The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-06-08
BOARDS STIFF REPLY TO LYON.
Hostility Charged Against Attorney
General.

Columbia, June John V. Wal
lace, of Charleston, was to-day elected
chairman pro tempore of the dispen-
sary commission. He will preside
over the approaching sessions OF
that body. Mr.. James Stackhouse
still remains the chairman nominally
and officially, but he will not be here
for some of the meetings.; on such
occasions MIR. Wallace will preside.
Mr. Stackhouse stated that he has
matters at home that claim his at
tention, and he will come here when
ever he can.
Next Tuesday the commission
meets and will summon before it
the members of the old dispensary
commission. This follows the de-
cision by the supreme court last
evening.
Lyon Scored.
To-day widened the breach be-
tween Attorney General Lyon and the
new dispensary commission.
Among other things in letter to
the attorney general this afternoon
the commission says:
1--WE are satisfied that your rela-
tons with one Thomas B. Fielder is
such as to make you partisan with
him and that you could not be relied
upon to prosecute a man with whom
you have been so intimately associ-
ated and whose conduct you will not
investigate if you are required to do
so.''
The letter of the commission in
reply to Attorney General Lyons let
ter objecting to the employment of
counsel is as follows:
Commissions Letter.
Columbia, S. c., June l, 1911.
The Hon. J. Fraser Lyon, Attor-
ney General, Columbia, S. C.-Dear
Sir: In reply to your letter of yes
terday we beg to say that we have
employed the services of Mr.. w. A.
Holman, of Charleston, to aid this
commission in the investigation of
the affairs of the State dispensary
and to facilitate our labors in ac-
cordance with the acts of the general
assembly of this State in such case
made and provided.
Your attitude towards this COM
mission has been so unfriendly and
antagonistic that it appears to US we
cannot rely upon your judgment or
upon your legal services in the fur
ther progress of our labor, and it Is
absolutely necessary and essential
for the best interests of the State
that we should have the services OF
counsel, and this we propose to have
for the benefit of the State.
Charges Hostility.
Your attitude in the Murray mat
ter was unfriendly and antagonistic
and hostile to the position of this
commission, and your position in the
Richland distillery case is unsatis-
factory and hostile. You are the
attorney general of this State and
should be in possession of all the
facts and circumstances surrounding
this case, or any other matter per-
tanning to the public welfare or in
connection with the State dispensary
but in your unwarranted zeal and un-
friendliness you saw fit to say to this
commission that you would prosecute
the case if they would furnish you
with proper evidence. This is not
the proper business of the commits
sion to furnish you with facts, but it
you duty to furnish the commission
with facts in this behalf and in all
other public matters connected with
their business.
Called "Partisan'' of Fielder.
I'VE are satisfied that your rela-
tiOnS with one InomaS 6. felder are
such as to make you partisan with
him and that you could not be re-
lied upon to prosecute man with
whom you have been SO intimately
associated and whose conduct you
will not investigate if you are re-
quired to do so. We base this opin-
ion and this conclusion upon your
attitude towards this commission and
on information of your relations to-
wards Thomas B. Fielder. He was
your employee, or rather you ap-
proved his employment, and he re-
ceived large sums of money from the
State-we understand something