The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1906-04-11
Mr.. Lyon Is Provoked.
News and Courier.j

tNo"S auu tOuileTj
Columbia. April 8.-The sub. COM
mittee Of the dispensaIy Investigating
committee, cOnslsting of Mcssrs. }.
which has been most active aud ef-
fective in it's work. does not like the
insinuatiOn made in the "AddresB" Of
Senator Tillman on the dispensary sit
uatiOn. The members of this commit
tee have worked as no others have
ever done in connection with the dis
pensnry mess. They have been fear
less and painstaking in their efforts,
and even a mild insinuation is unde-
served. Mr.. Lyon, Of the sub. com:
mlttee, has written letter to ono of
the attorneys, who is at work on q
claim against the dispenBary, in which
ne has some very sharp things to say,
which make some Of tho liveliest litern-
ture in connection with the dispensary.
The letter reads as follows:
Abbeville, 8. G.. April 13, 1900.
Your two lettere Of recent date were
received by me upon my return home
yesterday, after an absence Of about
two weeks. You will, therefore, un-
earlier reply: While it is true that /
do not think there is any good reason
for withho lding payment OF the claim
Of the Cook g. Bernheimer Company.
of New York, still. as l have said
heretofore, / will not give my consent
to tho payment Of this or any other
dispensary claim now held up until
the matter of such payment is discuss
ed ut a public session OF our commit
tee. / feel sure that you will appre-
ciate my position in this matter, es-
pecialIy since the publication of Soma
tor Tillman's "Address to the People
of South Carolina" in which he says:
"ls there not plenty Of opportunity for
more graft and secret transactions in
regard to the settlement of these &C.
c0unts7 Will not the Legislative COM
mittee 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 require others
to DO so7 Why SO much delay7' You
see this additipnal reason for my posi-
ton. 1t is unfortunate for your clients
TO have had dealings with an institu-
tion which no one can even investigate
without having it suggested or insinu-
ated that he may bo O CRATER, or at
least has good opportunity to steal.
While regard this reference to our
committee as only q shrewd attempt to
shake public confidence in us, and in
tended to Obstruct and interfere with
our work, which is evidently becoming
irrevocably wedded TO the dispensary,
still, when see this proneness to criti
cise na, I wish to he especially careful
not to put myself in q position that
criticised.
In your letter of March 20 you p,ac-
tically asked the question and sincere
~, "Why 80 much delaya" know no
fact that have learned In the dispen-
saTy Investigation that I shall inten-
tionally withhold from the public.
Sometimes do not think it best for
the success OF the investigation to re-
yen1 facts and suspicious as soon as
they come to me, or to disclose our
plans for the future. 80 in this case
will answer your question Only 30 fal
As thiclk the present status of the In
vestigation justifies. We are trying tc
get the facts In regard to sever nj Gus.
picious matters which we think should
be investigated. Among them is the
statement, rs I recall it, of Senator
:r!!!!!aan that he returned certain re.
bates to q distillery. We wish iu tiIui iii I
the credits OIL the books of the distil
which Senator said he returned as
gift for the gratitude he felt: to the
liquor concern crediting the State Oi
South Carolina. Besides this there
has come to my ears q lumor, the
source Of which I do not now recall
but which I think should be locke vi
into, that Senator Iiiiman, when Gov.
ernor, was presented with D piano by 6
liquor concern. 1t may be that re,
celpts may be shown for the rebates
which may have been returned, and
for payment of this piano which may
have been received. as was rumored te
be the satisfactory explanation in the
case of the Towili horse matter.
Still, we do not know the facts in re-,
gard to these things aud think the
Legislature intended for us to investi.
gate such transactions as these, Us vel
as other vague ahd uncertain matters
to which common rumor gives cur.
rency. We must do our duty IL look.
ing into these things and you may
judge by the above samples that we
must have much time in doing it.
Furthermore it is not expedient, and
would not approve of the committee
holding q pnbIio session. every time
Senator Christensen and ! have done
all We can In examining each claim.
recognize the fact that we may be
chasing q will the wiap in all of
these matters. aud that your clients
may suffer In the meantime, but whcth-
or our efforts be- such chase or not It
tnSs t. ~