The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-01-18

tlemptiOn of his pledge. This realiZa-
ti0n angrrtd me so much that could
hardly trust myself to speak. paced
fuming up and down the Executive
chamber, and finally told him that
was in no mood to be ,lallietl with in
that fashion. that il he intended to
buncO me, as several newspapers had
predicted he would do he might rest
assured that would publish the pledge
and show up the whole affair. Then
started our, but as | had my hand on
the door knob he called me back and
offered to leave the Interpretation of
the clause to any lawyer would select.
proposed Chief Justice Mclver, but
he objected then suggested MIR. r.
w. Shand and Gen. Leroy +. YOU
mans. and he chose MIR. Shand and said
he would submit the question to him.
(Wceks aftcrward questioned MIR.
Shant, and h- tnll me that the Gov
ernor had not said IL word to him about
it,
The main issue then came up, after
some talk. and Governor Ellcrb. bare
facedly denied that he had made amy
agreement whatever. (I had his letter
i'm my pocket at the tine.) He at
tempted t, unload the whole response
bility on Weston and Neal. saying he
! had fold them when he wrote the letter
that he had not changed his views, was
| still for the liSlmllsury. and would
! make no agreement. Assuming an air
/ of virtu0us Indignation he said he
would send for them AMI make them
set him tight. He never tlid.) was
so tlisgusrrd that | again started to
| leave, saying would tXln,se the whole
| affair and let him settle it with Neal
and Weston as he could; but again he
begged me to come back, and then,
leaving his seat and coming to my
si.le. in front Of the west windOW at
his right hand. he said: "Don't get
mad; let's talk this thing over quietly
AMI see il we can't compromise. 1t"
And then he proposed to tl0 precisely
what he had promised and what had
expecte.l-tO urge the Legislature to
pass an Act permitting each county to
chO,se by ballot between prohibition,
high license aud the diSpellsary. 1t
was Il lightning change on his part, and
almost took my breath away.
He went on to say that it was no new
thing on his part; that he had held
those views before he had written the
letter to Weston and haul told w. ID.
Evans of them. Then he added: "But
don't zee how can put through all
Administration measure carrying out
the plan" | answered that did not
matter; that did not like this ''Ad-
ministratiOn measure" idea anyhow,
and that Thought in this case it might
do as much harm aS good. All eX-
pecreti was that he would do what he
had promised 10 do ami leave the cOll-
seq,lences with the Legislature. He
said again that he would make these
recommendations and wcnt away sat
istird.
did not see Governor Ellerbe again
until last Saturday afternoon. On Fri
day Mr. Weston informed me that the
Governor had l,.;l him that part of his
message relating to the liquor question,
and that it seemed 70 him throughout
an argument for the retention OF the
dispelis;,ry system, although it did
make IL brief and bare suggestion us to
letting the people of the counties settle
the question for themselves. He did
not like it, he said. told him that it
the message did not come up to prom
ise | would show up Ellerbe ruthlessly.
The next day, Saturday, MIR. Weston
gave me proof OF The liquor section
of the message, with All invitation from
the Governor tO call on him at the
mansion ut 5 O'Clock that afternoon.
read the proof, and WAS greatly in
cellsrd ut what found in it. My dis
: inclination to see the Governor was
strong, az was afraid | could not coll
troll my temper after this revelation Of
his duplicity; but, as did not wish to
bring Col. Neal and MIR. Weston into
the matter-as must do it exposed
Ellprbe-I finally determined to keep
the appointment.
AT u'cIUck | went to the Executive
mansion and found the Governor con-
verSing with visitor. When the latter
left told him that had read his Ii
ull0r recommendation and WAS greatly
surprised and Disappointed; that he had
not said what he had pledged himself
To say; that he had defeated his half
way endorsement ut local option ny
other recommendations of the strUng' st
character He asked ME to specify.
pointed ont this paragraph: for one:
"lt (the diSpensary) must he firmly
and permanently established or COM
pleteiy done away with" This, said,
clearly meant the establishment ut the
diSpels;lrv on its present basis or It's
elimination from the whole State-lt
waS adverse to partial elimination
under the influence. of local option.
Then showed that the context ut his
recommendation as 10 local option llm-
ited the choice to prohibition and the
dispeusary only. wholly ignoring high
license as an alternative. This, | said.
was not what he had promised me; it
adopted it would defeat the very policy
to which WAS committed and which
high license. | went on to
say that the whole deliverance was
obnoxious to his professions and pied
ges. and that | quite understood his
motive in limiting ihe choice tO pro-
hibition and the dispensary and in I'M
pOsing special and Gnrr0us burdens on
prohibition cOuntits-he sought to
force the di>prrs;lry on the people as
the only en,llirable alternative.
He had made the word OF promise to
the ear and broken it to the hope. |
said. He replied. with marvellous eff
frontery, that he had made no promises;
that Frank Weston had nOtac.e.l prop
erly in cuncraling from me what he
had said. and that he would make him
publish his letter. answered that
would do that; that proposed to show
the public that |, at least. had acted in
good faith. got up, babe him g0nd-
evening. and walked out ct his sitting
room. while he WIS saying: "YOi can
,lo aa YOU please"
So tn ais tll. end of my hope of doing
something through w. II. Ellcrbc fora
fair and democratic solution of the
lIullor question. have made my try
,uI f.,iI..L and :,ll tlc men and u1t,rrS