The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-09-16
LETTING THE LIGHT IN.
WHAT GOV. EVANS HAS TO SAY
ABOUT REBATE MATTER.

ABOUT THE REBATE MATTER.
The Governor Makes AN Emphatic Denial
Of the Charge that ne Had MalIgned
TilIman-He Gives the Public what He
Knows of the Scandal.
COLUMBIA, Sept. Gov. Evans
gave out the following sensational let
ter last night:
Editor Register: In your issue of
the 3rd instant, in an editorial headed,
The Second Primary" after discuss.
ing fully the charges preferred against
me by my enemies, you exonerate
from all, but give particular promi-
nence to the dispensary muddle, In
which Mixson, Hubbell and others
are involved, and clear me of that,
but you wind up by stating that have
been hurt very much by my failure
to specifically deny that he Evans
made the accusation against Tillman,
with which he was charged by Dun
can, which, as I understand, is that l
had said to Mixson that he (Mixson)
had received no rebates, but that he
knew that Ben Ellman had lined his
pockets" You PROFOUND to me this
question, Did you or did you not,
Governor Evans, say to +. NJ. Mixson
at any tine, that Tillman had accept
ed for his own use rebates on whiskey
purchased for the dispenssry, or words
to that effect. By answering this
question you can place yourself upon
higher plane than you now occupy"
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 sur
prise to me that any person should be-
lieve that could have been guilty of
such IN utterance when it is remem-
bered that canvassed the State with
Senator Tillman two years ago and de-
Tended him from such attacks made
by Butler and others. Ny reason for
not noticing Duncan was that | re-
ceived the following letter from Sena-
tor Tillman:
Trenton, S. c., July 2G, S9C.-(Confiden-
tial. Hon. John Gary Evans-Governor:
Much to my surprise and disgust John Dun
can came here yesterday evening and bored
me nearly to death l gave him cold COM
fort and scant courtesy. Now l think you
have the fight won, and you need only act
with common prudence and nothing can af-
feet the result. But stop alluding to Duncan
in anyway or anything he says or does. lg.
more him utterly. Ignore his charges and
| insinuations. Don't allude to him or Earle
by name. We are well and send you greet
! ings and good wishes. Yours truly, B. K.
Tillman.
Besides this I was requested. espe-
cially by such friends in Barnwell as
Senator Mayfeld, Col. Robert Aldrich
and Solicitor Bellinger, not to notice
Duncan in the slightest manner, and
they congratulated me on the fact
when I left the stand. Not friend in
the State has suggested to me that my
course did not meet with public ap-
proval until after the first primary. |
now deny emphatically any such
remark was made. The only founda
ton upon which to construct such
fabrication is the following incident:
After Mixson was elected commits
sioner I took him into my private
chamber and locked the door, as I de-.
sired to thoroughly impress upon him
the importance OF his position and to
outline to him my policy for conduct.
ing this branch Of the Government. |
stated to him that I desired him to
cease purchasing whiskey from the
Mill Creek Distilliug Company, for
the reason that Gen. Butler had gone
over the State charging that Governor
Tillman received rebates from this
com pany, 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 I was indebted to
Tillman for my election, and knew
the close relations existing between
US, and I desired to show that we were
entirely independent of this company.
Mixson replied to me that whiskey
house had made Mixson present of
desk and that his two sons were accept
ing presents from whiskey drummers
in the shape of diamond pins, gold
headed canes, etc.
sent for Mixson and again warned
him OF the danger, and impressed
upon him the importance of keeping
aloof from such influences, and also
keeping his boys from temptation. l
told him the dispensary law would be
killed if a scandal was ever connected
with its management. sent for Sec
retary Tompkins, who was Mixson's
intimate friend, and whom l knew
could influence him, and asked him
to warn him also, and ne replied he
would. Shortly afterwards Mr..
Scruggs, the bookkeeper, reported to
to me that from letters ne had received
and opened in Mixson's absence in the
course of business and other suspicious
circumstances he was satisfied Mixson
was dealing with certain whiskey
houses exclusively and was obtaining
rebates in consideration therefor. |
replied to him that he was State GILL.
Ger as well as Mixson and Tompkins,
and that if he saw. anything going
wrong it was his duty to inform me,
and to secure the evidence to convict
them. Mr. Scruggs reported to me
that he was satisfied that he could Sc
cure the evidence to convict these men
if | would allow him to leave the State.
replied to him that he could go
whenever and wherever he pleased on
such mission, In the meantime Mr..
HubbeIl, OF the Mill Greek Distilling
Company, called upon me to know
the reason why he could not do busl.
ness with the dispensary; that he had
been informed that the trouble was
with the State board of control. |
stated to him my reasons, and he ex-
pressed regret that he should be made
10 suffer on account Of lies told upon
Tillman. He stated to me that the