Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-23
Ealdar and Goodman.

Fielder and Goodman.
Fielder alleges that while was g
member of the state senate, certain
liquor dealers paid me $3.50 for fight.
ing legislation providing for certain
dispensary matters. Among his wit.
J nesses to prove this allegation he
names Morton A. Goodman and ]. 8
Farnum. You will see by the affidavit OF
Mr.. Farnum which I append hereto
that he denies any knowledge Of Eel
der's statement. Goodman, like Eel
der, is a fugitive from the justice OF
the state Of South Carolina, and
therefore am not in a position to Offer
lyou any affidavit from him. 1t may
be that Fielder can get one when these
two fugitives shall meet again.
jState Of South Carolina-County OF
Charleston.
Personally comes before me James
s. Farnum. who, being duly sworn.
says that he has read the following In
the Columbia State newspaper Of July
13, 1912.
I'm this connection desire to state
that when Cole L. Blease was senator
from Newberry and a bill was intro
duced to appropriate $4,000 to be used
by the attorney general Of the state In
conducting the prosecution against the
grafters, that the liquor dealers en-
ployed the said Blease. then senator,
to oppose the passage Of said measure;
and, as a matter Of fact, the said
Blease did oppose by speech, vote and
influence the passage Of said resolu-
tion, and that he received for his SER
was paid to him at Wright's hotel in
the city Of Columbia, state Of South
Carolina" and that I had knowledge
Of said transaction.
The statement that deponent has
knowledge Of any such transaction Is
false.
That deponent has heretofore made
affidavit replying to charges made by
| this same Fielder, and in this affidavit
he desires to, and does reiterate, the
statements made in the former affida-
Wit, and further AYERS that he has
never. at any time, given or contribu-
ted any amounts towards buying
votes in Charleston for Blease," or
any other person or persons.
(Signed) ]. s. Farnum.
Subscribed and sworn to before me
this Goth day Of July, 1912.
(Signed) H. Wilkins, IL. 81
Notary Public for 8. c.
Blocking the investigating Committee.
Another absurd effort to do me in
Justice Is the charge, made without
any attempt at proof, that obstruct-
ed the proceedings Of the legislative
committee investigating the state dis
pensary. This charge Is not only
reflection on me, but 1t reflects upon
the other members Of that committee,
some Of whom are not friendly to me.
AS a matter Of fact, I was the author
Of the resolution which provided for
that investigation. The record Of my
services as a member Of that commit
tee, and the report made to the general
assembly, will show that there Is abso-
lutely no truth In Felders statement
relative thereto. This matter Is repe-
tition, and disposed Of It in my first
race for governor six years ago..
Statement of Charlton Wright"
The statement Is made by Fielder
that Charlton Wright stated In the
city Of Columbia that he handed me,
in the ante-room of the senate cham
Der, a check for $500 as compensation
for my services in defeating a bill af-
fecting the interests Of the railroads.
have never, at any time, received
any sum from Charlton Wright or
any other man for services rendered
any individual or corporation as
member Of the general assembly. The
same issue Of the paper in which this
charge Of Fielder appeared, the Co
lumbia State Of July 13, 1912, carries
denial from Mr.. Wright, in these words
"Denies Bribery Charge.
"R. Charlton Wright Of Columbia,
who Is quoted in the documentary evil
dence submitted by T. B. Fielder to the
dispensary investigating committee as
saying that he gave $500 to Cole L.
Blease for blocking some railroad leg
islation in the senate, denied last night
that he had ever given Blease this or
any other sum or that he had ever told
any one that he had done so.
Mr.. Wright on account Of an urgent
call to New York, left the city that
day; however, I presume the commit
| tee will not care to have any further
statement from Mr.. Wright since he Is
so prominently connected with the Co.
lumbia Record, one Of the newspaper
combination opposing me, and as his
denial appeared so conspicuously In
that sheet which the committee Is so
fond of reading.
Tho $4,000 sIush Fund.
The insinuation contained in pur-
ported copy Of letter Of one Pickett
to Fielder, which II Is stated that Fell
der produced before the committee,
that. certain liquor dealers were to raise
the sum of $4,000 to be turned over to
me as a member Of the state senate,
and that q syndicate, to be composed OF
myself and Mr.. Block and others, was
to be formed to control the entire IL
quor business of the state dispensary,
Is an entire fabrication Those who
have read this letter should note the
fact that the alleged original has not
| been placed before the committee and
that even in the alleged copy Pickett
does not make these statements Of his
own knowledge, but states that they
were made to him by another party,
and no affidavit has been taken from
| that other party. I submit herewith
the affidavit Of Mr.. Block, denying that
there Is any truth in the statements
credited by Pickett to Wilson.
Georgia, Bibb County:
Before me, an officer duly authorized
to administer oaths, personally came
N. M. Block, who being first duly sworn
on OATH says that he has read in the
State, a paper published In Columbia,
S. c., under date of July 18th, 1912, the
report or what purportS 10 De d letteI
to T.. B. Fielder, Atlanta, Georgia, and
signed by Smith D. Pickett. in which
the statement Is made Wilson further
stated that the plan formulated by
Blease to compass a defeat OF pending
legislation miscarried. for the reason
that Nick Block of Macon, who was
one Of the syndicate, stated that the
amount proposed to be raised was out
of all reason and that the same results
could be accomplished upon the expen-
diture of the sum of $2,500."
Deponent says that the remarks at
tributed to him are entirely without
any foundation in fact. That he never
used such language nor language OF
that import, nor any language that
could be so construed, and further that
he never had any conversation with
Wilson on the subject and that he has
never either directly or indirectly been
advised or had any knowledge OF the
effort or the attempted effort to raise
$25,O 900 or any other amount for the
purposes stated in said letter from
Smith D. Pickett to T. B. Fielder. De-
ponent is entirely ignorant Of all the
allegations set out in said letter.
N. M. Block.
Sworn to and subscribed before me,
this 18th day Of July, 1912.
| (SeaD w. H. C. Johnson, N. T.