The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-07-17


nave knowledge of this trans >ction.
New Avenue.
After calling the election for the
new county of Hayward, and after
the bill passed, Fred Dominick, the
law partner of the governor, was em-
ployed and paid a substantial fee to
influence executive action thereon. If
called upon before this committee
Fred Dominick, II he will corroborate
MS verbal statements In connection
with this transaction. he will state
that he. was employed because of his
influence with the governor; that the
compensation received for his service
was substantial; that ne obtained the
desired results at the hands OF the
executive, and that he divided his fees
with the governor of the State of
South Carolina"
Fielder offered In evidence the fol-
lowing letter to substantiate his tes-
timony that Blease tried to raise a
slush fund OF. $4,000 to control dis
pensary legislation. and failed:
= a''"Atlapta, Ga, March 20, 1912.
Mr.. T. B.. Fielder. Atlanta, Ga.
Dear Sir:
"on, Wednesday, the 18th inst. I
visited the city Of Albany, and while
there. met B., NJ. Wilson and had a
long talk with him in regard to dis
.pensary matters In the State OF South
Carolina.
He stated to me that IL came
within his knowledge that Cole l..
Blease, now governor Of the State, had
represented, while State senator,
Laanahan & Co., liquor dealers of the
city Of Baltimore, and had made large
sales to the board of directors, con-
stituted H. H. Evans, L. w. Boykin
and John Bell Towill; that in conse-
quence of certain dissatisfaction aris-
ing in the matter OF paying rebates
to the board Of directors it was de-
cided that instead OF continuing to
pay rebates through Blease to the
board that the rebates as agreed to
between Blease and the said board
should be paid through the said 3. M.
Wilson, and this was accordingly
done.
I'm further conversation with the
said B. M. Wilson, Wilson stated to
me that when the bill was introduced
in the South Carolina legislature to
abolish the dispensary and for an in
yestigation of the system, that the
said Cole l.. Blease, now governor of
the State OF South Carolina, devised a
plan to defeat all pending legislation
affecting the dispensary. both as to it's
abolition and investigation. The pll n
as outlined by Blease was as follows:
Certain liquor dealers were to
raise the sum of $4,000 and pay the
same over to Blease, then q member
of the State senate. This money was
to be used by him with the members
of the legislature to defeat all legis-
lation affecting the dispensary. 1t was
further understood and agreed, that,
after the defeat of the legislation as
aforesaid was compassed, that syn
dicate composed OF the said Blease,
Nick Block of Macon and others
should in consideration Of the con
trfbution that they made. control the
entire liquor and beer business with
the State dspensary, dividing equally
the profits thereof.
Block Baked.
Wilson further stated that the
plan formulated by Blease to compass
a defeat of pending legislation mis-
carried for the reason that Nick
Block of Macon, who was one of the
syndicate, stated that the amount pro-
posed to be raised was out of all rea-
son, and that the same results could
be accomplished upon the expediture
of the sum of $4,000.
Yours very truly.
Smith d. Pickett"
COriginal mailed Hon. ]. Frazer
Lyon'O
In addition to the Pickett letter
Fielder submitted the following evil
dcnce gathered by "Mr. wilson,
showing the corruption election fund
in Charleston county used to carry
Bleases election:
Col. t. B. Belder, Atlanta. Ga
Dear Sir: Your favor of the 21st
to hand and contents noted. am
herewith inclosing list of blind tigers
that contributed to Blease's campaign
fund. This is not the original list. but