The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-03-13
FACTS, NOT SpIENETIC OPINIONS,
WANTED.

hAN Eu.
Ghe investigating committee
appointed to investigate the first
winding-up diSpensary commits
sion began its Iabors last Thurs
day. and from what we can gath
er by the press reports, the inyes-
tigation has been largely ve-
hement denial Of corruption on
the part OF the commissioners.
At the session before the last. If
we remember correctly, the gov
ernor in a message propounded
some questions which were con-
strued to be charges against
those connected with the wind
ing.up of the affairs Of the State
dlspensary, we do not recall his
having made any direct charges.
The committee sent to the COVER
nor to appear before it to testify
or to give it such information as
he may have in his possession
which led him to ask the ques.
tions in his message, this request
to appear was declined. but he
referred the committee to his let
ter 10 the chairman, and added
that be does not propose to have
anv further communication with
the committee.
Governor Blease has all along
contended that the committee is
partisan, and unfriendly to him.
that he cannot receive justice at
its hands, therefore, he will have
no business with it. While the
governor did not as we recollect,
make any specific charges he did
intimate strongly that there Was
need for the commission to be ln-
vestigated. The committee has
a right to know the source OF the
governors information if he has
such, and if he has none he
should be frank to SO state. His
igporing the committee in our
opinion is a mistake, even grant
Ing that the committee IS made
up Of friends of the commission
that it is investigating, and are
prejudiced towards him, never,
theless, he should have when
asked for information treated the
committee as If it would do jus,
tice to all parties, and then leave
it u the people to say whether
or not he has been given "a
square deal"
We have not the least idea
what the governor based his
questions upon, if it was not
based upon documentary evi-
dence, but upon rumor, and there
has been rumors, then in that
case he should have said that be
had no tangible evidence to give
them. To refuse to give aid to
the committee is not calculated
to De satisfying, but On the other
hand it will have the effect Of
creating the impression that the
governor was ill-advised when
he wrote his message.
The court of inquiry seems to
have gone to the other extreme,
by permitting the members Of
the commission they are suppos
ed to be investigating to give
vent to their personal views OF
the governor. So far as the pub
lie is concerned, il matters not
what Messrs. Brice, Murray and
the others may think Of Blease,
everybody knows these gentle
men are not friendly disposed
towards him; that is their per-
sonal affair, what the people are
more interested in is whether OF
not the commission has rendered
a faithful service, and too,
whether OF not Governor Blease,
either as Senator or Governor,
has had any corrupt transactions
with the old State dispensary:
when this has been ascertained
the work of the committee is at
an end. If it is found there IS no
foundation for the intimation in
the governors message it is for
the committee to say so, and no
more, unless, however, in their
investigation they find that the
governor himself has had corrupt
dealings, in that case then it will
be their duty to say so with their
proof. and the people of the State
will be the final arbiterS.
Al! of this eStraneouS matter,
expressions of opinion as to Gov
ernor BleaSe's fitness to clean
the shoes Of the commission: and
the opinion that Blease is worse
tian F. J. Moses will be accept
ed by the masses as expressions
Of prejudice, with tendency to
weaken the force Of the state
ments made by those indulging
in them. Let the investigation
proceed without prejudice and
without favor. then, if there is
nothing rejecting upon the com
mission all will be well, and if
there IS nothing rejecting upon
the integrity Of the Governor the
voters OF the State will gladly
know it.
Parhans when the investioa.