The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-01-26
It, L..IGllll|.1 ]. ]
Governor .Blsass Asks Thai an, lnvssti.t
gallon Be Made Into he
DISPfNSA 7 MATTERS. | | ! ! ! r : !.

yiJs' ysTt 80
Wants tho| legislature 70 Seek l' Out
:is Every transaction 81 the Winding
Up commission, and Hints q. 1r-
:.f 5 frretsgularatles reg on the Part Of Mem q
bears and the Attorne General. u
Governor Blease sent to- the gem
.5eral assembly Tuesday afternoon tt5sls z
message E,hich startled the leg1slar
+ tors! with an urgent demand for q
]. thorough Investigation of the dis dis
Sspensary ;winding-up commission. !.
Numbers Of specific transactions sup
& posed by The governor to have been
made by the commission are men men
toned, with the insistent recommen-
dation that each be carefully looked
irto. The, message in full follows: ;..
To tho General Assembly: Just
after my nomination as governor, !
:npticed il the papers (and as I have
noticed no correction, I take 1t to.
he true) that the commission for
Winding-np the affairs of the staze
s.dlspensary had meeting at which |
I was freely discussed, and expressed
fears as to themselves, when be-
came governor. II they had done
no wron e I see no reason why they
should fear any harm from me-. II
they are guilty Of wrong-doing, it is
up to you to Investigate them. +.
] would like for you to investl-
gate them fully and find out for the
people of South Carolina what cid
become Of the large amount OF alco-
]lol thai: was on hand at the time
this com mittee took charge; to whom
ut was sold, atswhat price, and what
,1as the regular price at that tirae: e':
so iias to see If the State was not q
heavy loser in that transaction.
Also, what; salary, or how much fees
leach member Of that commission
ghas received, since he has served aon
1.-The board, and how much per diem
they have received for their services
on that day; if car fares, railroad
fares ard other expenses have been
charged: against the State which were
mot incurred by, the member receiY-
ing payment therefor. u: .5... {,
% Also how much actual cash has:
been turned oyer to the State treas. S;
urer; how much has been paid out
and how much is left as profit to the
taxpayers. What criminal cases have
been compromised and what were the
conditions of the compromise? Has
the attorney general received any
money, and il so by whom syas 1t
paid and Tor what? Why the COM
mission kept the Clark lot OF Wh+ils-. rs :.
key after Governor Ansel had dis
missed the former members Of the
board of control for Hbl ying this
same whiskey? Did Clark rebate
the present commission? II SO, where
is the rebate money? How much
more ttian $4,000 did Farnum p&y
and where is it? What were the
conditions of the Goodman compro-
mise? What were the conditions Of
the Fleischmann compromise!
money money was paid in these transsc-
tions. where is It? What was the
agreement had with ex-Governo
John Gary Evans and ex-state Chair
man H. H. Evans, for information
given by them at conference held In
Atlanta, between these gentlemen,
Attorney General Lyon and Attor-
ney Fielder! Why were other mem
bers Of the various boards of con-
troll not Indicted? What became OF
the report Of the detectives to me
eDmtnittee OF certain members of the
house and senate and why was this
report not made public? What were
Felder's fees, and why was he not
prosecuted, when it was known that
he was attorney for liquor house
and was favored with purchases from
dispensary boards and rebates were
paid for these purchases? Wnat
criminal prosecutions have been
brought, who has been convicted and
what has it cost the State?
A thorough investigation ct this
entire matter, gentlemen, will give a
great deal Of satisfaction to your
constituents. There are those who
.haliavA that the State has lost more
through the wind.ng-up commission
than it has ever lost through the
State dispensary SYSTEM Whether
this be true or not, it is not for me
to say I hold my belief as to cor
ruptton, but the people OF South
Carolina are entitled to the fullest
aud freest Investigation on your part,
before the report Of these men Is
received aud they are discharged as
public officials.
South Carolina is paying bonds to-
day Tor debts made by scalaWags and
carDetbaggers, for things which her
citizenship never received the benefit
fherefor. Under her Democratic gov
,ernment, she bought vhiskey at a
nrice and sold It, made pront on 1t
and now repudiates the debt made by
her sons, white men and Democrats.
If she can repudiaae this indebted
ness with impunity and without a
scar upon her honor, why could she
,an,di,te the debt of thieves and