The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-02-18

mission charged with the duty OF
winding up the affairs of the late
State dispensary. l promptly ans
wcred the summons and found the
commission i'll session. | also found
present Mr.. W. II. Stevenson The at
torley for the commission, whom !
had no small part i'll keeping from be-
inc elected attorney general ut The
time the Democrats bestowed that
honor upon the late lamcntcd u. X.
Gumter, than whom winter man new
cr livcd Mr.. j. Fraser Lyon, for
whom | had earnestly strivcn to pro-
cure the same fate which had attend
cd Mr.. StrvcISon: and Mr.. II. b.
Fielder. the Atlanta lawyer whose
retention in the graft rnscSe have
contrndcd was an Insult to the bar Of
South Carolina.
| found thrS" three lawyers. none
OF whom had any especial reason to
be friendly 10 me, and the business
mrA comprising the commission. !
had no ilra why | had been sen, for
until th" uurStionin" Startcd-and
then knew the commission had alb
s"I't"Iy no ,ighl to ask Il single one
OF the questions pul to me. And, un-
less the three lawyers present also
kl@W inat. two Of them are bigger
fo"s than take The INTO be.
The only rXcuS" for brin-in" me be-
for" ihc commission is that thr COM
mission is il court, and that | had
been guilty Of cuItrmpl of court in
writing the above editorial. Bnt, in
tlat editorial is not word about The
commission. neither Directly nor by
implication. There Was no wav in
tn" N"r,l for the commission to ap-
ply that editorial to itself. 50 thc
commission had NO more right to
question M aS [" that editorial than
IT had to ask NJ" what | ate for break
fast yesterday nor how many hours |
Slrr' The nHhj before. knew that
and KNEW | rnull lan"in at an attempt
[" question me As in the above editor
in. for l!r e, U.u,iS-i"u could mot rul,
m" i"r r""'rnlt iI :" doing. Bnt.
dIt a"l ra'Sr :ha: point. because
am never afraid to s~nswcr questions
and because wanted to prove that
FRASER Lyon was not above using the
commission for his purpose without
the commission being able to sec il.
Thr whole edit lurial wlS aimed at him
in his Individual official capacity, and
a"whrrr, directly nor indirectly. men-
toned Inc commission. And vet the
commission could not see that; it was
unaware that il was bcin" used to
give FRASER Lyon Il chance to say
things under cover OF court.
Personality. | have the highest re-
Spcrt for he members Of the commiS-
sion. one nf whom | have for many
years regarded rs one of my best
trir"lS. w"nld be Incapable Of say
in~ anything" lilal could b. construed
~ y reflection Ilpnn his personal hon
or and integrity. While | have not
II similar friendship with the others.
for years and unhrSitatin.lv assert
any belief lha! they would moi Know
inG ~ and Intentionally Iu anything
dhat they considered wrong. | say
this again because. in playin" thcic
lawyer yesterday for The purpose Of
makiAy clear the power political law
yrr> have 'h,'l when plain. practical.
un~U> ryrtin" business mrn rntruSt
themselves t" their guidance. may
n,;,vr not made explicit my feeling as
do them.
As far rs ihr editorial quoted
'abrNr, and which Was the rASus brll.
is conc Eurh, | rriirrair AMI rraSScrt
every sin .lr wort. syllable. letter and
punctuation p"inl! in il. having
timuuy.' however. do not mean tcs-
limony directly paid for with Sn much
purchase money. In the use Of that
expression. without explanation,
was unfortunate. have always had
an abhnrrc:,rr for the man who turn
ed States evidence and freely admit
III | were on jurv | would sit there
mtil | roitcd before | would vote to
.,convicl Il man upon thr testimony of
:" States evidence would put no
rrchrnct in the word Of man who
told on others To escape punishment
l regard convictions procured with
such testimony rs ourraGcS. | know