Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-12

or restore the said lands to the public do
4" Resolved etc. That the president be
requested, il not incompatible with the
public interest, to inform the senate
what Information, if any, has been re-
ceived, and what action, IL any has been
taken by the department of justice with
respect to the matters or things in the
preamble to this resolution set forth and
pressed vigorously for immediate action.
The resolution being laid over, Sena-
tor Tillman introduced the same day a
further and joint resolution containing
the same recitals. but concluding as fol-
lows
Resolved, ETC., That the attorney gem
eral be, and is hereby directed, authorized
and empowered to take such proceedings
or institute such suit on behalf Of the
United States as may be necessary. APP
propriate or expedient to insure a COM
pHance with the above mentioned condi-
tions or to restore the said lands to the
public domain, or to report to the con-
gress why such action as aforesaid has
not been or should not be taken
'No Personal Interest
ION February 18th Senator Tillman
wrote to Messrs. Reeder & Watkins A
photograph OF this letter is also attached
as exhibit d 5. In II l call your attention
TO the facts that he speaks again OF Mr..
Lee as his agent and of the correspond
ence carried on through Mr.. Lee. He
states that what he has done In stirring
up the question Of the Oregon land
grants to railroads has been done en-
tireIy from any personal interest he has
IN the matter, and adds:
Although 1 would not have had my at
tention called to Il, but for the investiga-
ton as set on foot I'm connection WITH the
proposed purchase by me of the timber
land in question. OF course, If decide
70 make the tender and go into the law
suit, viii bear the proposition in mind,
but / would have you understand that
nothing I do here in the senate will be
done because of any personal purchase OF
any OF the land. If can succeed in
causing the government to institute suit
for the recovery of the land and make II
easier for others as well as myself (the
italics are mine) / shall do IL without re-
gard 20 the dealings with your firm. 1
still want. TO get some of the timber land,
II Il is possible, and as 1t lis probable that
Mr.. Lee or some other representative
of mine will be in your country in the
next two months, we VIII leave the mat
ter Of payment for the initiatory steps
and SUBSEQUENT proceedings in abeyance
for the present Any contract we might
make will be entirely apart from and in-
dependent OF my work here In the sem
ate I VIII be glad for you to hold In re-
serve eight OF the best quarter sections
of which you have definite information
and I will I'm the meantime press the in
vestigatlon and other work here which
will Facilitate the final purchase and in
erect obviate the necessity of your maxi
ing any case in the courts at all.
~ ~ In Ananias Club
This letter in which Senator Tillman
requested that eight of the best quarter
sections be held In reserve for him was
written Just four days before he an
nounced in the senate that he had not
undertaken to buy any land in the west.
il Is unnecessary to comment upon his
proposal, made in this letter, to use his
influence as senator to force tho govern
ment to institute a suit which would
make IL easy for him personally to obtain
some of the land. This letter purely per-
tanning to Mr.. Tillmans personal and
private business. was sent in franked
envelope. of which attach Photographic
copy. marked Exhibit DIS.
THE assault by Senator Tillman upon
Mr.. Dorr was, according TO the report of
the inspectors, wanton assault, made to
cover up Senator Tillman's Oregon trans
actions ,-.a5. d, -.
81 call your attention to the letter of
Mr. Dorr to the postmaster general, and
date of November q, 1905 exhibit 30, In
which he asks for relief from the cases
which Senator Tillman had brought
against him, saying that dhe had no
knowledge that Senator Tfilman desired
his operations to be Kept hidden and Sc
cret from general public knowledge. The
report OF the inspectors seems 10 indicate
that this young man, Mr.. Dorr, acted IN
good faith, but that he used Senator
Tfllman's application for land as an adj
vertisement Very truly yours
81 a- THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
ITO Hon. Eugene Hale, Acting Chairman
Committee on Appropriations, United
States Senate"
Report of Inspectors
The FIRST exhibit contained in the COM
munieation is Senator Tillmanis personal
explanation, made on the floor of the
senate on February 49, 1908, In which he
complained OF an alleged unauthorized
use of his name In circular issued by
BRYAN r. Dorr, president of the St. Paul
and Pacific Timber syndicate; of Port
land. This circular says that Senator
Tillman was interested in action TO COM
pei the Southern Oregon company TO sell
to applicants about 100000 acres of TIM
Der lands. which had been granted to
the Coos Bay Wagon Road company on
condition that 1t should be sold in quar-
ter section for price not exceeding $3.50
per acre.
In that statement, Senator Tillman de-
MED that he had bought any land any
where in the west, and he declared fur
Their that he had not undertaken TO buy
any. At the request of Senator Till
man, the postoffice department withheld
mail addressed to Bryan r, Dorr and to
the timber syndicate, pending an inves-
tiagtion of their business by postoff1cs
inspectors, o. c. Riches and E. G. Glenn
ent.
The inspectors report TO G. d. Lynn,
inspector in charge at Spokane, Wash,
is given by the president, 1t shows
that very thorough inquiry was made
of the operations of Dorr and a number
Of other Oregon real estate agents, who
were receiving applications for the lands
held by the Coos Bay Wagon Road COM
pany. Among the persons and firms
mentioned in the report as interested in
the lands were James NJ. Como, of
Marshheld, and Reeder q Watkins, Of
Marshfeld. et
The Tillman Letters were addressed
chiefly to Reeder & watkins. In their
report to the inspector In charge at Spo-
kane. Riches and Clement found that
there was no evidence that Reeder g.
Watkins were not acting in good faith
in receiving applications for the land
! - -