The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1908-02-28
GETS VERY HOT.
Senator Blease Answers the Tes-
timony of Mr.. Lewis Parker.
NO LANAHAN AGENT.

Firm and From Members of BOnrd
OF Control-Says There Is II Con
spiracy Against Him by the Gov
crnor and Mr.. Patton and Some
Others.
One day last week Senator Blease
OF Newberry, arose in the State Sen
alto to a question Of personal priv
1iege' and made some remarks re-
gardlnB the testimony given before
the state dispensary commission by
Messrs. Lewis Parker and E. A.
Smythe to the effect that he had been
employed by Lanahan & Son to rep
resent them before The former board
Of directors OF the state d~ispcnsary.
He said:
| wish to ask the Senate to allow
to be published in the journal five
~anidavits which | hold.
Just before the campaign OF 1906,
Mr.. President, the report was circu-
lated that one in the employ OF the
State was an agent for a liquor
house. l had not Any idea IN the
WI OIL lldJ lIluI ultstlll I've, ana L
never thought SO until Senator Till
man, riding on a railroad train one
day, was asked the positive question
as to who he referred to and he said
10 this gentleman, whom ! suppose
he thought was a very intimate friend
OF his and not a friend Of mine, that
Blease vas the man whom he meant.
81 Immediately sat down and
wrote to the different gentlemen and
asked If IL was true, and if it wasn't
true to send me an affidavit. read
those allidavits at Union at the cam
paign meeting two years ago.
Just about the opening Of this
campaign, this year, just after | had
something to say about Mr.. Avery
Patton, along with this winding up
commission, again this matter Is
brought up. The governor is from
~Grccnville, Mr.. Avery Patton, of the
winding-uD commission, is from
Grccnville, both OF the witnesses are
from ~Greenville, the correspondent Of
the News and Courier Is from Green
vile. Right at the opening OF this
campaign Of 1908 here M tho
governor with his--I want to be mild
and | want to be politc--his wit
nesses and his appointee Patton Of
the winding-up commission, all from
Greonville-
"And in addition to that a news
paper correspondent from G]reonvillc,
and if 1t amt a political conspiracy |
have never sccn one-a newspaper
reporter from GreCnville county maxi
ing his report come out. headed
'Bleasc Hired by Liquor Houses
They put a question mark after that,
and 1t is well that they did.
Nov, Mr.. President, want to
thank the Columbia state once In my
life for being fair, honest and
straightforward in his transaction;
not only the correspondent in this
chamber, but the man who IS in
charge Of that Office. with the way
1t is put In the paper This morning:
'Blcase is Alleged to Have Been the
Man
Il am not afraid or this matter,
Mr.. President. because I have never
represented any whiskcy house in my
life IN the capacity OF a sales agent
and the people of South Carolina
after this thing was circulated ana
when ! had hardly time to answer
1t gave me nearly $4,000 votcs for
governor; and this summon Gov. An
the conspiracy between him ana his
sci will answer to those people for
GrconvilIc aI,ics ana No.. onr-
rcsnondcnt lIr wiu NOT unlv az
swcr noliticany bnt no win ,leo M
swcr TO mo as y man focn ia f,co
be he ]goyornor or no no WHAT no
NAV"