The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-06-01
WhiSkey Rebates
Senator IiIIman on DiSpGnSay TrOu ubIaS.
THE SUBSTANCE OF THAT FA-
NOUS LETTER.
The Senator Courts Investigation
Into His Administration of the
Dispensary and Pays His Respects
to His Enemies

Into His Administration of tn
Disp.nsary and Pays His Respecu
to His Enemies.
Tho following statement Of Senate
Tillman WAS given to the daily news
papers and appeared simultaneousl,
on Sunday morning:
Governor Ellorbe having \declinet
to give my letter To the press as | re
quested, | waited to hear from him be
fore giving 1t out. 1t was written very
hurrfedly, and some things ia L
seemed to him to be reflection on hi,
administration, and he also objected tc
my structures on some men and things
as coming through him for fear they
would be considered as receiving hit
endorsement. As | intended no re.
lection on the Governor, and had nc
purpose of striking others over his
shoulder" | have modified the Ian.
guage which he considered to retiec,
on him aud give the letter to the public
In the form of a statement. l only ad.
dressed it to him, in the first place
because, being Governor, he alone
could order an investigation. 1t Is
substantially as first written, except
that | have changed my comments on
the Agricultural Hall matter some,
since reading the opinion of Justice
Harlan, and left out one or two SEN
tences which might be considered as
making boastful comparisons.
The dispensary scandals and the re-
cent decision in regard to the Agricul.
tural Hall case have excited deep
feeling OF concern in the minds of the
people OF the State, and have given nv
enemies a good excuse to engage anew
in the pleasant pastime Of abusing aud
slandering me in connection with both.
L commend heartily the Governors
action in pressing the recent investi.
CATION and join in the sentiment Let
no guilty man escape" | have no desire,
nor do believe has the Governor, to
make scapegoats Of anyone, but If there
are any big fish in the net, let them
not break through and punish only the
little ones.
There has been more or less looseness
in vogue in regard to samples from the
very start, and it is probable that con-
traband liquors and samples became
mixed in the minds Of men connected
with the dispensary, so that due regard
to law has not been had in the disposal
of contraband seizures.
But II there are no graver crimes
In connection with the management
than these with which they have thus
far been charged, | do not see that
much good will come, even Scruggs
and CASTOR are punished to the fullest
extent Of the law. In this connection,
L would suggest that too much stress
seems to be given to the having OF q
"hocus pocus' key. Scruggs was tho
trusted agent OF the board OF control,
so much so that they refused or failed
to elect commissioner, and | cannot
see what need he had for key. Ship
mantS huyn hnHp
stantly, and | do not know how they
could have been placed in the contra
band room unless there was KEY al
ways in his possession to open it with.
1t is possible, at this disttuce, how
ever, and for the lack Of familiarity
with the present workings of the dis
pensary, that my criticisms along this
line are worthless. Samples were sent
In in great quantities when [ was con-
nected with the dispensary,. and not
knowing what else to do with them,
theJ were freely distributed among
the visitors to the institution, as one
means OF determining the qualities of
the liquors, and also as courteses.
carried some to my house and used
them, as did Governor Evans, and also,
presume, the present State board Of
control have done likewise, and have
no apology to make for it. During nv
term there were very few other arti-
cles than liquor seized. though | recall
the fact that Kegs and small barrels
OF liquors were found packed in rice
barrels and also in casks Of bans.
instructed Mr.. Traxler to take account
of ali contraband articles and dispose
of them according to law.
While there is u great howl raised in
regard to the dispensary by the old
ha r-r n1Unputaa n 10 atHifh . ho
view Of undermining and destroying
the dispensary system, and they do
not care SO much for the punish ment
OF these men as they rejoice in the
opportunity the recent exposures have
afforded them for revamping the old
ISLANDERS about rebates"
The obvious purpose OF the anti
newspapers-anti-re anti-temper-
ance and anti-decency-their obvious
purpose, | say, is to follow up the line
of fight laid down long ago; to be-
smirch the character of any and every
man connected with the dispensary,
and to magnify everything which can
be criticised in its management in
order 10 break it down in the affections
of the people and to accomplish the
restoration OF bar-rOOm5 In some form.
The system has no inherent vice
which ought to work its dissolution,
and 1t only requires to 6e conducted as
the asylum or as the tax department is
run to command the respect and sup
port OF the people. No one can claim
that this is a matter OF impossible, ,ty,
and II the system shall finally fail 1t
will be owing to the improper admin
istration OF the law.
SO much for the general subject
Now, for particulars. | have waited
to see this weeks Headlight, so as tC
have Gantt's specific charges covering
the administration of the law under
Ben Tillman and Traxler !" and, like
others, have been astoDished at the
effrontery which gives out 80 much
smoke and 80 little fire. He merely
dips his syringe into the gutter Of
filth and slime emanating for the last
three years from the News and Courier
the State, the Spartanburg Herald
and the Greenville News, with which
the people have been so disgusted
and spatters me along with other
with It's contents. He, however, wind
up with a reiteration OF the cry: "Gn
vestigate Investigate: Investigate )"
have not Stunned nor dreaded an In
vestigation, and do not shun it now
but 1 venture the prediction that M
enemies will be sorry IL one be hell
and will declare that IT 10 not honssti,
made. They do not want the time u
come when they cannot dig up tn
question OF rebates and cast insinua
ftnna aOnin NV hnnpatu Whan fh no