The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-06-15
TOOK PAY TWICE.
That Is What the Investigating
Committee Is
SAID TO HAVE DONE
During the L. glsIatlve Session. Took Sal.
ary as legislators and Paid Them.
selves as Memb ers Of the layes.
tlgatlrg Committee. Oae
Member Refused II.
Member Refused II.

tlgatlrg Committee. One
Member Refused II.
1t having come to the cars Of the
Columbia RECORD that all the mem.
bers Of the dispensary Investigating
committee except ono had drawn dou.
bio per diem during the session of the
general assembly the first part of this
year, and not believing it possible
that members OF committee investi.
eating graft would do any thing of that
SORT about the propriety, at least, of
which there could os so much ques
tion, the Record man addressed the
following letter to Hon. j. II. Hay,
chairman OF the committee:
II have been informed that your
committee, all Of whose members are
also members Of the general assembly
OF this state held several meetings
during the recent session of the gen
sral assembly and that, with one ex
ception, the members Of your commit
tee dre8 per diem pay for the same
days both as members or tho general
assembly and the Investigating com
mittee. 1t was not stated whether
they also drew double mileage. ask
cd the comptroller general If these
things were 30 and he replied that he
was not the disbursing III ;er for the
payment of members OF your commit.
tee, but that IL he were he would not
give double pay fol the same day. Il
| 6nuira ff, L.,
Justice. | believe that the gentleman
who gave me the information knew
what he was talking about, but do
not care to giva publicity to the state
mont until asked you as chairman
Of the committee If the charge b
true. Ii 1t be true, am also willing
to give publicity In The Record to
your explanation. Did any of the
members OF your committee draw per
diem or mileage for meetings held dur
ing the session Of the Legislature, Did
they also draw per diem aud mileage
from the legislature for the same DAYS?
A prompt ansWer will be appreciated,
for, II this charge be true, think the
people OF the state ought to be put in
1 poEs ssssion or tne faob. aa7 z W. a. .SSSn
to the member of your M nittee who
Is said not to have taken double pay a
request for statement on this sub
J .c6. 1 would like to have your an
sWer In time to publish with his state
ment.
The gentleman who gave The Rec
ord its first information OF this matter
had stated that Mr.. Cole L B!ease, a
member of the com mittee, had refus
ed to take double per diem OIL the
ground that he was not entitled to It,.
So the following letter was addressed
TO Mr.. Bleast:
was informed that the dispsn-
sary invest gazing committee held
several meetings during the recent
session of the general assembly, Of
which It's members are also Nom berS,
and that, with the exception Of your
SELF the members OF the committee
drew per dien pay both as members
OF the general assembly and as mem
osrs OF the committee for the same
days. l am not informed as to wheth-
or they also drew u de mileage Can
ibis b, true? If SO, l think the pao-
ple of the state ought TO know It,, You
Will oblige mo by q prompt answer"
Mr.. BleaSe got his letter too late to
reply by mail, but q Record reporter
saw him upon his arrival in the city
and he said that he was Informed and
believed that the report was true. The
committee had discussed their right
to double per diem and despite his
protest, had expressed the opinion
that they could draw pay for the same
days both as members OF the legisla
ture and az men bars OF the commit.
tee. Chairman Hay had of ,red him q
Che ok for per diem for meetings hello
during the session OF the legislature
and he had dc clined to take It,
, The cord man met Chairman Hay
this morning. and asked the chairman
II he had received the letter publish
cd above.
| Chairman Hay replied that he had
t but that he had been too busy to an
3 swer IT. besides he did not know tina.
, ne would answer 1t; that the commit
/ tee was not on trial, at least he ha(
! not heard that it was.
The Record man replied that the
, committee was on trial at the grea
! bar of public opinion and that til,
pubic. which paid the committee, hat
s a rigat to know how It's money was
q spent
Chairman Hay replied that it wa
true that the public paid the commit
tee, but paid 1t very little.
Yes" replied the reporter, "bu
+, the members OF the committee knew
q how little the pay would be In ad
e vance of accepting service on IT,
Ihe reporter then asked Chairman
! Hay did he decline to answer Whethe
;. or not he or other members OF tn
i committee had drawn double pay.
3 Chairman Hay replied that he woul
l. require time to decide whether or no
G g would answer and also to look u
. che records to see what was the trut
l. about the matter.
l. The Record says "the reporter di
y not say that as Chairman Hay wa
n paymaster OF the committee and Dire,
e the checks he ought to know off
: whether he paid members per dier
rs members OF the invss tigating o)m
mittee for the same days on whic
:, they had drawn per diem as member
~ Of the legislature; and that 1t ough
~ especially to be too fresh In his ow
70 mind to need any reference to the re,
= Urds W know whether he h!csse!f he
10 accepted such double pay.
~ Tie reporter was not at all unpr,
40 pared for O. failure to elicit Inform;