The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-09-09
The following was issued In circular form
on Monday by the friends Of Gov. Evans. and
is put in here TO add to the record, andlto Ill
this space.
LETTER FROM GOV. EVANS.


this space.
LETTER FROM GOV. EVANS
Replies to the Charges Of His
Enemies.
Reviews the Actings aud DOIngs o
Others-ExOnerates Himself From
All Blame.
Editor Register: In your issue o
the Sd instant an editorial headed
"The Second Primary" after discuss
ing fully the charges preferred against
me by my enemies, you eNonerate mt
from all, but give particular promi
neuce to the Dispensary muddle, IL
which MiXson, Hubbell and others are
involved, and clear me of that, bu
you wind up by stating that ! have
been "hurt very much by my failure
to specifically deny that he Evans
made the accusation against Illlmal
with which he was charged by Dun.
can" which. as [ understand, is that
had said to Nixon that he Nixon,
had received no rebates but that ne
knew that Ben. .Tillman had Ilned ms
pockets. You PROFOUND to me this
Question did you or did you not
Governor Evans, say to +. M. MiXson
at any time that Tillman had accepted
for his own use rebates On Whlskey
purchased for the Dispensary, or words
to that effect?n BY answering this
question you can place yourself upon
a higher plane than you now occupy"
l have received today letters from
some of my personal friends Inform
ing me that my enemies were making
capital out of my failure to deny this
charge.
In the first place, it is surprise to
me that any person should believe that
I could have been guilty of such an
utterance, when it is remembe that
[ canvassed the State with Senator
Tillman two years ago and defended
him from such attacks made by Butler
and others.
WHY GOVERNOR EVANS DID NOT No
TICE DUNCAN.
NV reason for not noticing Duncan
was that received the following let
ter from Senator Tillman Y
Trenton, S. c., July 20, 1896.
Hou. John Gary Evans.
Dear Governor: Much to my surprise and
disgust John Duncan came here yesterday
evening and bored me nearly TO death. !
gave him cold com fort and scant courtesy. y
Now l think you have the fight won,
and you need only act with common pru-
.L~.. 1ffn naf hn
stop noticing or aluding 10 Duncan In any
way or anything he says or does. Ignore him
utterly. Ignore his charges and insinuations;
don't allude 10 him or Earle by name. We
are all well and send you greetings ana gooo
wishes. Yours truly,
Besides this, I was requested espe-
cially bv such friends in Barnwell a.
Senator Mayfield, Col. Robt. Aldrich
and Solicitor Bellinger not to notice
Duncan in the slightest manner, and
they congratulated me upon the fact
when I left the stand. Not friend in
the State had suggested to me that my
course did not meet with public ap-
proval until after the first primary.
GOVERNOR EVANS DID NOT SAY THAT
TILLMAN ACCEPTED REBATES.
I now deny emphatically that any
such remark was made. The only
foundation upon which to construct
such fabrication is the following in
cident After MXson was elected
Commissioner I took him into my pri-
vate chamber and locked the door as l
desired to thoroughly impress upon
him the Importance of his position and
to outline to him my policy for con-
ducting this branch of the govern
ment. 1 stated to him that desired
him to cease purchasing whiskey from
the Mill Creek Distilling Company for
the reason that General Butler had
gone the State charging that Governor
Tillman had received rebates from this
company and The State and other
Anti papers had commented upon the
fact of his land purchases and every
other private and public act until his
enemies believed it. That they had
also charged that was indebted to
Tillman for my election and he knew
the close rela ions existing between us
and desire to show that we were en-
tirely independent of this company.
Nixon replied to ME that he thought l
was correct.
MIXoN'S SONS ACCEPTED PRESENTS.
Shortly after this it was reported to
me that whiskey house had made
Mixson a present of desk and that
his two sons were accepting presents
from whiskey drummers in the shape
of diamond pins, gold headed canes,
etc. / sent tor MiXson again and
warned him of the danger and impress
ed upon him the Importance of keep
ing aloof from such influences and
also keeping his boys from temptation.
told him that the Dispensary law
would be killed if a scandal was ever
connected with its management. |
sent for Secretary Tompkins, who was
MiXson's intimate friend, and whom l
knew could influence him, and asked
him to warn him also, and he replied
that he would. Shortly afterwards
Mr.. Scruggs, the bookkeeper, reported
to me that from letters he had receiv-
ed and opened in Mixson's absence in
the course of business and other sus-
picious circumstances he was satisfied
that MiXson was dealing with certain
whlskey houses exclusively and was
obtaining rebates in consideration
therefor.
I replied to him that he was State
officer as we'll as MiXson and TOmp-
kins, and that if he saw anything 60
ing wrong that it was his duty to in
form me and to secure the evidence to
convict them. Mr.. Scruggs reported
to me that he was satisfied he could Sc.
cure the evidence to convict these men
if would allow him to leave the State
| replied to him that he could 90
whenever and wherever he pleased on