The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-08-12
IT'S UP TO BlElsE.
WHO IS THE MAN WHOM LANA.
HAN EMPLOYED.
Hon w. +. Stevenson, Member of the
Dispensary Commission, Writes q
: Vigorous Letter.

Vigorous Letter.
couple Of weeks ago the Cheraw
Chronicle asked several questions. It
wished to know whether, II elected
governor. Blease would pardon the
grafters. 1t said that the association
OF Blease with the grafters and his
efforts to help them block the efforts
OF the State government to land them.
made that question important. He was
asked. too whether he would use all
means to prevent the United States
court getting possession OF the dispen-
sary fund. and thereby blocking fur
ther investigation of the frauds
against the state. AS to those ques-
tions. w. F. Stevenson makes the fol-
lowing enlightening comments:
The Cheraw Chronicle.
Referring to your questions about
Mr.. Blease I will make the. following
statement:
He was q member of the committee
to investigate the State Dispensary.
Mr.. Lyon and Mr.. Christensen, who
did the heavy work and unearthed a
lot Of rottennetss. soon found that to
accomplish anything they had to keep
their counsel from Mr.. Blease. and
that was strong evidence that he was
giving tips to the "Grafters." 1t came
out that one Samuel j. Lanahan had
employed State Senator to repre-
sent his house and work on the mat
ter Of sales for him In violation Of the
law. When the witnesses. Mr.. Lewis
W. Parker. was called on to give the
name CT the Senator. he declined to
give II unless forced to do so. Mr..
Blease led the fight to keep. him from
being force to tell and by one vote the
refuse to require, MI. Par
ker to give the name.
Mr.. Blease stated to Mr.. Parker be-
fore unimpeachable witnesses that he
knew all about the matter and knew
the Senator referred to and appreciat-
ed his action In re fusing to give the
name. Y was afterwards stated by
Mr.. Parker when required to do 80
by the present Dispensary Commission
that Mr. Blease was the man. Mr..
Blease denies he was the man. He
knew who the man was, and was on
the committee to run down the law
breakers and corruptionists and In the
face Of that. with knowl-
edge OF q State ofncer he
had been violating. tho law he
was appointed to vindicats. he was
active In protecting the -xrbnsdoer.
II elsctsd Goverpor. would he be less
active Il some Of the evildosrs. whom
he was then protecting in violation Of
his duty, were now convictsd? Again,
when the appropriation was asked for,
20 be used by Mr.. Lyon in prosecuting
the wrongdosrs. he opposed ie vigorous
iy. VIII he allow the convictions that
may follow such prosecutions to stand
u he 10 Governor?
Again. when the Fleischman Co..
found that the DisDsnsary Commission
was on the frauds psrpstrated by II
on the State they went into the United
states Court and was Joined there BY
Ulman 4 Co.. ana OTHER smaller male.
factors. They got "A order appoint.
Ing Receiver OK lhs funds on hand
lhen $500. 900 and sndsavored to 81
the fund In Court. The Arm, stand Of
Governor Ansel and the Commission
alone prevented the Courts from get
ting the funds. 80
When the legislation that the States
attorpeys thought necessary to render
The state absolutely safe was present.
q to the state Senate. Mr.. Blease
opposed II vigorously and by hli-
buster defeated. ss ne claimed. the
most important OF the measures. When
tell you that the Commission has
found that Flefschman Co.. has over
the state sl1S.oOo in round
numbers. and Ulman ss5. 900. and that
the receivers commission would be
about $4,000 and the attorneys fees
paid out OF the fund about $4,000.
YOU will see that 1t will cost the
school fund 3270.0o0, II Mr.. Blease
has his way. judging his will by his
acts. and this will be the result in
favor of two OF the liquor houses
whose tracks he helped to cover
when on the committee to investigate
them. IL he Is elected. he will appoint
a new commission to undo the work Of
the one which he has saved the State
several hundred thousand dollars and
for whom he has nothing hut abuse