The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-02-26
PARKER ANSWERS
SENATOR BLEASE
Thinks the Newberry Man "Diplomati-
cally Acknowledged" That He Was
Lanahan's Agent.

Mr.. l.. w. Parker, who a few DAYS
ago, in his testimony before the COM
mission to wind up the affairs of the
State ~dispensary, stated that Senator
G. l.. Blease was at one time the agent
of Lanahan, a liquor dealer, replied to
Mr.. Blease's statement in the following
card
Please pardon a few words in answer
to Senator Cole L.. Blease in his recent
remarks in the State Senate with refer
ence to my testimony before the wind
ing-up commission.
The absurdity of the charge of con-
splracy as made by Mr.. Blease must be
apparent, but there may be some condi-
tons not understood by all. Neither
Captain Smyth nor myself was a sup
porter of Governor Ansel in the recent
campaign. For myself, though l had
the highest personal regard for him, l
differed with him on the issues of the
campaign, and voted for another.
| have never had a communication
with him or anyone else referred to by
Mr.. Blease with reference to my testi-
mony, except with Mr.. Avery Patton,
to whom, after having been subpoe-
naed as a witness before the winding
up commission, / wrote on December 80,
urging him mot again to put me to
the humiliation of appearing in a mat
ter about which I know practically
nothing" To this letter l never had a
reply, and had not seen Mr.. Patton I'M
til | appeared before the commission a
few days since.
Mr.. Blease asks the question why |
waited until after Mr.. Lanahan's death
to answer the question as to who Mr..
Lanahan had told me was representing
him in South Carolina / agree with
him that it was unfortunate hat the
answer had to be made subsequent to
Mr.. Lanahan's death, but had no
choice in the matter.
No one knows better than MI. Blease
why the question was not answered
ing before the Legislative committe in
1906. 1t was upon Mr.. Blease's own
motion, and by the effect of his w
vote, that | was excused from answer
ing the question at that time, against
the earnest protest of Mr.. Lyon, now
attorney general, and two other mem
bers of the investigating committee.
Having been excused by the .investigat-
ing committee from answering the
question then, it certainly would have
been improper and inconsistent for me
subsequently to have rushed into print
to make public statements which | had
asked the Legislative committee to ex-
cuse me from making before them.
Having been excused then from dis
closing the parsonage referred to by
Mr.. Lanahan. was not called upon to
note any denial by him that Mr.. Blease
was the person referred to-. 1t will be
noted, however, that MIR. Lanahan
never denied any part of the converse
tions referred to by me in my testi-
mony. He merely denied that he had
told me that Mr.. Blease represented
him, which at that time had not testi-
fled to before the committee, because,
as stated, l had been excused.
Mr.. Blease certainly surprises me,
however, in his statement to the effect
that he had no idea that / had referred
to him in my statements before the in
vestigating committee. When | testi-
fed in June, 1906, Mr.. Lanahan had
been advised of my having been sub
poenaed and of the necessity of my
testi!ying to my conversation with him
if the court decreed that / should do
so. Furthermore, the attorneys repre-
senting Mr.. II. H. Evans had been adj
Vised before ! testified of the purport
4 of my testimony.
AS the intimacy between Mr.. Blease
and Mr.. Evans was well known, l had
presumed that it had beer communi.
Gated to Mr.. Blease what my test.
mony would be.
This presumption was confirmed ir
my own mind by statements of Mr.
testimony, whilst Mr.. Haynsworth ant
were supping together at Wright's
Hotel, Mr.. Blease, who had been tax
ing supper at a table some distance
away, stopped at our table for a mo.
ment, and after expressing his appro
val of the position l had taken with
reference to testifying, said in effect
that he was familiar with all the facts
with regard to the employment of the
party referred to by me by Mr.. Lana
han; that he had no apologies to make
to anyone for voting to excuse me
from giving the name, but that in jus
tjce to the party referred to he wanted