The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-03-29
WANTS LIGHT
Col. Fielder Calls On Gov. Bleass to TuEn
on Mere Light
HE RETURNS TIE CHARGE

Fielder Says That When Blcase Has
Explained His Course in Senate
and Executive Office There Will be
Some Further Queries As to His
Conduct.
The State has permission to print
the following letter from Thomas 5,
Fielder Of Atlanta to the Charleston
News and Courier, the same being
called forth by an inquiry from the
Charleston paper whether Fielder had
offered Towill immunity from prose
cution for $1,000. The Atlanta law
yer takes the occasion to PROFOUND a
number of questions to Gov. Blease:
Charleston News and Courier,
Charleston, S. c.
Dear Sirs: I received last night
the following T. D.:
Reported you offered Towill i'm
munity from prosecution for $1,000.
please wire reply:
''News and Courier"
TO which I replied: Statement
that 7 offered Towill or anybody else
immunity from prosecution for
600 or any other prosecution for
$1,000 or any other amount, a base
and unnitigated lie
beg to confirm this answer ard
to say that the next report, l take it,
will be to the effect tina tTowill de-
clined my offer on advice OF coun-
sell" the advice coming from the gen
eral counsel Of the plunderbund, Cole
L. Blease.
On yesterday I mailed commual-
cation to you for reproduction in the
columns Of your paper. AS recall,
stated in the article that ~ouiu
not further trespass upon your space
until after the lapse of 80 days. Upon
reflection, I feel that should with
draw this proposition, so that l may
give to the people Of South Carolina
through the columns of your paper
some reasons why His Fraudulen-
cy," Cole L. Blease, should approve
the Joint resolution creating com.
mittee 10 investigate the conduct OF
the late winding-up commission and
the agents and attorneys thereof, to-
sether with the conduct Of all other
persons who have had relations with
the winding up commission Of the
late South Carolina dispensary.
The people of the State are entitled
to know all the facts and the on.J
possible way for them to acquire this
knowledge is through the medium OF
this investigating committee, but
fearing that the governor might OBJ
iect to the investigating committee
turning the searchHght upon the con-
duct OF Attorney Blease, and that this
consideration might impel him to veto
the Joint resolution, by way OF emu.
lation of his example in having re-
course to the public prints, as the
proper means for ventilating these
matters, wish to PROFOUND to him
few questions which, if they should
fail TO impress him as being pertinent
and relevant, will doubtless have a
contrary effect upon the public mlnd.
They are as follows:
The Questions.
I. During your incumbency as
State senator. please tell the peopie
of South Carolina what vote you cast
against and on what occasion you
spoke in opposition to any measure
pending in that body, aimed at the
regulation or abolishment of the old
State dispensary as an institution, or
iniuical to the interests of those who
managed its affairs?
Q. Why did you, as a senator, op-
pose all measures pending, in that
body, having for their object and pur-
pose the investigation of the conduct
Of the affairs of said institution and
the honestly Of the management
thereof?
3. Why did you, as a member OF
the committee, created by joint reso-
luton, charged with the duty OF in
vestigating the affairs Of the said IN
stitution and the conduct OF the OF
fcials thereof. use every artful means
and cunning device 20 stiae the lnves-
tigation and thwart the objects there
Of
4. Why did you, pending the ses-
sions Of the aforesaid committee,
meet daily and nightly during the re-
cesses of said committee with the dis
pensary officials, whose conduct was
under investigation, and discuss with
them and their friends who attended
said caucuses ways and means for Sc
curing for them whiteWash! IS u
not true that said caucuses were at
tended by divers liquor dealers. who
participated in your deliberations;
that at said caucuses the course to De
pursued by you as senator was agreed
upon and followed by you to the let
ter?
Senator for GrafterS
5. Is it not a fact that when the
resolution was pending carrying al
appropriation of $4,000 to be used
by the attorney general in the prose
cution of grafters, you opposed the
passage OF the same by your vote ano
influence; that in your opposition you
spoke frequently against it and re-
sorted to every parliam entary device
to compass the defeat Of the same
II YOU should answer this question IN
the affirmative, then l would ask Il
the course you pursued in relation
thereto was not the result Of al
agreement that you made with the
representatives Of certain hqao'