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

conduct them and that host of mel
twill applaud convictions secured BY
that policy. That does not, however
deprive me Of my right to criticism
can and do say the policy is wrong
and the end can not justify the
means. The whole tempest in tea
pot IS over Il matter of public policy
and the question Of personal honesty
and integrity of any official connect
"d Herewith is not in issue.
Now, | am often asked why I dc
not let Lyon go and drop this whol9
matter editorially. | have had many
good friends tell me most earnestly
hhat | was Il fool for trying to defend
officials of the late State dispcnsary
that | was only hurting myself and
my paper by such policy; that they
warc down AID out and could never
help me and that it was simply lido
tie on my part to stand alone and say
Il good word for them; that | could
not stem the tide of public prejudice
against them resulting from the I'M
ccasin" attacks Of practically all the
"thrr papers and a majority Of the
politicians. If consider my selfish
interest. that Is good advice, and |
hm Il fool not to take it. But, | am
not built that way. | have no ambi-
aiou greater than The desire to so
live that when die il can be truth
fully craven on my tombstone that
beneath are the remains of Il man WHO
mc"LS friends is when he is in trouble.
10 hell with such as arc friends only
i'm fair weather.
! II So happens that number Of
amen openly charged or under SuSpi-
rion Of graft have been my friends
jior years, some Of them lony before
they became connected with the dis
Sary. | { ANY such has been guilty Of
graft | want il proved and him pun
ishrd; but would be little worthy Of
hhc name Of friend if fair 10 stand
by him until his guilt be proved. II
everybody else in the State believed
my IrirllS guilty Of graft, T
NuulI Not uu;il their guilt is Si,own
and shown by h"norahl2 means. Qui-
N"tic, possibly, but ;" c"nStruc The
obligation upon one who would prove
his ri"h, to the title friend.
Now to the ease in hand. | believe
Fraser Lyon is Il monomaniac. His
"nr i.lra in life is to secure convic-
tion Of alleged wraftcrS. some of whom
,havr "ivrn him personal otfcnSc.
When Il maa subordinaics all else to
nnc aim. he usually is not choice
about the methods he employs to ac-
"ompliSh it.
AS an editor of Il public journal 7
have Il right 10 draw conclusions. 1t
is Il fact tiut thc l.yon-ChriStcnScn
investigating committee passed rule
lhat. payment Of all whiSlicy and beer
claims by the State diSpcnSary should
@ir stopped. They were stopped.
Shortly artrrwarl two claims were
Taid. on. m accu,rgl due To John Nc
Smyrl, Il di>tillrr Of Camden, and the
other to the Augusta Brewing com
tpanv. wanted to know why an en-
r,,rtiun had been made as 10 those
two. founl that Senator Hay. the
chairman Of The committee, nad been
John McSmyrl's friend and attorney
and 50 could vouch for his honesty.
il found that the Augusta Brewing"
company : account was ordered paid
when lis president gave testimony all
hitting hr had given rebates on beer.
immediately thereafter his account
MAS rail and do not remember that
it wa, sealed. rs is the policy Of the
'.preSrnt commission.
Intentionally nr unintentionally
that waS virtually innicc TO every
other claimant against iii, dispcnsary
rs to how he should proceed to get
hiS bills paid.
|, is notable that though The other
rlaimS were still held up for long
ltimc by the I4yNn-ChriStcnsc COM
,mittcc, no moro such testimony was
given. even with the bail hung out
by that Augusta precedent.
Then came the present winding up
commission. men Of high character
and integrity and absolutely amaze
,puainteI with the whiskey business
aad probably equally unfamiliar with