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GOYERSOR BLEASE REFUTES THE "TESTIMONY" OF FEEDER (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1). being so voluminous, the purpose of the men seeking to injure you -and me beirg to 6ay much and write much, hoping that you would believe some I on? thing; but, I 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. I take them up, one by one, in the following manner, submitting my answer to each of them separately. Heyward County A mo6t ridiculous charge is that of the "Heyward county" matter, < wherein Felder claims that I called | the election for the proposed county of Heyward, and after the bill passed, Fred Dominick, my former law partner, "was employed and paid a substantial fee to influence executive action thereon. . . . That the compensation received for his (Dominick's) services was substantial, and that he obtained the desired results at my haaids and that his *fee was divided with me." Gov. Ansel ordered tne election ior i "Heyward county." The legislature had nothing to do with passing a 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. Welch, Esq., of Columbia; Geo. T. Jackson, Esq., of Augusta, and Fred. ; H. Dominick, Esq., of Newberry, representing the interests of Heyward * 1 A . county. Alter a nearing oeiore me, I decided with the people represented by Col. Henderson and annulled Gov. Ansel's order of election?my decision being directly opposite to tlie side represented by Mr. Dominick. Either of the attorneys mentioned will gladly corroborate these state- i ments if corroboration be desired. The records in the governor's office are open to public inspection, and those . records show conclusively that Fel- i - tferfc charge is not onlyo maliciously , false but laughable. "The Legislative Syndicate." ; Tiho. sfjiiftmftnt has ?)een mad a by i Felder that he had information that, la the year 1900, there was a legisla- ] tiT? syndicate in South Carolina, or- ] gam zed for the purpose of controlling , legislation, and that I was, or that I claimed to be, the head of that syndi- 1 cate. I ask you to iaquire of the \ members of the general assembly at < that time, if they have now, or at that ] time had, any knowledge of the exis- s tence of that syndicate. I never heard ] of it until this fugitive made his state- ] ment. If I did control legislation in l 1900, when I was but in humble mem- ] ber of that body, I had more power { than I had in the years 1911 and 1912, ] for I am sure that not even Felder, nor j the members of this committee who j are following him, will charge that I bad any control over your test general j assembly. Postal Telegraph Company. Felder charges that in 1900 he vis- ] Ited UoiumDia ior tne purpose 01 op- < posing the passa,. e of a bill affecting ] the Postal Telegraph company. He ] asks this statement: "I went down to 1 the Jerome hotel, where Senator Cole- ] man L. Blease was stopping " He fur- < ther states that in discussing the pro- j posed legislation with me that I de- ; manded that he "come across with the ] quid pro quo (meaning money)." j Without stopping to comment on j Felder's admission that he was the at torney and paid lobbyist of a large i corporation, I will simply state that j In 1900 I was not a memoer or tne i State senate, and did not become a ( member of that body until the session ] of 1905, and that during all the four i years I was a State senator, I stopped i at Wright's hotel. If proof of these j statements be desired, I refer you to I the journal of the State senate for i J' - * t\/\ r* _ 1 me year iyvv, ana xo -vir. ivouert uuui l- < nay Wright, of Columbia, S. C., who, S during the four years I was a member 1 of State senate, was manager o? j Wright's hotel. I emphatically deny ] that I ever had, at any time, while a t member of the State senate, or the 1 house of representatives, any transac- 1 tions or any discussion with T. B. Fel- s der about any matters of legislation. < "Bickert's Four Thousand Dollars." i As to the charge that the sum of 1 $4,000 was paid by Monroe Bickert to 1 H. H. Evans and myself, or to Evans 1 m my presence in tne city or Atlanta, 1 6ome years ago, is a wilful falsehood. ] Mr. H. H. Evans fought me for elec- 1 tion to the senate and did all he 1 could for my opponent, Mr. Kibler, of 1 Newberry, and until some time after i my election to the senate, Mr. Evans and myself were merely on speaking ( terms. I have never, .at any time, been 1 in the city of Atlanta with Mr. H. H. 1 Evans, and never at ary time had any S transaction with him or the* firm of 11 Blumenthall & Bickert, and no amount J of money whatever has ever been paid me by H. H. Evans at any time or for any service. Xo money has ever been paid to him, to my knowledge, for me, and if so, he has certainly never delivered it to me, and certainly no money has ever been paid him by any person or persons in my presence icr any purposes, either official, unofficial, personally or professionally, as the affidavit of Mr. Evans nereto attached will BhoWo State of South Carolina, Richland County. Personally appeared