The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-05-03
The Legislature May Have to Settle the
State Dispensary Matter
THE ONLY way OUT
Governor Blease Says Not, and Takes
the Position That the Commits
sion Can Investigate the Old One,
Himself and Felder.-New Com
mission to Meet Soon.


The Columbia correspondent Of
the Augusta Chronicle says the gen
eral impression is that the Fielder
BIease dispensary controversy will
be left for the next general assembly
to decide and that the entire matter
will be cleared up by the passage Of
resolution providing Tor an in
vestigation Of the charges preferred
by the governor against T. B. Eel
der, and the members Of the old
dispensary commission; Gov. Blease
himself and others.
That in the opinion Of many is
the only solution to a very complex
situation that has been brought
about by counter charges on
the part Of the governor Of South
Carolina, and the Atlanta attorney,
T. B. Fielder.
The Governor takes the position
that he will use the new dispensary
commission to Investigate the old
commission and himself Under the
law providing for the dispensary
commission no such investigation be
held. The governor vetoed the res
olution Of the last general assembly
which provided for an investigating
committee on the grounds that his
enemies were members Of that part
of the committee named by c. A.
Smith, the president Of the senate.
He brought charges against well
known and honest business men Of
the state and then denied them the
right Of an impartial Investigation.
When the governor named the
new commission, one member which
is his former law partner, F. H.
Dominick, he said that he had turn
ed over his special message to the
general assembly in which the char
ges against the old commission were
contained with instructions to make
a thorough investigation. This move
is considered by many as the first
steps toward the preparation of post
of white wash" The members Of
the old commission will insist on an
investigation and will very probably
petition the general assembly to
pass special measure. over the
governors veto, for this power would
ne doubt be applied to any measure
Of such nature by the chief execu-
tive.
The new commission will meet
in Columbia in the near future when
some kind Of work will be resumed,
the nature of which has not been
stated. B. F. Kelly, of Bishopville,
the secretary of the body is in Col
umbia, he says doing clerical
work" When asked as to the next
meeting of the commission he said
that it would be held soon. When
asked il another Fielder letter had
been received he replied 81 have not
received a letter from Mr.. Fielder"
Several days ago T. B. Fielder ad-
dressed a letter to the commission
by the State of South Carolina with
his firm at length. In this letter he
stated that he had certain inforna-
ton with reference to the Richland
Distilling case and pointed out the
fact that by the cancellation OF the
contract that a large sum Of money
had been lost to the state Of South
Carolina which would have been re-
covered had the case been left with
Anderson, Fielder, Rountree & Will
son. Now the new commission has
asked Mr.. Fielder to divuige this in
formation at meeting to be helo
soon. Those familiar with the prop
osition point to the fact that just
this information was the kind that
r. B. Fielder was receiving pay for.
It is Just the kind Of information
that he used in the recovery Of over
100000 for the state Of South Car
olina
The new commission has let lit
tie be known of what it has done
or what it intends to do and to dis
cuss the work of the commission IS
more speculation. This definite state
ment, however, was made that the
commission had not engaged a new
firm of attorneys to take the place
of Anderson. Fielder, Roundtree q
Wilson. of Atlanta. The commission
still has under consideration the
question of returning about 21,O00
to the Carolina Glass company OF
Columbia The commission Will also
decide as to re-opening the glass
company's case which has already
been decided by the old commission.