The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-10-14

that is even slightly dishonest or talnt,
ed with corruption hos been indulged
in by any connivance of any employee
and any official of the State OF South
Carolina, we only wish to know who
it is, as we cannot tolerate any such
conduct on the part of any one con-
nected with our business, whether IN
your State or any other Stale.
We are aware of the fact that the
Southern States have been industri
ously drummed by line OF CONNER
cial travellers, some of whom are ire.
sponsible. We are fully convinced OF
this fact; that no responsible estab
lishment can do a large business
through travelling salesmen without
having imitators, and without having
their reputation assailed at some Time
or other.
The undersigned two companies
have both been successful ana nave
sold TO the State of South carolina
large quantities Of high grade goods;
uniformly at the lowest prices consist
ent vith quality. We claim, without
exception, that we have sold the State
of South Carolina at the very lowest
margin at which we could afford to
sell. IF, in connection with this busi-
ness and the desire to retain it, any
one of the salesmeh or employees or
commission agents or brokers Of the
undersigned companies have made
any mistakes We wish you gentlemen
to consider that we have to be little
charitable with our employees. and that
we do not charge our employees who are
pushing the sale of our goods, with as
higha degree of responsibility, provided
they act honorably in all their deal.
ings with our customers, and do not
misrepresent the quality OF our goods.
A committee of our board has now
advised that one of the members OF
the company, who is also lawyer,
give a thorough investigation to a
great many of the matters we have
from time to time learned from the
South Carolina newspapers.
We have ascertained the fact that
Mr.. Yost, who is one of the southern
managers of the Live Oak Distlilery
company, did have personal inter
views on one or two occasions with
James w. Mixson, at Cincinnati,
OHIO. You have asked us personally
to procure any letters Mr.. Yost is able
to furnish. We now furnish, attached
hereto, the two letters that Mr.. Yost
has been able to ind, one dated April
goth, 1895, from James w. Mixson to
our Mr.. Yost, and the other dated
May 10th, 1896, to Mr.. Yost and signed
by J. w. Mixson. Mr.. Yost has also
furnished us letter from w. Z. Mix
son, dated Dec. 10th, 1895. Both of
our two companies wish to have it dis
tinctly understood that these letters
were not known of by the. Ather agents
of the business, and that Mr.. Yost dis.
tinctly states that it never occurred to
him that any friendly relations that
might be established with j. w. Mix
son and w. II. Mixson might possibly
be construed unfavorably by anybody
in the State of South Carolina.
You two gentlemen, as committee,
have requested us personally to ask
Mr. Yost about any interviews he ever
had with either of the sons of +. M.
Mixson. We have the statement from
Mr.. Yost and now give it to you-that
he saw one of these gentlemen on two
or three occasions at Cincinnati, and
the other one possibly as many times
at Cincinnati, Ohio. That without
any thought as to any possible con-
struction that might be placed upon it,
and in entire innocence as to any i'm
proper suggestions he did consent to
give small brokerage commission to
said two gentlemen. That each OF
said gentlemen approached him. We
have the assurance of Mr.. Yost that
in neither of the interviews with either
of the sons of f. M. Mixson did they
promise or assure him that they would
solicit business from their father.
Mr.. Yost also states that he was led
to believe from conversations with
others whose names he cannot recall
that the business as conducted In the
State of South Carolina enabled the
different dispensers to call for the par
ticular brands of goods they wanted
or that there was demand for; that
these demands of the various county
dispensaries controlled the orders Civ
en- by the main dispensary. There
fore, as the Live Oak Distillery Co.
and the Joseph r. PEBBLES Sons Co.
had already established the scale of
prices at which they were willing to
sell the goods, and as the suggestion
made by w. T. Mixson and James w.
Mixson had nothing to do with a
change of these prices Mr.. Yost
thought that by having brokers in the
field to assist in creating demand for
the liquors or popularizing certain
brands there would be no injustice to
the State OF South Carolina, even if
said brokers were related to the COM
missioner.
Upon the above theory the under
signed company feel very well assured
that we are right in generating Mr..
Yost, one of our representatives from
any wrong intention or disposition to-
ward the State of South Carolina or
from any attempted corruption or
bribery.
We now state to you gentlemen the
fact and assure you of its accuracy
that the prices at which our goods
were sold to the State of South Caro-
lima were from to 20 per cent. less
for the same grades as sold by us to
other large buyers throughout the
United States.
Your committee has asked these
companies the questionsin categorical
form as to whether either of the under