The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-08-29
Mr.. A. c. JONES REPLIES.
In Regard To His Young's Grove
Address-Quotes Testimony Be-
U. S. Court of Claims.

tIt LultO4 ~ Liz 11Sl d!N diO
News: l lind the following editorial
in your paper OF the 22nd inst:
''When Ellerbe died and McSweeney
became governor there was reign
OF blind tigers and wholesale viola
lions Of the dispensary law said Mr..
A. C. Jones, in his speech at Young's
Grove, as reported by the Observer.
He believed there was an under
standing between the dispensary au-
thorities and the blind tigers that the
latter would not be disturbed so long
as they got their liquor from the dis
pensary. This state of affairs con-
tinued through McSweeney's second
term, and then when the people elect
ed Hayward on the understanding
that he would enforce the law; and he
believes he is trying to do his duty;
but has been told that blind tigers
are almost as open in Charleston and
Columbia as they was in McSweeney's
time The man who told Mr.. Jones
this wonderful thing was evidently
we'll informed.
'Possibly it may be that he should
have told Mr.. Jones, however, that
there are no blind tigers in Charles
ton; that there is nothing blind about
the illegal sale OF liquor there; that
it is sold openly now, as it has been
since the dispensary law was enacted,
and as-it will be so long as the public
sentiment OF Charleston upholds it.
We believe that Governor McSweeney
tried to do his duty, and we believe
that Governor Hayward is trying to
do his duty. Why this effort at this
time, three years after Governor Nc
Sweeney has voluntarily retired from
the highest office within the gift of
the people OF South Carolina, to cast
reflection upon his administration.
And where is the proof? Let's be
specific, rather than general, in our
charges
That your readers may understand
what I said in connection with that
portion OF my speech you find fault
with, l would say that I was giving
a review Of the history of the dispen-
sary law from the time it was passed
through the different administrations,
up to date, and I had said in beginning
my talk that l did not mean to be
personal in the remarks I would make
but would endeavor to give fair
statement of the law and the manner
it had been enforced and let the peo-
pie decide for themselves whether it
should continue or not, and when |
reached Governor Ellerbe's term l
told them that he seemed TO be anx-
ious to be reelected, and was trying to
please the people; that he used to
great advantage the organization of
the military for the Spanish war for
this purpose; that when he issued the
call for troops it was responded to
promptly, without regard to the fac
tional differences existing at the time
and met to considerable extent in
the same spirit by Governor Ellerbe,
and had Governor Ellerbe lived l
believed the condition OF affairs would
have been better, but his failure to
carry out his promise to The State
newspaper, to recommend high IL
cense to the general assembly and the
criticisms by the press OF the State
OF ali parties connected with the deal
is said to have hastened his death.
Then followed that portion Of my re-
marks, the substance OF which you
quote above, and after commenting
upon them then you call upon me to
specify. In doing so l will use the
sworn testimony given by Mr.. W. E.
Johnson before the United States
court of claims in the case OF South
Carolina VS.. the United States, as
follows:
I. Question. State your name,
age, residence and occupation.
Answer. My name is w. E. John
son; my age is 40 years; l live at
Laurel, Md; my occupation is that