Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-03-12

South Carolina. It was purely a cler
ical error on the part of the account
liant"
ii The Petty Graft Charge.
Referring to the insinuation by tn
lgovernor as to the incompetency o
the commission and that graft ha,
been practiced in the matter of rail
road fares and street car and hacl
fares. DR.. Murray said: THE maj
who makes the insinuation Is not Fl
to brush our shoes"
Another question asked in the mes
Usage of the governor was whethe
lBlease had been discussed at a meet
ling of the commission and that fea
was expressed as to his administra
ton.
I'm the first place." said DR.. Muir
Tray, "Blease was not discussed at an!
lof the meetings. In the second place
he was not worthy to be discussed
land last, II the governor had been dis
|cussed 1t would not have been in al
Executive session. We would not hav,
discussed him most certainly in pub
lie session."
| Mr.. Briee Testifies.
The second witness of the day wa
]. Steele Brice Of Yorkville. and
|member of the Ansel commission. HI
Igave his opinion Of the governor II
plain words, stating what he had sale
of the chief executive just before ont
of the meetings.
"A man Is presumed to be innocen
until he is proved guilty" said Mr.
Brice, "and l would like for the COVER
nor Of South Carolina to prove
THAT the members Of the old commits
|sion are guilty Of any wrong. Th'
lgovernor Is constantly jumping on th'
newspapers and referring to them a!
assassins of character, yet he brings
lgrave charges against the members o
the old dispensary commission with
out a foundation Of fact. Personally
did not have any fear Of being exam
ined by tho BleaJe commission. Iwel'
coined an investigation" Mr.. Bric'
told of his work as a member of thu
old commission and Of how he kept hi
expense account. He said that th'
charges of the governor with reference
Ito the commission were false and out
Irageous.
/ As to 7. 3.
Questioned by the committee as t.
IT. B. Fielder, he said that Fielder wal
the only man who would have beer
able to secure testimony with which
to collect over half a million dollar!
for the state. He believed the con-
tract with Fielder to be reasonable.
II do not believe that there Is firm
of lawyers in South Carolina" sale
Mr.. Brice, that would have undertak'
en- the case. No other firm could have
secured the information. Fielder ad'
vanced large sums before he collected
a cent and the amount that he receiv'
ed was contingent upon his work.
Representative Daniel, of the com
mission, asked Mr.. Brice his reason!
Ifor stating that the governor was ir
sympathy with the whisky houses ant
tthe- grafters. -------l--l,>---. ..
II served in the senate with Cole L
Blease," said Mr.. Brice, land 1 heart
him state on the floor of the senate
several times that regardless Of wha
evidence was produced against thu
members Of the board of control tha
he was their friend and even If they
were sent to the penitentiary that HI
would still be their friend, and that HI
believed in the dispensary system ant
the administration Of the affairs al
right. I have also read the evidence
in connection with the work Of thu
Lyon Christensen committee and hi
acts and doings on that committee
and his spoken and written word!
caused me to know and believe as wei
as two and two make four that his
sympathy was with the other side
Following out his declarations In the
senate, he proved beyond a reasonable
doubt my belief when he prompt!
pardoned one who was convicted ir
connection with the dispensary af'
fairs"
| Fought Fund to Prosecute Grafters.
| Mr.. Brice further stated that the
governor, as a member OF the senate
had fought an appropriation whicr
was designed to prosecute the dispen'
sary grafters.
Reverting to the work Of the dispen'
sary commission and the employment
of T. B. Fielder, Mr.. Brice said: 1.-The
Ansel commission did not follow T. B
Fielder blindly. They only followed
when he produced the evidence.
IL would like for the governor o.
South Carolina to show where the An
sci commission lost one cent to tht
people of the state" This statement
was made with reference to the sug'
gestion by the governor that the com
mission had lost more money to the
state than had been lost by the state
dispensary.
| Fraser Lyon Recalled.
Attorney General Lyon was recalled
by the committee this afternoon. HI
was questioned>ss to the work of th'
Lyon Christensen investigating COM
mittee, the first to be appointed tt
delve into the affairs of the state dis
pensary. He named the members ant
told Of the charges brought against
Cole L. Blease, state senator from
Newberry, and member of the commits
sion, to the effect that he had been &C.
cused at the Spartanburg meeting o.
representing an Atlanta brewery. Tht
attorney general read statement is'
sued by Blease at the Spartanbure
hearing, in which he denied that III
represented a brewery. 1t was shown
by the testimony that he did act as ar
attorney for the brewery in the set
tlement of a difference with a Spar
Itanburg beer dispenser. The attorne!
general was asked to give a history o.
the Investigations by the committed
and how the testimony was obtained
He was asked If the governor of th'
state had ever given any assistance IL
the Strengthening out Of the affairs o