The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-09-18
He EXPLAINS DELAY
WI. STEVENSON GIVES REASONS
FOR POSTPONMENT
CALLS ON THREE MEMBERS


Tells Messrs. Bivens, Greer and JEFF
fries to Garry Out Duties Assign
ed to Them.-Declares He VIII
Know Neither Blease or Jones
Men in Doing His Duty.
Two letters bearing on the contro-
versy over the course to be pursued
by the subcommittee of the STATE
Democratic executive committee ap-
pointed to consider charges of fraud
in the recent primary were given -
the press. One was sent to The State
by W. F. Stevenson Of Cheraw, chair
man of the subcommittee, who is
now in Atlantic City, n. j. The oth-
er was written by Col. Thomas Both
well Butler of Gaffney and given out
in that city Both were replies to
the recently published open letter OF
R. NJ. Jeffries, J. D. Bivens and J. NJ.
Grier, in which these three members
of the subcommittee took exception
to Mr.. Stevenson's course in appor-
tioning the work of Investigation
and calling off the meeting originally
scheduled for last Wednesday.
Mr.. Stevenson in his letter cites
the reasons for his action, pointing
out that the two subcommittee can
hasten the work by performing the
duties assigned to them. He also
says that the next meeting of the
committee should be in the Piedmont,
where the charges Of fraud have been
most vigorous.
The next meeting. he said, would
be called when the material was IN
shape for use, and would not be lat"
er than September 25.
Mr.. SteVenson's letter follows:
Atlantic City, n. j., Cept. 13.
"Messrs. R. NJ. Jeffries, ]. D. Bivens.
and j. Grier.
Gentlemen: Replying to your
communication in Thursdays State, 1
will say:
81. That I was unable to be at the
State committee meeting when was
appointed chairman Of the sub-com-
mittee and didn't decide to accept
the responsibility of the work until
Saturday, the 7th, and had nothing to
! do with the appointment to meet on
| Wednesday, the 18th.
"2. I assume enire responsibility
fir calling off the meeting as had
| only a consultation with Messrs. Will
SON and Butler because they were
convenient and I had to pass through
Charlotte on Monday on my way
north on a trip. The personal rea-
sons for which I need not discuss
here, but the obligations for which
were as binding on me as that OF the
| committee work which was placed on
me unsought and after I had an en-
gagement to come north at this time.
80. I decline to meet with you
next Monday in Columbia for the fol-
lowing reasons:
"a. Because we have no witnesses
Ito swear at that time, no charge OF
a tangible nature to be proceeded
with, and no data either to prove or
disprove the charges, if tangible.
'b. Because We will make haste II
you will attend to the duty imposed
on you in your respective divisions,
then getting the record in proper
shape and getting the charges so ar
rayed that we can tell at glance
what is a substance and what is a
mere technical question and thus en-
able US to go right at the SUBSTANTIAL
points and get them down quickly.
&C. Because, as you indicate in
your communication, Columbia is not
4 the place where the committee is
most likely to be needed. The Pied
mont seems to be the principal place
where there are substantial charges
and it is a waste Of time and money
to mention Columbia when the work
is mostly TO be done in the Pied
mont and as soon as the information
called for is in shape expect to call
a meeting of the committee at Spar
| tanburg or Greenville to go lmme-
| diately at the point of real moment
as developed by the information got
ten and quickly determine the state
of affairs. This meeting will not be
later than the 25th and will be as
soon as the matter can be gotten into
orderly condition.
| Now permit me to say that I
know no Blease or Jones men in this
matter. I have determined to con-
duct this investigation in an orderly
and thorough manner-and call on
you to push the work assigned you
in order that We may hasten the
same and not delay it by riding back
and forth to Columbia to meetings
when there is no witness ready to
be sworn, no records to verify and
| when time demands that all matters
be located and all immaterial matters
| be eliminated before we begin the eX-
| pensiye and tedious work of taking
testimony. Of course, if majority
of the committee request me to call
a meeting before we have the doch-
ments in hand I will take pleasure
in doing so, but it will be waste Of
time and money and, as you say,
time is precious now.
referring to the position that the
| whole committee is to Investigate
| will say that when it comes to de-
tails, if the whole committee must
attend to earh club roll and poll list
and to getting the names Of wit
| nesses or getting the charge in each
county arranged for active taking Of
evidence it will be January, 1913,
before anything will be done. When
taking of evidence begins with all
data gathered by the two sub-com-
mittees before US the whole commit
Tee will necessarily decide what
charges are so substantial as to rem
der investigation necessary and the
whole committee should hear and
pass on the evidence in support Of
the same. Matters of detail in ar
ranging the charges and the docu-
ments must necessarily be distribut-
ed. I reply to your communication
in the same way it is received, to