Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-01-12
TILLMAN AND ROOSEVELT.
DetaiIc of Charges BY Big Stick Pres''
dent Aoainst PitcFfork Senator.

dent Against f>IICIHoTN SShaSS''
President Roosevelt last Friday night
made public the details Of an investi-
CATION by postoffice inspectors and Sc
cret service agents Of Senator Tillman's
connection with an alleged Land grab
in Oregon. AS he presented the EVIL
dence to Senator Hale, in response to
the latter's request to the heads of the
various executive departments for q
statement of the operations Of the Sc
secret service, the president undertooR
to show:
That Mr.. Tillman used his influence
as a senator in an effort to force the
government to compel railroad cor
poration to relinquish its control OF
land grants from the United States in
order that he and his family and his
secretary, ]. B. Knight, might profit
through the purchase Of some Of the
land;
That the senator used his govern
ment franking privilege in numerous
instances for the conduct Of private
business.
Comparatively few senator's were IA
vored with the opportunity Of reading
the presidents report to Senator Hale
but those who did read the report took
a serious view of it, although most OF
the senators refused to believe that Mr.
Tillman had ever done anything In vio-
lation Of his oath as senator.
After a lengthy discussion Of the
secret service question generally, the
report of the president finally leads up
to the Tillman matter and continues:
But a case has just arisen of a diff
ferent kind, which it seems to me
should put before you as illustrating
in striking fashion the way In which
Investigations begun by any Of these
various agents in the strict line OF
their duty may develop facts Of high
Importance, which the investigators
would not in the first instance have
sought to discover, which, when dis
covered, ought not to be hidden or
suppressed, but the development of
which may tend to create an erroneous
impression that the agents in question
were being used for purposes not with
in the line of their lawful duty"
The communication then recites that
Senator Tillman on February 19, last,
called the attention Of the senate to
the circular Of the Oregon land syndi-
cate, which alleged that Senator Till
man was among those who had spoken
for a part of the land to be disposed
of and quotes Senator Tilman's denial
as follows:
II have not bought any land any
where in the west, nor undertaken to
buy any. 1 have made some inquiries
as one naturally would, in roaming
through the west. 1 simply want the
people of the country to be put on no.
tice that this swindler at Portland has
nc warrant whatever for endeavoring
to inveigle others into his game"
Enclosed, the president says, Mr..
Hale would find Photographic fac
SMILES of letters and envelopes from
Senator Tillman and his agent, VIM.
E. Lee, bearing on the matter. A letter
of Senator Tillman to Oregon attor-
neys is quoted as follows:
Il wired you from Wausau, Wis, as
follows, and write to confirm It:
William E. Lee, my agent, will see
you about land. l want nine quarters
reserved. VIII forward signed appli-
cations and money at once. Members
of my family are entrymen. Letter fol-
lows.
("Signed) B. R. T."
II write now to say that I wired Mr..
Lee, who resides at Moscow, Idaho, to
go at once to Marshfield and see you
about the land, to locate quarters for
the seven members of my family, who
are of age and one for my private Sec
retary, J. B. Knight, whom desire to
let into the deal, and, Of course, he
wants a quarter for himself"
The letter continued" writes the
president, "in stating in detail what
was to be done in order to enable the
senator to get the land. The William
f.. Lee, to whom Senator Tillman thus
referred as his agent, wrote to Reeder
and Watkins, under date Of December
Z letter. Photographic copy of which
Is herewith submitted, marked Exhibit
D. A. In this letter Mr.. Lee explains
that he had written Senator Tillman
fully as to the status Of the land mat
ter, advising him it was a good gam
ble,' but that the senator was lecturing,
SO that he did not get Mr.. Lees letter
until a week and half previously
The letter continues:
I'm case Senator Tillman gets in on
this deal with some good land in the
eight quarters we want, l am satisfied
that he can be of great help In getting
matters started from Washington and
cause the government to get busy and
do something along the line you desire
He will set up such a howl that it
will be impossible to do otherwise. 1t
will be very important for your whole
scheme to have a man Of his influence
here to aid you at this end of the line
By all means save a lot Of good land
for us. as we intend to be Of more
value than any one of the others In
this matter
Then is quoted Senator Tillman's res
olutions providing for the institution
of the land suits, after which the pres
ident quotes from the senator's letter
OF February Is to Messrs. Reeder and
Watkins. Says the president:
He states that what he has done
in stirring up the question of the Ore
gon land grants to railroads has been
done entirely apart from any personal
interest he has in the matter, and adds:
Although I never would have had my
attention called to it but for the inves-
tigation as set on foot in connection
with the proposed purchase by me Of
some of the timber land in question.
Of course, il decide to make the ten