The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-04-10
R. FRASER LYON
PUTS A HOT SHOT
AVS TILLMAN rs TRYING TO
BELITTLE COMMITTEE.
hey Will Investigate Him-The
Dispensary. Is So Corrupt That,
Even the Investigators Are
Suspected, he Writes.

SsR[ senator Illlman IN q manifesto
which he gave to. the public recently
sattacked a great many people and
Sofficials, not even sparing the mem
Sbers Of the committee appointed to
ginvestigate the affairs of the state
Sdispensary. That reference has been
taken by Mr.. j. Fraser Lyon as an
effort to discredit the investigating
committee and in a letter to the at
Etorney for liquor house Mr.. Lyon
shas expressed himself rather forcibly
in regard to Senator Tillman's state
sment. = .r
The letter of Mr.. Lyon has been Sc
cured for publication after some effort
on the part Of the State, but the at
torney to whom it is addressed asks
that his name be kept out of it. Fol-
( lowing is the communication:
Abbeville, S. G. April 8, 1906.
My Dear Sir: Your two letters of
recent date were received by me upon
my return home yesterday after an
absence Of about two weeks. You will,
therefore, understand why you have
not had an earlier reply. While it is
true that do not think there is any
good reason for withholding payment
of the claim Of the Cook & Bernheim-
er company Of New York still, as T
have said heretofore, I 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 session Of
our committee. '
feel sure that you will appreciate
my position in this matter, especially
since the publication of Senator Till
mans "Address to the People Of
South Carolina,' in which he says:
els there not plenty Of opportunity
FOR more graft and secret transactions
in regard to the settlement Of these
accountsP Will not the legislative
committee be suspected of corruption
If it does not get in the middle Of
the. road and stay there-that is,
stand by the law, obey it itself and re-
quire others to do soq Why so much
delay9" ..... ~ ...
You see this additional reason for
my position. It is unfortunate for
your clients to have had dealings with
an institution which no one can even
investigate without having it suggest
ed or insinuated that he may be q
CRATER, or at least has a good oppor-
tinity to steal. While I regard this
reference to our committee as only a
shrewd, attempt to shake public conf
dence in us and intend to obstruct
and interfere with our work, which
is evidently becoming distasteful to
many Of those who are irrevocably
welded to the dispensary, still when
7 see this proneness to criticise us 1
wish to be especially careful not to
put myself in position that could
with even color Of justice be criti-
cised. ..... II -.
In your letter Of March 26 you
practically asked the question and
sincerely, "Why so much delay9" I
know Of no fact that I have learned in
the dispensary investigation that 1
shall Intentionally withhold from the
public. Sometimes I do not think it
best for the success Of the investiga-
tion to reveal facts and suspicious az
soon as they come to me, or to disclose
our plans for the future, so in this
case I will answer your question only
SO far as I think the present status Of
the investigation justifies. - -
We are trying to get the facts IN
regard to several suspicious matters
which we think should be investigat-
ed. Among them is the statement as
I recall it, Of Senator Tillman that
he returned certain rebates to dis
tillery. We wish to find the credits
on the books Of the distillery showing
the amount Of rebates which Senator
sTillnan said he returned as gift
for the gratitude he felt to the liquor
concern crediting the state Of South
3 Carolina. Besides this there had
come to my ears a rumor the source
of which ] do not now recall, but a
/ rumor which I think should be looked