The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-08-19

the State authorities to land them
makes this question important.
''Again-will he use all means to pre-
vent the United States court from
getting control Of the dispeusary 1uud
and blocking any further investigator
of the frauds committed on the state:
His activity in the State senate IN de-
feating legislation to help the State WIN
this fight renders this an Important m
ouiry for the voters to consider. We
want to know if he has had q change OF
heart?
For whom will the grafters vote?:"
Hon. W. F. Stevenson cf Cheraw,
who has been an able and consistent
fighter of graft and rottenness IN con-
nection with the State dispensary, has
forwarded us the following answer to
questions therein asked and we take
pleasure in printing same and trust that
our readers will carefully consider the
issues therein raised:
Editor the Cheraw Chronicle:
Referring to your questions about
Mr. Blease I will make the following
statement:
He was member of the committee
to investigate the State dispensary. Mr..
Lyon and Mr. Christensen, who did the
heavy work and unearthed a lot OF rot
tenness, soon found chat TO accomplish
anything they had to keep their council
from Mr.. Blease. and tf 1T there was
strong evidence that he was giving tips
to the ''grafters." 1t came out that one
Samuel J. Lanahan had employed a
State senator to represent his house and
work on the matter Of sales for him in
violation of the law. When the wit
nesses, Mr.. Lewis W. Parker, was call
ed on to give she name of the senator,
he declined to give i unless forced to
do so. Mr.. Blease lee the fight to keep
him from being forced to tell and by one
vote the committee refused to require
Mr.. Parker to give the name.
Mr.. Blease stated to Mr.. Parker be-
fore unimpeachable witness that be
knew all about the matter and knew
the senator referred to and appreciated
his action in refusing to give the name.
It was afterwards stated by Mr.. Parker
when required to do so by the present
dispensary commission that MIR. Blease
was the man. Mr.. Blease denies that
be was the man. He knew who the man
was, and was on the committee to run
down the law breakers and corruption
lists and in the face OF that, with know
ledge of a State officer who had been
violating the law, he was appointed to
vindicate, he was active in protecting
the wrongdoers.
If elected governor, would he be less
active if some of the evildoers. whom
he was then protecting in violation OF
his duty, were now convicted? Again,
when the appropriation was asked for
to be used by MIR. Lyon in prosecuting
the wrongdoer, he opposed 1t vigorous
ly. Will he allow the convictions that
may follow such prosecution to stand ii
he is governor:
Again, when the Fleischman comp
any found tha5 the dispensary commis-
sion was on to the frauds perpetrateo
by it on the State, they went into the
United States court and were joined
there by Ulman & Co., and other small
er malefactors. The got an order ap-
appointing received of the funds on
hand, then sSO0,0 and endeavored to
get the fund in court. The firm stand
OF Gov. Ansel and the commission alone
prevented the courts getting the fund:
When the legislation that the State S
attorneys thought necessary to render
the State absolutely safe was presented
to the State senate. Mr.. Blease opposed
it vigorously and by flibuster defeat
ed, as he claimed, the most important
of measures. When I tell you that the
commission has found that Fleischman
company has overcharged the State
$4,000 in round numbers, and Ulmao
$50. 900, and the receivers commission
would be about $40. 900 and the attor,
neys' fee paid out Of the fund about
$50, 900, YOU will see that it will cost the
school fund S270,C00 if 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 track he
helped to cover when on the committee
to investigate them. If he is elected
will he not appoint a new commission
to undo the work OF the one which ha:
saved the Stare several hundred thous
and dollars and for whom he has ha(
nothing but abuse, and will not q com
lmission appointed by him surrender tf
the United States court? Judge his fu
ture by the past and answer.
| Again. he speaks OF large approprla
tions He has, as he says, been con
nected for lG years, with one or tive
short intervals, with the legislature ant
he claims that he is one of the grea
men of the senate because they elected
him preslden5 pro tenn. If that is so
why has he not, with his great iuAu
ence and vote, held down appropria
tions? If he couldn't do it while q mem
Der with vote of the body that make
them, hcw will he do it when he gets Il
the governors Office, when he is not
member and has no vote on approprla
tions? He speaks of vetoi ng the bills
doesn't he know that the Legislature
can pass them over the governors vote
Didn't the governor veto a bill as un
constitutional last year and didn't th
legislature pass it over his veto: tn
senate being largely led in doing so b
Mr.. Blease:?
He talks aboutan increase of $500, 90
in appropriations. In the period Q
which he speaks the old soldiers pen
sions was increased 100000. and b
says he wouldn't veto that, and $4,000
has been,appropriated to county higl
schools, and Jefferson and Chesterfield
have both got them and nobody hear
OF strenuous fight or that by MI
Blease. That accounts for a large par
of the increase.
Mr.. Blease makes these charge
against the legislature and holds tn
governor responsible.
W. F. Stevenson.