Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-08-16
NO. 65.

NO. 65.
Shand and he told me that he had not
said a word to him about it,
| The main issue then came up, after
some talk. and Governor Ellerbe bare
facedly denied that he had made any
agreement whatever. q had his let
ter I'm my pocket at the time) He
attempted to unload the whole re-
sponsibility on Weston and Neal, say
ing he had told them when he wrote
the letter that he had not changed his
views was still for the dispensary and
would make no agreement. Assuming
an air Of virtuous Indignation he said
he would send for them and make
them set him right (He never did,
I was so disgusted that 1 again started
to leave, saying that I would expose
the whole affair and let him settle
it with Neal and Weston as he could;
but again he begged me to come back,
and then, leaving his seat and coming
to my side in front Of the west window
at his right hand, he said: Don't
| get mad; let's talk this thing over
quietly and see II we can't compro-
mise It," And then he proposed to
do precisely what ] had expected-to
urge the legislature to pass an act
permitting each county to choose by
ballot between prohibition, high
license and the dispensary. It was a
lightning change on his part and al
most took my breath away.
He went on to say that this was no
new thing on his part; that he had
held those views before he had writ
ten the letter to Weston and had told
w. D. Evans Of them. Then he added:
But don't see how can put through
an administration measure carrying
out the plan" I answered that that
did not matter. that did not like this
administration measure" idea any
how and that I thought in this case
1t might do as much harm as good.
All I expected was that he would do
what he had promised to do and leave
the consequences with the legislature.
He said again that he would make
this recommendation and I went away
satisfied.
did not see Governor Ellerbe again
until last Saturday afternoon. On
Friday Mr.. Weston informed me that
the governor had read him part Of
his message relating to the liquor
question and that it seemed to him
throughout an argument for the dis
pensary system, although 1t did make
a brief and bare suggestion as to let
ting the people of the counties settle
the question for themselves. He did
not like 1t, he said. 1 told him that
II the message did not come up to
promise would show up Ellerbe ruth
lessly. The next day, Saturday, Mr..
Weston gave me a proof Of the liquor
section Of the message, with an invi-
tation from the governor to call on
him at the mansion az o'clock that
afternoon. l read the proof and was
greatly incensed at what found In 1t.
My disinclination to see Governor FL
lerbe was strong, as I was afraid l
could not control my temper after
this revelation Of his duplicity; but
as I did not wish to bring Col. Neal
and Mr.. Weston into the matter-as
I must do II I exposed Ellerbe-I
finally determined to keep the appoint
ment.
At o'clock l went to the executive
mansion and found the governor con-
versing with a visitor. When the lat
ter had left, I told him that I had
read his liquor recommendations and
was greatly surprised and disap-
pointed; that he had not said what he
had pledged himself to say; that he
had defeated his half way endorsement
of local option by other recommends
tions Of the strongest character. He
asked me to specify. I pointed out
this paragraph, for one: "It (the dis
pensary) must be firmly and perma-
nently established or completely done
away with" This I said clearly meant
the establishment Of the dispensary
on its present basis or Its elimination
from the whole state-it was adverse
to partial elimination under the in
fluence of local option. Then 1
showed that the context Of his rec
ommendation as to local option linn
tied the choice to prohibition and the
dispensary only, wholly ignoring high
license as an alternative. This. l said,
was not what he had promised me;
If adopted it would defeat the very
policy to which l was committed and
which I preferred-high license. 1
went on to say that the whole deliver
ance was obnoxious to his professions
and pledges, and that l quite under
stood his motive in limiting his choice
to prohibition and the dispensary
and in imposing special and onerous
burdens on prohibition counties-he
sought to force the dispensary on the
people as the only endurable alter
native.
He had made the word of promise to
the ear and broken 1t to the hope, said.
He replied with marvellous effrontery,
that he had made no promises, that
Frank Weston had not acted prop
erly in concealing what he had said,
and that he would make him publish
the letter. / answered that l would
do that that I proposed to show the
public that at least had acted in good
faith. ] got up and bade him good
afternoon and walked out Of the room,
while he was saying: You can do
as you please"
So this Is the end Of my hope of
doing something through w. H. Eller-
be for a fair and democratic solution
of the liquor question. / have made
my try and failed, and all the men
and papers that have been saying the
man was faithless and The State news
paper and Columbia would be bun
coed can have their fling at me. !
am fair game; l have been buncoed
I can only plead that thought had
guarded against it by securing his
pledge in writing. l believed him
capable of violating any verbal prom
ise. but l did not believe he would be
quite so shameless as to invite the
production of proofs in his own hand
writing that he lied.
To do him exact justice, I do not
believe that Ellerbe has acted spon-
taneously in this matter, but under
dire compulsion; that he has taken
what he considered the safest choice
between evils. I believe that Sena-
tor Tillman holds his written pledge
to support the dispensary in terms
more specific than those Of his letter
to me-or else some paper, the pub
lication of which would damn him.
Tillman, I am informed, was here last
week and week before; he whipped
Ellerbe back to his feet year ago
and It is quite likely that he put the
collar on him again the other day..
However. that may be, plead gull
ty to being cheated. I expected to be
lied to, but I did not expect to be
braZenly swindled. I did not think
that w. H. Ellerbe would adopt the
device of sneaking out Of an obliga-
ton in writing by accusing one who
had been almost his only friend of bad
faith toward him and toward me.
Messrs. Weston and Neal will doubtless
speak for themselves: l have refrain
ed from quoting them as to the state
ments Governor Ellerbe made to them
My own story Is too long.
Meanwhile Mr. Weston Is a member