before me, H. H. Evans, who being duly sworn, says, that he resides in the city of Newberry. That tho statement of T. B. Felder or any other person that the sum of $4,000 was paid over to him by Moiyroe Bickert in the presence of Cole L. Blease, in the city of Atlanta, about the year 1905, is totally false Deponent further says that he has not at any time, for the said Cole. L. Blease, or for the benefit of the said Cole. L. Blease, had paid to him by any person | wnatsoever any sum ui muuey wuat- j ever. And deponent also says that he was never in his life in the city of | Atlanta in company with Cole. L. Blease. That in 1904 the deponent "was against Blease in the race of the latter for the State senate from Newberry county, supporting Hon. Arthur Kibler for that position. That from that time on for about two years the deponent and Blease were not friends towards each other. II. H Evans. Sworn to before me, the 19th day of Julv. 1912. B. F. Kelley, (L. S.) Notary Public for So. Ca. As to Lanahan Whiskey House. Felder asserted that I represented, several years ago, Lanahan & Company, liquor dealers of Baltimore, in this State, and secured purchases for that house from the State dispensary board. This charge is hoary with age and was first made by Lewis W. Parker, the head of rho mill merger which I am now fighting. The whole matter was threshed out before the dispensary investigating committee at Spartanburg about seven years ago; later in the senate of this State, and also when I was a candidate for governor in 1906, 1908 and 1910. The reports of the investigating committee referred to, will show the testimony of Mr. E. A. Smythe, taken before that committee, in which he stated that he was present at the conversation beTjanahan and Parks:', at which Lime Parker claims Lanahan made the statement that I represented his house, and Mr. Smythe says that no such statement was made by Lanahan. Soon after Parker's statement, [ published affidavits of a number of gentlemen showing conclusively that tie had misrepresented both Lanahan md myself. These affidavits I submit herewith, and a statement of Mr. Smythe, taken under oath before the investigating committee. " ' i State of South Carolina?County of Richland. ? Personally appeared before me William G. Childs, who first being duly sworn, says, that he ?s and has been for years, a resident of the city of Columbia, county and State aforesaid, that he is the president of the Colum bia, Newberry and Laurens Railroad company and of the Bank of Columbia, S. C. That he has known Samuel Lanahan for many years and knew trim quite well at the time of his death, ind that he has known Cole L. Blease 'or many years. That he knew a good deal about the business of Lanahan in this State and that when he first heard of the statenent of Lewis W. Parker connecting ~ T -tiM+Vl QQIrl 'hnCSinPHSR ha JU. Ultooc tm.i? wvi.vi _w inew the fact that Blease was not in my manner connected with said firm md toid Blease to prepare an affidavit :n answer to Parker; that he soon thereafter was in the city of Baltimore and saw Samuel Lanahan and isked him about the matter, and that Samuel Lanahan told him that Parser's statement was untrue, as he had lever had Blease employed and had aever at any time or. placo said so :o Parker or any one else That he j :hen said that he would make affidavit :o that effect and dictated an affidavit md sent for a' notary and had the :ame signed with the official seal paying 50 cents for the* notary fee. That this deponent has seen the affidavit erhich is now in the possession of said Blease and has also seen the copy thereof as published *n the news+Vii^ C+o+zi o that Vi Q cow o U1 CJLXl.^ KJ .wuu VAAMV uv WV. I? :he same affidavit and lieard Samuel Lanahan swear to it in the presence of Jie notary public in the city of Baltimore, State of Maryland, That this deponent Knows of his jwn knowledge that Cole. L. Blease ;vas not the agent of the Lanahan louse in their transactions with the State or county boards of control for ;he sale of whiskey or otherwise. W. G. Childs. (: i I Sworn to and subscribed before me 1 this ISth day of June, A. D. 1909. J. F. Livingston (L. S.), (Seal) Notary Public for S. C. State of Maryland?City of Baltimore. Personally came before me Samuel ; J. Lanahan, who being sworn says that he never told Lewis W. Parlrer, or any other person, that Cole. L. Blease was in his employ, or was employed to i InAt aftter hia interest in th<-. whiskev business in South Carolina, and as a matter of fact lie did not have Cole. L. * Blease so employed. Augustus W. Bradford, 1 (Seal) Notary Public. 1 State of South Carolina?County of 1 Richland. Personally cam? before me Jodie i j rM. Rawlinson, who, being duly sworn, L - - * i? jLt ni-_ j I says that ne is a memoer ui uie oiaie board of directors of the South Caro. lina dispensary and chat Cole. L 1 Blease has never directly or indirectly solicited business or asked that pur- c chases be made from Samuel J. Lana- * han or any other party engaged' ii c selling "whiskey or other articles t? the "State dispensary. Jodie M. Rawlinson. ^ Sworn to before me this 4th day cf 1 August, 1906. 