The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-05-13
tsIoT Down Tricks"

MI. L. j. Williams, Of tho State board
ofcontrol, was yesterday asked by q rep
resentative Of the State about the seiz1re
of his beer at Edgefield last week. In re-
ply he made the following statement:
If was at Edgefeld on last Monday,
and, much to my surprise, [ learned that
q barrel of beer, shipped to me as q mem
Der or the State board %ofcontrol, had been
seized BY the copstables. 1t bad been
shipped without my knowledge, i sup.
pose az samples, since ! am charged
with buying beer for the State dispen-
sary. It had been at Edgeheld for TWO
weeks.
"Governor Evans went over to Edge
field, and learning that the beer was
there, ordered the constables to seize 1t.
All this happened without my knowledge.
At the same time the beer was at Edge
field a keg of c%ontraband liquor was
shipped there to another party and seized
by the constsbles, which was released.
Why this different treatment? ] am
charged with purchasing beer to supply
the people and should of course know
what I am doing, and assert that 1t Is
proper and legitimate for me- to receive
samples. Even If it is improper, I am
not responsible for shipments made to me
without my knowledge.
snow the governor has frequently or
dered seized liquors released (some OF 1t
consigned to his relatives), which was
shipped contrary to law and clearly con-
traband and forfeited to the State. He
has frequently petitioned the board OF
control 10 release seized liquor, and all
these releases deprive the State of valua.
Bile property; besides it Is nearly always
consigned TO enemies Of the ~dispensary
law.
"He has made an arrangement now
whereby be can nullify Sections rs and 81
ofthe dispensary law and retain tn himself
the right to keep contraband liquor cut of
the hands of the board OF control so that he
can release it for no other purpose, in my
opinion, than to make votes FOR himself
for the United States Senate. l have q case
in point where no has tanned some Of his
bitterest enemies.
~ understand the governor is the fire.
quent recipient ofgratuito1s liquors him
self. Now isn't it obvious with q view
to all these facts) that he Is prompted by
other reasons than q desire to strictly On.
force the Law? Now what are those rea-
sons2 Evidently to vent his spleen on ne
and to punish me, if possible, for no other
reason than that / have refused to sur
render my convictions and manhood and
tosdy to him. 7 shall always refuse to 60
to q man or set of men for orders, but
shall always exercise my best Judgment
and prefer to be honest in politics and re-
fuse to periure myself according to my
construction ofthe law to get any man out
of a hole, even though he be governor OF
the State.
ESPECIALLY did I refuse to do this, as q
part Of those unlawfully appropriated
funds for a State exhibit at Atlanta were
used to have q stenographio report made
Of his speech as an advertisement Of him
self.
"While I regret the necessity for these
statements, I shall always be founGl de-
Tending myself. I desire to say that I
shall resort to no such low down tricks to
punish the governor, but will be found
holding up his hands and assisting him
80 far as it lies in my power in the en-
forcement Of all the laws. With these
statements I wash my hands of the whole
matter" Columbia State, Mayo.