
In my report to the board l asserted
that by the secret and eX parte lnqulsl-
ton justice had been denied me; that
I had been condemned without oppor-
tunitv OF plea and Of defence, without
semblarce of trial, without knowledge
of the charge and specifications pre-
ferred against me, without place for
confronting the accusing witnesses and
without tie right of testimony III my
behalf"
In your letter you concede that | was
promised an opportunity to cross
question the witnesses or bring n tes-
timony in rebuttal," but you proceed
to saw that las soon as the testimony
was reduced to writing a copy was fur
nished to the regents for their and
YOUR use, and YOU had the opportunity
YOU asked. But instead of doing this
YOU entered on discussion OF the o!d
and new methods Of treating the To-
sane
This promise. as I stated IN my re-
pert, Was made TO me by you, speaking
for the committee as We'll as Tor your
self, while was before the committee
undergoing examination, and certainly,
if given in good faith, authorized NE TO
expect that before the inqulSitlon was
concluded l should have the occasion
rendered to me by you and the commit
tee of presenting my defence.
now your EXcellency does not Iced
to be informed that so soon as the com
mittee had concluded the examination
Of each witne SIS as they choose to select
without notice to me, without the
slightest intimation of their readiness
TO hear me, they with swift sentence
on that same day proceeded to ilGd and
publish their verdict by which l was
condemned" as you term it, upon most
serious imputatious Of negligence, mis-
feasauce and incapacity in the conduct
Of my office affecting my personal, Oh
ticial aud professional reputation. In
the face of thi, statement Of fact, which
is not denied. you say that as soon as
the testimony Was reGnc,d to writing
that d copy was furnished 10 the re-
gents '.and that had the opportunity
asked" How: When? Where? In
my report 10 the board Stated that
had access to some eighty pages OF
manuscript containing PORTIONS OF the
testimony OF sone of these witnesses
such as the legislative committee chose
to select, While, as am Informed. the
larger portion Of the testimony taken
during the Investigation has not been