The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-05-26
nL LLMAN TO ELLERBE.
Ihe Senator Makes Public
That Famous Letter
SOME RED-RoT READING.
fSnecial TO The Register.

ator Tillman, VIII passed through
this place to-day, gave out the follow
ING statement to the press
Governor Ellerbe having declined
Is give my letter to the press as |
requested, / waited to hear from him
before g17ing il out It was written
very hnrriedly, ani some things in It
seemed to him TO be reflection on
his ADMINISTRATION. and he also object
sed 10 my structures onsome men and
things as coming through hsm tor
fear they would be considered as re-
3ceiving his endorsement As | ln-
tedded no reflection on the Governor,
and had no purpose of striking
:others over his shoulder" | have
modified the language which he con
.sidered tc reflect on him and give
The letter to the public in the form OF
S statement. only addressed it to
him, ii the FIRST place, because. beng
Governor, he-alone could order an IN
svestigation II is substantially as
first written, except that / have
changed my comments on the Agrl-
cultural Hall matfeE some, since read
ing the opinion of Justice Harlan,
aud left ont one or two sentences
which might be considered as max
ing boastfM comparisons
The Dispensary scandais and the re
cent discussion in regard TO
s,he Agricultural Hall case have
excited 4 deep feeling Ct
concern il the minds Of the, peo-
pIe 81 the State, ard have given my
enemies q good excuse TO engage
anew ID the pleasant pastime OF abns
ing and slandering me 10 conl,ectlon
with both commend heartily the
aovesnor's action in pressing the re-
cent investigation and join IN the
sentiment Let no guilty man es-
cape. z have no desire, nor DO I
believe has the Governor. to make
scspegoats of anyone, but il there
are are any big FISH in the net, let them
not break through and punish only
the little ones
There has been more or less loose
ness IN vogue in regard to samples
from the very stars. and il is probable
that couaraband liquors and samples
became mixed in the minds Of men
connected with the DispeDsary, SO
That due regard TO law has not been
had IN the disposal of contraband
seizures.
But if' there areno grayer crimes
"a connection with the management
than these with which they have thus
far been charged, do not see that
much good viii come, even if Scruggs
ana CASTOR are punished to the full
est extent oe the law In this cor
nectiop, would suggest that too
much stress seems to be given
10 the having of a "ho-
cue pocus" key Scrnggs was
the trusted agent of the Board
of Control. so much SO that they
refused or fsiled 70 elect Commis-
sioner, and cannot see what need
he had for a key. Shipments must
have beer received constantly, and
u do not know how they could have
been placed in the contraband room
unless there was key always in his
possession to open it with. It is
possible, at this distance. however,
and for the lack of familiarity with
the present workings Of the Dispen
sary. that my criticisms along this
line are worthless Samples were
scot in great quantities when was
connected with the Dispensary. and
NOT knowing what else to do with
them, they were freely distributed
among the visitors to the institution,
az one means of determining the
qualities Of the liquors, and also as
courtesies. / carried some TO my
honse and used them, as did Gov
ernor Evans, and also, presume. the
present State Board OF Control have
done likewis< aud have no apology
TO make le 1t During my term
there wei very few other articles
than liquor seized, through recall
the fact that kegs aud small barrels
Of liquor were fouDa packed in rice
barrels aud also in casks of bans /
Instructed Mr. Traxier to take ac-
connt of all contraband articles and
dispose of them according to law
While there is q great howl raised
in regard to the Dispensary by the
old barroom advocates, it is done with
the view ofundermining and destroy
ing 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 exposure
have afforded them for revanping the
old ISLANDERS about rebates /"