1 W. T. Lucius (L S.), 31 Magistrate for S. C. h State of South Carolina?County of 1 Richland. Personally came before me Johi Black, who, being duly sworn, says i that he is a member of the State 1: board of directors of the South Care- ii lina dispensary, and that Cole. L. d Blease has never directly nor indi- e rectly solicited business or asked that n purchases be made from Samuel J. P Lanahan or any other party engaged o in selling whiskey or other articles to Iti the State dispensary. d John Black, d Sworn to before me this August t, t! A. D. 1906. tl W. Boyd Evans (L. S.), y Notary Pablie for S. C. tl _ t State of South Carolina?County of # Chester. S Personally came before me Jos. B. Wylie, who, being duly sworn, says that he is a member of the State board S of directors of the South Carolina dis- s pensary and that Cole. L. Blease has never directly or indirectly solicited ^ business or asked that purchases be made from Samuel J. Lanahan or any ^ other party engaged in selling whiskey fl or other articles to the State dispen- d sary. Jos. B. "Wylie. u Sworn to before me this August 7, s 1906. C. B. Beits (L. S.), a Notary Public for S. G. ^ a s State of South Carolina?County of ^ Newberry. Personally came before me H. H. r Evans, who, being duly sworn, says s that he was a member of the State v hoard nf directors of the South Caro ? " " u lina dispensary and that during his g term of service Cole. L. Blease neither e directly nor indirectly solicited business or asked that purchases be made ^ from Samuel J. Lanahan or any other f. party engaged in selling whiskey or other articles to the State dispensary. a II. H. Evans. ^ Sworn to before me this August 3rd, 1906. A. T. Brown (L. S.), Mayor of Newberry, S. C. |n State of South Carolina?County of e Lexington ii Personally came before me Jno. e Bell Towill, who, being duly sworn, says that he was a member of the State board of directors of the South Carolina dispensary and that during ( his term of service Cole. L. Blease neither directly nor indirectly solicited business or asked that purchases j be made from Samuel J. Lanahan or any other party engaged in selling j, whiskey or other articles to the State a dispensary. John Bell To will, i+i Sworn to before me this August 3rd, ^ 1906. A. C. Joaes (L. S.), s Notary Public for S. C. # ? o State of South Carolina?County of s Kershaw. ^ Personally came before me L. W. 0 Boykin, who, being duly sworn, says *~ that' he was a member of the State s board of directors of the South Carolinn /licnprienrv and /hirine' his ? term of service Cole. L. Blease neither a directly nor indirectly solicited busi- 13 ness or asked that purchases be made r from Samuel J. Lanahan or any other ^ party engaged in selling whiskey or other articles to the State dispensary. L. W. Boykin. t Sworn to before me This August 4th, 0 1906.' J. R. Alexander (L. S.), a Notary Public for S. C. c _ ' i i T "ho-tra in -mv nnccPKQfnn rr.nv nf thA !* testimony taken before tfce dispensary investigating committee, February 13, a . ( 1901. I Mr. E. A. Smyth being duly sworn, and being examined by Mr. Stevenson, testified, in speaking of Samuel Lanban: I had known Mr. Lanahan for some years. Q You w?re associate with him in what matters? , A None at all. Q You didn't hear him say who (vas the agent who he retained at a salary of $2,000 a year? A No, sir; he didn't mention his iaae. Be continued his conversation with Mr. Parker along the same lines, but ie did not mention the name. He wad rying to get Mr. Parker to suggest jome one who would influence the msiness. He did not mention- the lame. At the bottom of this is the followng certificate: "I certify that the abo^e is a true :opy of the testimony submitted to he commission and introduced in the ase above mentioned. (Signed) "F. F. CoTington." This shows that Parker lied, because i >mythe here testified that be heard he conversation between Lanahan and >arker and that Lanahan did not aention the name of the agent. Par;er swears that he did. Who is the iar, Smythe and Lanahan or Parker? Felder and Goodiran. Felder alleges that while I was a aember of the State senate, certain iquor dealers paid me $250 for fightQg legislation providing for certain ispensary matters. Among his wittesses to prove this allegation he j ames Morton A. Goodman and J. S. i "arnum. , You will see by tnc affidavit f Mr. Farnum which I append hereto hat he denies any knowledge of Feler's statement. Goodman, like Feler, is a fugitive from the justice of he State of South Carolina, and I herefore am not in a position to offer ou any affidavit from him. It may be hat Felde: can get one when these wo fugitives shall meet again. tate of South Carolina? County of Charleston. Personally comes before me James L Farnum, who, being duly sworn, ays that lie has read the following / 1 i i the Columbia State newspaper of uly 13, 1912. "In this connection I desire to state hat when Cole. L. Blease was senator rom Newberry and a bill was Intro- ! uced to appropriate $15,000 to be! sed by the attorney