The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-04-13
LYON IN REPLY
Says That Tillman is Trying to
BeIittle Committee. Will
INVESTIGATE HIM.
Tie Dlspensary Is So Corrupt That
Even the Invt stlgailng Committee
Are Suspe cted, Says Mr.. Lyen,
Who Pltes Some Yers Hot
Shot at the Senator.
INVESTIGATE HIM.
Shot at the Senator.

Shot at the Senator.
Senator Tillman in manifesto
which he gave to the public recently
attacked o great many people and
tffiolals, not even spartng the nom
bers of the committee appointed to
Investigate the fairs of the State dis
pensary. That reference has been
taken Ey Mr.. J. Fraser Lyon es an
effort to diacredit tho investigating
committee and In q letter to the at
torney for o liquor house Mr.. l., OF
has expressed himself rather foIcibl!
In regard to Senator Tillmsns state
ment.
The letter of Mr. Lyon has been Sc.
cured for publica ion afher some ef-
fort on the part TT rhe S ate, but the
attorney to wh, n. 1t is adore ssed asks
that his name b. kept out Of it. Fol.
lowing is the communication:
Abbeville, S. O., April 3, 1909.
My Dear Sir: Your TWO letters of
recent da,e were received by ma upon
my return home yesterday after an
absence Of about two weeks. You
will, therefore, LnGentapd Why you
have not had an earlier l'p'y. While
1t Ia true that l do not it.. k there is
any good reason for wlthlC org paw
mont Of the claim Of the @, ok s.
Bernheimer company Of New York
still, as l have said heretofore, will
not give my consent to the payment
Of this or any other dispensary claim
now held up until the matter of such
payment Is discussed at public ses
sion Of our committed
feel sure that you will appreciate
my position in this matter, especially
since the III )lication of Senator Till
mana Address to the People OF
South Carolina" in which he says:
"Is there not pie MY OF opportunity
for more graft and secret transactions
~ In regard to bhe settlement Of thesg
accounts? VIII not the Legislative
committee be suspected Of corruptiOE
II 1T docs not get In the middle Of the
road and stay ther&-that Is, stand by
the law, obey 1t itself aud require
others to do sc? Why so much de
lay?"
You see this additional reason for
my position. IL Is unfortunate foJ
your clients to have had dealings with
an institution which nu one san ever
investigate without having 1t suggrs
ted or insinuatcd that he may be s.
CRATER, or at least has god oppor.
tunity TO steal. While l regard this
reference to our &C mmittee 3s only o
shrewd attempt tC shake public conf
dence in us and intend to ObStruct ano
interfere with cur work, which IL tvI-
IDENTIFY becoming distasteful TO many
OF those who are ire 'ocably weddod
TO the dispensary, still wneI. / 5ue tb,
prOneneBS to criticis3 us L wish to bc
especially careful rot 10 put myself l..
D position that could, with even 8 col.
OF Justice be critici cd.
In your letter OF Malct. &c ou prac-
GlcallY asked the quasGio,., end sib
cerely. why so nlu5a dela, p know
no fact that1 have learned IN the dis.
pensary investigation that / shall In
tentlonal withhold from the public
Sometimes do not think 1T best for
the 81 ccess Of the investigation to re
veal facts and suspicious as soon as
they come to me or to disclose our
plans for the future, SO In this case
l Will answer your question only 80
FAR as think the pleSent status so
the investigation justities.
We are trying to get tho fac 8 in re
gard to several suspicious matte rs
which we think should he invsstigat.
ed. Among them Is the statement as
recall 1t, Of Senator Tillman that he
returned certain rebates TO g. dissi)i
cry. We wish to find Tie credits on
the books Of the distillery showing
the amount OF rebates which Senator
Tillman said he returned as 3 g fl for
the gratitude he felt to the lquM
concerned crediting the State Of South
Carolina. Besides This there haa como
to my ears o rumor-the source Of
which | do not w recall, but ru-
NOR which l think should be looked
into-that Senator Tlllman when gov
ern)r was presented With piauO by o.
liquor concern. IT may be- that re
ce,pts may be shown for the rebates
which may have been returned and
also for payment Of thi8 piano which
may have been received a8 was ru.
mored to be the satisfactory explana
tiOn In the case Of the ToWill horse
matter.
Still we do not know the facts In
regard to these things and think
the legislature intended for us to In,
vesttgate such transactions as these
as well as other vLgue and uncertain
matters to which common rumOr
gives currency. We must do our
duty in looking into these things and
you may judge by the above samples
that we must have much timo IN dO
Ing 1t. Furthermore, 1t is noU ex
pedient and | would not approve OF
the committee holding public seS-
sion every time Senator Christensen
and have done all we can In exam
lining each claim. recognize the
fact that we may be chasir a ''will,
o'-the. wisp" in all Of these matters
and that your clients may sulfor ir
the meantime, but, whether our Of
forts be such chase or not, IL seem
certain that In ell events our CON
mtttee mua walk through the mire
The opinion Is so prevalent that
the dispensary has been o breeder O.
80 much corruption that no one Car
touch IT without the suspicion OF somi
one being aroused. Unfortunately, II
the case OF our committee, the insinua
tiOn Of this suspicion Is cast upon us II
the public prints by one who, above al