The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-01-12
T1LLMAN, ANSWERS ROOSEVELT,
Continued from page 2.)

Ing lueuu VI LILY uSoliC " Pui Sho0~
some of the land if possible. De-
string to find out if the conditions
of the grant to the State of Oregon
made it possible for purchasers
and not actual settlers to buy at
$3.50 per acre, l wired the librarian
of the Senate for copy Of the act.
Finding that that part of the state
ment received from 6 gentleman in
Spokane was correct, notified Reed
er & Watkins on October 20 that
Mr.. Lee, whom l had seen at Mos
COW, Idaho, in the meantime and
talked with on the subject. would
90 to Marshfield and investigate lr
person. I authorized Lee to draw
on me if he found. that the lands
were what they were represented to
be. Lees authority as my agen.
never went beyond an examination
of the land and, if the application
was filed, to see that I got good
timber lands instead Of rocks and
marshes. He wired me not to be
in hurry, as there were obstacles
in the way. In the meantime ] had
talked with lawyers who were ia
miliar with the military road land
grants, and they informed me thai
under a decision of the circuit court
private parties were not permitted
to sue for these lands. Still doubt
ing whether 1 could purchase the
lands with any hope of successful!
litigation, l wrote to Senator George
Turner, Of Washington, to get his
opinion and incidentally to make
inquiry about lands on the Colum-
bia river, in that State. He gave the
same opinion that 1 had already re-
ceiyed from the other lawyer.
Realizing after I got to Washing
ton, D. c., in December that it was
very doubtful proposition, let the
matter drop until Mr.. Lee showed
me letter from Reeder G Watkins,
which has been stolen from my
desk in my committee room along
with other papers in this case, prob
ably by some of the Secret Service
sleuths, and when they indicated
their desire that I should exert my
influence. in the Senate, wrote the
letter Of February Is, of which the
President obtained Photographic
copy. In the meantime and before
that letter was written, from my
Investigations and after confer
ence with the Acknowledgement,
introduced the two resolutions OF
January 81, one calling on the At
torney-General for Information. and
the other (the joint resolution).
which became law, lnstructing him
to institute suits.
My official activity then is shown
to have taken form in the Senate be-
fore 1 knew anything about Reeder
& Watkins attitude or expectations
and 1 was in no way Influenced by
them.
I was still anxious to obtain soma
of the land if it could be done le
gally, and wrote Reeder & Watkins
to that effect, but my faith in them
and in the whole scheme died when
l received the circular of Dorr, which
came to me on February II and IS
from three different directions, show:
ling the widespread distribution
made of them. Also Mr.. Lees re-
port TO me had iel me to believe
that Reeder &; Watkins were not OF
the caliber and character to be en-
ployed in a matter of such magn-
tude, except probably as to their
familiarity with the local conditions
and their ability to locate quartei
sections which were well timbered,
as they were in the possession of a
cruisers map. Dorr. of whom | had
never heard before, was evidently
pushing his scheme of getting suck
ers to invest and using my meme, as
| have indicated, without authority
because | had not paid any fees to
him or written to him or filed any
applications I therefore felt it in
cumbent on me to expose the swindle
in the Senate, which did on the
18th of February, and asked the
postoffice authorities to issue fraud
order.
pressed the passage of the joint
resolution in the Senate, and on
April 80 it became a law. March Is
I was taken i'll, and on May 10, after
a partial recupera:ion sailed for
Europe, returning October q.
The Presidents sleuths, set to do
the dirty work of spying on Sena-
tor when that Senator had exposed
fraud which was being perpetrated
on the public, reported to him Oh
July 81. I had nothing whatever
to do with the change in the law Of
which the President complains in
regard to the Secret Service.
So the Presidents animus is not
against me on the same ground for
which he has attacked Messrs. Taw-
ney, Smith and others IN the House
but one of personal malice engender
ed by hatred because of my course
in the Senate during the last seven
years.
I have not attempted to deceiv,:
anybody; l have not told any false.
hoods. 7 have not broken any law.