general of the | ftate in conducting the prosecution | gainst the grafters, that the liquor ; ealers employed the said Blease, th6n senator, to oppose the passage of aid measure; and, as a matter of fact, tie said Blease did oppose by speech, ote and influence the passage of said esolution, and that he received for his ervices the sum of $250, in. cash, j rhich was paid to him at Wright's I otel in the city of Columbia, State of louth Carolina," and that I,had knowldge of said transaction. The statement that deponent has nowledge of any such transaction is ilse. That deponent has heretofore made flRHavit rAnlvinc fr? r?.haTere<j madp hv his same Felder, and in this affidavit e desires to, and does reiterate, th tatements made in the former affiavit, and further avers that he has ever, at any time, given or contributd any amounts "towards buying votes i Charleston for Blease" or any othr person or persons. (Signed) J. S. Farnum. Subscribed and sworn to before me his 20th day of July, 1912. Signed) H. Wilkins (L S.), Notary Public for S. C. Iloekiflg the Investigating Committee. ( Another absurd effort to do me injstice is the charge, made without any ttempt at proof, that I obstructed tie proceedings of the legislative comlittee investigating the State dispen- i ary. This charge is not only a reflec-1 ion on me, but it rejects upon the ther members of that committee, ome of whom are not friendly to me. ls a matter of fact, I was the author f the resolution which provided for hat investigation. The record of my ervices as a member of that commit&e, and the report made to the genral assembly, will show that there is j bsolutely no truth in Felder's statelent relative thereto. This matter is epetition, and I disposed of it in my rst race for governor six years ago. ' ? 11 - - *r 9 1 l rm "Statement ot tnaruoa wngni." The statement is made by Felder hat Charlton Wright stated in the city f Columbia that he handed me, in the | nte-room of the senate chamber, a ' heck for $500 as compensation for 1 iy services in defeating a bill affectQg the interests of the railroads. I have never, at any time, received ny sum from Charlton Wright or I any other mail for services rendered any individual or corporation as a ; members of the general assembly. The same issue of the paper in which this | charge of Felder appeared, the Co- i lumbia State of July 13, 1912, carries a denial from Mr. Wright, in these words: "Denies bribery Cfmrge. - <* /i-1 i "R. Charlton Wrign:, or *.:ojumum, | who is quoted in the documentary evidence submitted by T. B. F=lder to the dispensary investigating committee as saying that he gave ?f.00 to Cole. L. Blease, for blocking some Tailroad legislation 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 committee will not care to hav? any further j statement from Mr. Wright since he is so prominently connected -with the Columbia Record, one of the newspaper combination opposing me, and as his denial appeared so conspicously in that sheet which the committee is so fond of reading. The $25,000 Slush Fund. The insinuation contained in a purported copy of a letter of one Pickett voir?AT\ -which it is stated that Fel W * , der produced before- the committee, that certain liquor dealers were to raise the sum of $25,000 to be turned over to me as a member of the State senate, and that a syndicate, to be composed of myself and Mr. Block and others, was to be formed to control the entire liquor 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 codv 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 July 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 13th, 1912, the report of what pur- ! ports to be a letter to T. B. Felder, 5 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 ths amount pro- j posed to be raised was out of ail reason and that the same results could be accomplished upon the expenditure of the sum of $25,000." Deponent says that the remarks attributed to him are entirely without any foundation in fact That he never used such language nor language of : that. imDort. nor any language that could be so construed, and further that he never hadf any conversation with ( Wilson on the subject and that he has never either directly or indirectly been 1 advised or had any knowledge of the effort or the attempted effort to raise ' $25,000 or any other amount for the 1 purposes stated in said letter from Smith D. Pickett to T. 3. Fcfder. De*- * ponent is entirely ignorant of all the allegations set out in said letter. 1 J N. M. Block. ' Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 17th day of July, 1912. 