The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-07-01

virtue Of authority conferred upon
them as follows Section Is, Act 1892
THAT the Governor and State Treas
urer are hereby authorized, in their
discretion, to perform all and singu-
lar every act necessary to carry out
the provisions of the Act not herein
specially given, and which are not in
CONSISTENT with the provisions hereof,
and in order to have the said bonds
and stocks promptly placed the Gov
ernor and the State Treasurer are
hereby authorized to offer and pay a
commissioo to parties placing said
bonds and stocks and the funds belong,
ing to the sinking fund are hereby, ap.
propriated to pay such commission, II
so much be necessary: Provided, how
ever, that they shall have said bonds
and stocks placed without paying a
commission if practicable" 1t was
agreed that the inter- st should com
mence to run from the 1st ofJanuary,
1898. The reason for this is set forth
| in the message from Governor III
man to the General Assembly. Mr.;
Rhind had a contract with the bono
SYNDICATE whereby he was to be paid
one and one-half per cent as commlS
sion for his labors. After the bondS
had been paid for and Mr. Rhind's com
mission was due some members OF the
syndicate though Rhind was gettlng
too much under his contract with them
and refused TO allow the commission
paid. | was employed by Mr.. Rhlnd
to proceed to Baltimore to take legal
steps to collect his commission. did
so and associated with me major IL.
M. Eenable. The case has been tried
in the lower Court and judgment
has been rendered in favor Of Mr..
Rhind. An appeal has been taken and
will not be heard for several months.
AS stated by MIR. Rhind in his testi-
mony, the amount of my fee has not
been agreed upon. When l was elect
ed Governor l retired from the man
agement of the case and turned 1t over
to Major Venable and Mr.. Baetger,
and they have examined me as wit,
ness, as we'll as Governor Tillman and
others. My testimony, as we'll as Gov,
ernor Tillman's is matter OF record
in the Court and l have the record
here for your inspection.
l have never concealed anything as
to my connection with this matter and
shall not attempt to do so. l, as Gov.
ernor of South Carolina, cannot afford
to notice every anonymous scrlbbler
in newspapers, nor every cowardiy
cur that barks at me, but rs candl-
date for the Senate, however, l deem
it Just to you as well as to myself to
give to you the facts of this matter.
The attempt has been made to create
the impression that Governor Tillman
and Treasurer Bates, who conducted
the sale of said bonds, and 1: who as
sisted them as far as | could, have
been paid a consideration by Mr..
Rhind or bv the syndicate who took
the bonds for allowing them to pay
for the bonds we were so anxious to
get rid of. This came, I am informed
from the pen of one A. B. Williams,
whose letters were published in the
New York Times, but not over his own
signature. Mr.. Williams is wellknow
TO you as the late editor of the Green
Vile News and any reference to him
is unnecessary. The substance of his
insinuations, which have been pub
lished in full in the State papers, is to
the effect that the Richmond broker
told them (the syndicate) he under,
stood, presumably from Mr.. Rhind,
that the bulk Of the sum was to be
divided among parties in South Coro-
lima, who had political influence.
The New York broker who was In
close association with Mr.. Rhind and
whose opportunities for knowledge
were best of all, replied "that they
would better not investigate that; that
it was to 20 to the people, who would
better not be known" This statement
is based substantially upon the testi-
mony of T. E. Hambleton, member
of the syndicate which purchased the
bond, and the man who is trying to
keep from paying Mr.. Rhind's com
mission.
The Richmond broker referred to is
Major John Shelton Williams. On
page 206 of his sworn testimony in
said case he says, that Golden Rhind
never informed him as to who his as
sociates were and that he could not
have informed any person as to who
they were, as he did not know him
self" The New York broker referred
to is B. A. Lancaster, tho on Page 227
of his sworn testimony referring to
MIR. Rhjnd, said substantially that
he did not know who the parties in
South Carolina were to whom MIR.
Rhind expected to make the payment;
that he had never given him the
names of either the lawyers or any
one else employed by him as to who
was 10 have the amount he was to re-
ceive."
r. G. Davidson, president of the
Trust Company, and manager OF the
syndicate, says substantially in his
testimony, Page 259: 'At one of the
meetings, cannot remember the date,
T. E. Hambleton asked Mr.. Lancaster
in my presence for information as to
whom the II per cent commission was
to be paid, and whether any Of the
money was for political purposes or
influence. Mr.. Lancaster's reply was
that the whole II per cent commission
was to be paid to Mr.. Rhind and that
if any portion of if did not 60 to him,
Mr.. Rhind, he did not know where it
went"
Mr.. Hambleton evidently knew
Governor Tillman and believed that it
would not be safe for him to intimate
that any one could influence him or
that he could be bought, Here is what
he swears:
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