The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1899-10-25

Oh attempting to cover up and TO cur
3 the defects laid bare therein within
r secret board meeting. Whether tn
d facts developed warranted the suspen
= sion OF Mr.. Douthlt, the public can de
termine. | believe that the affidavit
y published are q sufficient reply to an,
. suggestion that tho removal OF tn,
commissioner was due to any factiona
feeling In the board. Until these affi
davits brought to light condition o
affairs which surprised US, Mr.. Dou
thit was In hearty accord and had the
unreserved support Of u majority O.
the board OF CONTROL and would have
1t today but for these facts. | believe
: that he has been given cons liberation
thst he does not deserve, in view o
them, and | am astounded that two oi
my colleagues on the board OF control
can strive to keep him In the position
, OF commissioner.
Shipping Clerk Black, in calling
some OF the facts elected to our atten.
tion (specific instances OF mismanage-
ment affecting the efficient discharge
OF the position he held) was protected
by the board In thIs courageously
doing his duty, and would have been
protected, 1t matters not upon whom
his charges reflected.
But, unlike Black, 80 long as Outzs
held his job, he had nothing to report
to the board, although he knew that
three out OF the five had recently
voted to retain him in his place, while
the other two acquiesced because it
couldn't be helped, and hence would
protect him although, like Josephus
Woodruff, he kept his little note book,
eavesdropping the conversation and
taking notes OF the supposed errors
and supposed dishonesty of Commits
sioner Vance, to whop, he held the po-
sition OF confidential clerk. The facil-
itr with which dates and incidents are
quoted is astonishing, and the fact that
| they were taken at all at q time when
commissioner Vance was befriending
him daily, and on two occasions saved
him from dismissal, is equally aeton-
ishlng to any fairly honest man. But
the contemplate Ramsey Sniflss, who
was beguiling himself into MIR. Vance's
confidence, knew, or thought he knew,
now to play his game. He judged
other men like unto himself, and
doubtless fondly cherished his little
nots book, which was to serve him in
such good stead, to blackmsil his posi-
tion back again, whenever he should
be ousted for either Of his failings, in.
competency or dishonesty. or these
failings, the former OF course had long
oeen known to US, and the latter we
mad good reason to suspect, but un-
fortunately gave him the benefit OF the
doubt and retained him as courtesy
to member of the board OF control
who lived In the county from which he
came, and to preserve II we could har.
mony In the board, as we knew his dis.
mlssal would enrage two members of
the board who were tied to him by
some bonds we were unable to COM
prehend.
That blackmail was contemplated by
him and relied on, Is plainly shown by
the threat, which he even went go lar
as to give to the newspapers, that he
would lay bare certain inside history
II his suspension were maze permanent.
1t will be noted by the public that he
did not "blow off his mouth" is his
own classic language, until the board
OF control had invited him to it by
making his suspension permanent-a
very good evidence that the authorities
there did not fear its production.
That they, or any Of the gentlemen
whom he has so maliciously maligned
and slandered had no cause to fear his
revelations will be indisputably shown
worst that he knows has not yet been
told by him, as he says, 1t is easy to be-
lleve, from our knowledge CT him, and
OF the opportunities for stealage which
he has enjoy ed during the six years he
has been connected with the dispensary,
but we are equally certain that 1T will
not be given to the public-at least by
QUITS. The public Is not asked to take
our word even for the statement that
from Investigations which have been
made OF the so-called charges of this
man, are not only absolutely groundless
but are outrageous lies, with a thin
In mi
lars only suffic ent to give them pla ISL
billty. large majority OF these as.
sertions must have been known to
QUITS to have been false when he pen
ned them, as the public must conclude
when the facts are given them. The
other statements are but twistings of
transactions gathered by this sneak
from the desks of his fellow clerks
while their backs were turned and in
formation sifted through keyhole in
which innocent pastime this sanity
ex-clerk has occasionally been found
engaged.
II the members of the board of con-
troll have really treated this man with
less consideration thanahe deserved In
his dismissal, as he claims, and have at
times been less harsh with the short
comings Of other clerks whom we be-
lieve to be conscientious and honest
men-and these shortcomings we are
glad to say are not greater than Ia
found among the employees of any
mercantile house doing az equal husi-
ness-as QUITS claims that we have
done, to this estimate OF his character
land to this sbortlve attempted black
mail, for we all have names of which
we are Jealous, and there are some
| men In the State who are only too
ready to believe any assertion del oga-
tory to an officer OF the dispensary)
and to this alone must he attribute the
| fact.
That many Of the daily papers Of the
| State have digniied his abusive and
outrageous attack upon the character
| OF number OF gentlemen with admis-
| sion to their columns, makes this plain
statement to the public necessary. Were
the people of the State all acquainted
personally with the men whom he has
mallgned, and with Ouzts, no reply
would be made, and we desire this fact
understood. In due time evidence
showing the details OF all transactions
that have been questioned that merit
q reply, will be give nto the public.
| j. DUDLEY HASELDEN.
BLACK IS ON THU WAR PATH