'r"r *1 VT "D | 3 (Seal; w. .ti. ju:ubuu, n. x. t _ h My Campaign Fund in 1910. The suggestion that the Wind tigers of Charleston subscribed to my cam- * paign fund for governor two years ago 1 is not original with Feldor He is simply repeating what a few unscru- ' pulous enemies of mine have stated i heretofore. I presume that if these ;j alleged blind tigers had subscribed to !1 the national Democratic campaign ' fund or to the campaign fund of Ira B. Jones, that their action would be considered patriotic and the names of such subscribers would be published * at the head of the list la the Columbia ' State. It is a fact, however, that 11' have not, at any time, received from |' a blind tiger in Charleston a single ! penny for campaign purposes. Two !; years ago my campaign was managed : by my brother, Eugene S. Blease, and ' my law partner, Fred H. Dominick. I!; submit affidavits of these gentlemen, |' to the effect that they never received j for me, or for my campaign, the sum j1 charged by Felder as having been sub- j: scribed by parties set out b;v him. State of South Carolina? County of; * Richland. Personally comes before me Fred, j H. Dominick and makes oath that dur- i' ing the year 1910 he was connected j with the management of Gov. Cole. L. Bkase's campaign; and as to the charges that any amounts were contributed by the alleged blind tigers of Charleston and used in the lurtheranceof Mr. Blease's candidacy, this deponent has no knowledge whatsoever; that he has never received one cent from any blind tiger as contributions to Mr. Blease's campaign, and that if such a fund was contributed, he has never received same and never used same nor has he any knowledge of it? the first intimation he having had of this charge being the charges as made by Thomas 33. Felder. As to the charge of his having goneto Charleston between the first and second primaries, after Gov. Blease had already been there and got a suit case full of money, and when that ran out, that I went there and got another suit case full, the chaige is absolutely false. I have never received and never made any requests for any uajupaigii cuuuiuuLiuxjB ironi any tuma tigers in Charleston. Fred. H. Dominick. Sworn to before me this 19th July, A. D. 1912. G. C. Dismukes, (L. S.) Notary Public for South Carolina. i 1 State of South Carolina?County of Richland. v Eugene S. Blease, being duly sworn, says that during the campaign of* 1 A ? 1 L.J 3 TT f\_ 1 ? 13IV ue asmsiea rreu. n. jjumimcK iu conducting the campaign of Cole. L. B lease for governor of the State. Deponent did not, at any time, and hasnever in his life, for any purpose^ whatever received any sum of money from any blind tiger in the city of" Charleston. Eugene S. Blease, Sworn to before me this 19th July, 1912. G. C. Dismukes, (L. S.) Notary Public for South Carolina. Trip to Charleston. The statement of Felder that I went to Charleston for the purpose of getting money during the time intervening between the first and second primaries of the campaign twoyears ago, is but another exampleof this man's quickness to make statements without even reflecting. During the whole of the two weeks between the two elections, with the exception 01 one day ana one mgnt. spent in the city of Columbia, I remained at home in Newbewy. I waenot in Charleston between the first and second primaries. "Grace's Insinuations." As to the statement that I have been and am getting graft from the blind tigers of Charleston as immunity for protection extended them. This originated with John P. Glace, the present mayor of Charleston, on flppfmnr of mv not allowine him to have the control and .appointment of the constabulary force in Charleston, and to run the matter of enforcing the dispensary law and the sale of whiskey in that city. The investigating committee has already heard him and his attempted proof and the people surely are convinced that there is no foundation in any one of "his charges." Each and every one of his false accusations have been denied? even my bitterest enemy, th^ Columbia State, admitted that tnere was no criminality traced to the governor's office. I answered Grace's insinuations at the campaign meeting in the city of Charleston and stated in his presence that any man who made that accusation against me was a malicious character thief-and cowardly lair. Internrban Bnilway. In regard to my signing the bill for the Piedmont-Norther company, commonly known as the interurban. This bill, as passed by the legislature, provided for the building of an electric line around Spartanburg, Greenville, Greenwood and other points in this State. I thought it contained too much power to give to a corporation, and, after carefully looking over it, stated that I did not think I would sign it. I received requests from a number of people of that section, stating that the road would be of great benefit to them. Among otners caning upon uic w xa*or of tli? measure, I now recall Hon. D. H. Magill, of Greenwcod; D. E. Smoak, Esq., of Greenville, and Sam. J. r:ichcls, Esq., of Spartanburg. I did not receive one cent of money for approving this measure, nor wae I threatened by any one on account of this bill, and if any lawyer received a fee for appearing before me in be half of the bill, it was without zn.y knowledge, and the payment of any such fee, if any was paid, exercised no influence whatever in causiDg me to take the action I did thereon. Some of the very members of the committee who are attempting to injure.me were very active in the passage of this bill. The Criminals?"DeFord and Porter." In regard to the matter of applica