The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-08-02
GOVERNOR BLEASE REFUTES
THE "TESTIMONY" OF FIELDER
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being so voluminous, the purpose OF
the men seeking to injure you and me
being to say much and write much,
hoping that you would believe some
one thing; but, shall endeaVor to re-
fer to every report rumor, accusation
and slander from this vile person in
which he attempts to cast reflection
upon me and my State. take them
up, one by one, in the following man
ner, submitting my answer to each of
them separately.
Hayward County
A most ridiculous charge is that
OF the "Heyward county matter,
wherein Fielder claims that I called
the election for the proposed county
OF Hayward, and after the bill passed,
Fred Dominick, my former law part
ner, "was employed and paid a sub
stantial fee to influence executive &C.
ton thereon. -. That the compen-
sation received for his (Dominick's)
services was substantial, and that he
obtained the desired results at my
hands and that his fee was divided
with me-"
Gov. Ansel ordered the election for
'Heyward county" The legislature
had nothing to do with passing bill
for that county. Some Of the citizens
of Aiken county applied to me for an
order calling off the election which
Gov. Ansel had ordered, and in the
matter they were represented by Col.
D. S. Henderson, Of Aiken: R. H.
Weleh, Esq, of Columbia; Geo. T.
Jackson, Esq, of Augusta, and Fred.
H. Dominick, Esq, of Newberry, rep
resenting the interests of Heyward
county. After a hearing before me,
I decided with the people represented
by Col. Henderson and annulled Gov.
Ansel's order of election-my decision
being directly opposite to the side
represented by Mr.. Dominick.
Either of the attorneys mentioned
will gladly corroborate these state
ments if corroboration be desired.
The records in the governors Office are
open to public inspection, and those
records show conclusively that Eel
der's charge is not only. maliciously
false but laus5hable.
sThe Legislative Syndicate"
The statement has been. made by
Fielder that he had information that,
in the year 1900, there was a legisla-
live syndicate in South Carolina, Or
ganized for the purpose of controlling
legislation, and that I was, or that I
claimed to be, the head of that syndi-
cate. I ask you to Inquire Of the
members of the general assembly at
that time, if they have now, or at that
time had, any knowledge of the exis-
tence of that syndicate. I never heard
of it until this fugitive made his state
ment. If I did control legislation in
1900, when I was but an humble MEM
Der of that body, I had more power
than had in the years 1911 and 1912,
for I am sure that not even Fielder, nor
the members of this committee who
are following him, will charge that I
had any control over your last general
assembly.
Postal Telegraph Company.
Fielder charges that in 1900 he Wis
tied Columbia for the purpose of op-
posing the passa, e of bill affecting
the Postal Telegraph company. He
asks this statement: 81 went down to
the Jerome hotel, where Senator Cole
man L. Blease was stopping" He fur
tuSG SLdlSS LudL Ill O1SCuSS4uS IAC " U
posed legislation with me that I de-
manded that he 'tcome across with the
quid pro quo (meaning money!"
Without stopping to comment on
Felder's admission that he was the at
torney and paid lobbyist of large
corporation, I will simply state that
in 1900 I was not a member Of the
State senate, and did not become a
member of that body until the session
OF 1905, and that during all the four
years 1 was a State senator, stopped
at Wright's hotel. If. proof of these
statements be desired, I refer you to
the journal of the State senate for
the year 1900, and to Mr.. Robert Court
nay Wright, of Columbia, S. c., who,
during the four years I was member
of State senate, was manager of