The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-05-12

Mr.. Wood will give you the full story Of
that matter.
Truly, your friend,
P.S.-Why have you cut me of from
your exchange list? have not seen copy
of The Constitution since Christmas. Also
send me sample copy Of your evening
daily. Of course this letter is strictly conf
Dental. --.
The Register says this letter has
been known to be in existence for
over month, but its publication was
delayed until some other things should
transpire, but as ii has teen published
other letters on the same subject has
been given the public The "Dear
Clark" letter was written by Col T
Larry CAN'T, editor of the Piedmont
Headlight. The rumors referred to
in that letter are the SUBJECT of com
caunicaiion from him to Mr.. Scrugss
last February. Following is s copy
of that letter:
SPAETANBLEG, S. c., Feb. 10 1897.
Dear Scruggs: hear that an Atlanta
LIQUOR man mas offered bribe to certain
Dispensary official, and to pay him % cents
on each box of this mans liquor that said
official shipped out. But afterwards the
LIQUOR man stated that he had made mis-
take and could only give 10 cents, and be-
cause he fell in his price this official then
stated that the firm had tried to bribe him.
1t has, also come 10 my ears that certain
LIQUOR man had member Of the board as his
guest at the hotel that they slept together in
the same room, and that this liquor man al
ways got the best Of the orders from the
board. There are other rumors Of serious
nature. l tell you, Scruggs, as your true
friend, that this condition Of affairs will dis
rup, the Reform movement. The people are
already restless and suspicious, and, grcan-
ing as they are, under increased taxation,
they are prepared to believe any scandal
they may hear.
am making further investigations into
these rumors and shall expose the whole
matter. Truly, your friend,
T. L, CAN'T.
Mr.: Scrugss heard Of this letter,
snd, believing that his name was con-
nected with the alleged crcokedEess,
ne wrote and asked Mr.. Can't about
it, receiving the following reply:
SPARTANBURG, S. c., April 9, 1897.
Dear Scruggs; Your letter Of the 7th, in
which you state that you hear that there is
letter il circulation in Columbia, purport-
ing to have been written by myself, and in
which your name is connected, &C., has
been received You ask me TO letyou know
the substance of this letter. You remember
that some time in February wrote you that
/ had heard report in circulation that
certain Official in the State Dispensary had
been offered bribe OF 25 cents oox for
every box of q certain brand OF whiskey he
shipped out; that this bribe had been offered
by an Atlantis firm, but afterwards that the
firm stated to said official that they could
only pay 10 cents box, and after ne fell in
his price then the official reported the rep
resentative Of this firm as trying to bribe
him.
also stated in said letter other reports
connected with the Dispensary management
and the purchase of liquors that Smacked
strongly of corruption. l stated to you that
intended to publish these reports, that the
people might know them and demand an
investigation Of the whole business. a Few
days after the receipt Of this letter you came
to Spartanburg and asked me 10 suppress
the publication. You know al the time that
l warned you against the suppression Of
anything crooked in the Dispensary that
came to your knowledge, and told you that
you could not help to cover up the rotten
ness of anyone connected with the Dispen-
sary because of your friendship for him.
You replied that you did not wish to hide
any corruption. and the Official IN question
you believed 10 be your enemy and was
working in conjunction with others to secure
your defeat. l stated TO you that l heard
the representative Of this firm would tell
much more, but that he was coerced or bull
dozed, and was not afraid of publicity, fear
ing that 1t might destroy his chances for tu-
ture business with the dispensary. told
you further that l was not satisfied, and
that believed if they were assured that By
telling the truth and all they knew would
not injure their prospects for business. that
they would make a fun statement Of all the
facts.
With this view l wrote a private letter to
my friend, Hon. Clark Howell, editor OF the
Atlanta Constitution (not the liquor firm, an
assuring letter, which was personal and pri-
vate, and sealed up. This letter was written
10 MIR. Howell, who was a friend to said firm,
with the hope of stifening the backbone of
this LIQUOR man, and thereby securing all
the facts. don't remember what l did
write. but can tell you that am q free and
independent American citizen, and can
stand by anything that do or say. l wear
no man S collar and my hands are not soiled
with any corruption, and what l wrote was
with view TO discovering corruption that
might expose it through the Headlight, and
not TO wink at rascality. The mistake l