The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-07-31
MAYOR GRACE REPLIES
TO GOV. BLEASE
Charleston Executive Makes Hot Re.
toinder to Blease's Charge Contain
ed In Latter's Reply to Fielder Ac-

ed In Latters Reply to Fielder Ac-
cuSatiOns.
Charleston. S. c., July 21.-Mayor
John Z. Grace gave the following
statement last night to The News and
Courier in reply to the statement made
by Governor Blease in which it was
charged that he( Mayor Grace) had
preferred his charges of graft be-
canse he had not been allowed to have
control of the dispensary constabu-
iarly in Charleston:
Il have never made statement
that Governor Blease was getting
graft from the blind tigers of Charles
ton as immunity for protection ex-
tended to them. 1t will be noticed
that the gist of my denial on this
point is the word getting 1 have
said substantially that a system OF
immunity was iuaugurated by the
| constables sent here against my pro-
test by Governor Blsase, and that the
basis of the system was money paid
to these constables. have said that
L could trace this money practically
to the governors office and this has
oeen abundantly proven. 1t will be
recalled that in his Charleston speech
Governor Blease gave Stothart the
| highest endorsement and it will bo
equally well recall ID that Stothart on
the witness stand swore that he was
so close a frond of Governor Blease
as to have slept with him and drunk
with him. If it has not been conclu-
slVely proven that ST. thart instantly
began upon his appoln tment whole
sale system of grating, then 1 have
no idea OF the probative value of
sworn testimony. 1t was sworn that
the money was actually put in Stoth-
arts own hands Other witnesses
swore that they put 1t under the door
for him and Stothart himself refused
to answer the question of whether or
not he lad received this graft on the
sole ground that it might incriminatc
him.
Moreover, in all cases where the
money was paid the raidng stopped.
If this isn't a system of immunity for
graft, then | would like to know what
Is. Stothart acknowledged that he paid
as often as weekly visits to the gov
ernor at Columbia and on some of
these occasions Mr. Todd, of one-mil-
lion -dollar-Ca ritalwing fame, was his
co-advisor il the governors office
with Governor Blease. One Of the con
stables who was ready to suueal was
ordered by Governor Blease to go to
Barnwell and, according to his sworn
testimony was impostuned by Mr..
Todd to do so on the ground that there
was enough graft in Barnwell to be
worth three times his wages. This ad-
vice was given by Mr.. Todd immedi-
ately after he left the governors of
lice. and the constable was warned
about talking too much. Todd repeated
to him long conversation about the
graft situation in Charleston, which
the constable had reported to Stothart
and in which it was definitely stated
that it was we'll known that Governor
Blease was getting wholesale graft
from Charleston
This is particularly significant, be-
cause it could only have come either
through Stothart or Blease, because
up to that time they were the only
two who knew about it, When this
constable refused to be governed by
Mr.. Todd's advice he was instantly dis
missed by Cove Blease from the
service, notwiths, nding i'm his trans
fer to Barnwell, Governor Blease had
in writing recommended him as the
most honest mon of whom le knew
Hence, the most honest man of whom
Governor Blease knew had gone to
Columbia to report to him the grating
situation In Charleston and as a re-
suit of his visit he was dismissed from
the service. Moreover, the sworn tes-
timony of John j. Miller is that he,
too had gone to Governor Blease and
told him in detail of the graft situa-
ton in Charleston and stated to him
that he, the governor, was accused OF
being the one to whom the graft was
sent. Governor Blease's answer was
that Mr.. Miller was the third man who
had told him OF this and yet he did
nothing to investigate. II this is not