The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-01-12

pellnS way 10 LHe uteu VI Pi oihP'
action by the Department of JUS
tice. Whether ever get any of the
land or not does not mater Il Har-
rimar and others of that ilk are
made to disgorge the large holdings
which they have stolen and are at
tempting to hold.
The President says:
On October 20, 1907, Senator
Tillman wrote letter to Messrs.
| Reeder G. Watkins. of Marshfield,
Oregon, who were attorneys repre-
senting people who were appl1-
cants for the purchase Of certain
land-grant land. Dorr was land
agent making his filings through
Reeder & Watkins.
This statement is misleading and
calculated to deceive. The report OF
the postoffice inspectors gives the
| actual truth. 1t says:
Among the most active agents in
| this matter is the firm of Reeder 4
Watkins, of Marshfield, Greg. Mr..
Reeder is real estate agent and
Mr.. Watkins an attorney. They
have associated themselves together
in locating applicants on these lands.
Further, Reeder & Watkins, by
circulating a shrewdly worded cir
cular long before Dor appeared on
the scene, sought to make money By
having persons pay them S21 in
cash for filing an application with
the clerk of court and rendering to
the company S400 per quarter sec
ton, which the law originally con
templated as the price of land.
They were 20 receive 500 additional
whenever the Southern Oregon
Company should convey the title,
and they knew that no one could
compel this conveyance except the
United States Government, because
similar case had been decided iE
the United States court so declaring.
(See Nichols V. Southern Oregon
Co., Federal Reporter, vol. 1875, p.
294.)
I commenced to investigate on the
5th of October, and I made direc.
application to Reeder & Watkins, by
telegram and by letter, on the 10th
of October. Dorr did not appear
until early in 1908, as shown by the
report of the postotfice inspectors,
and his career as swindler was
brief, as I exposed the whole thing
in the Senate on February 10. The
President had the papers and knew
all this. Reeder G. Watkins were re-
ceiving $21 for the Insignificant
work of making a tender to the hold
ing company and filing notice with
the clerk of the court. Dorr was
to share in this commission, or what
ever you term it, for whatever bus
mess he brought, and yet the Presi
dent would convey the impression
that these filings were merely such
as are usual in purchasing govern
ment land, when he knew or could
have easily found out from the At
torney-General, that all such propos
ed purchasers could not thus bring
any suit. In the i'ght of the evil
dence as presented to the President
himself, the scheme was swindlc
to obtain S21 in cash, and must be
apparent to all. But the President
acquitted Dorr and convicted me.
By this time | had found out the
legal status, and decided would not
sign a contract, file an application
or pay any money, and my only req
son for writing to Reeder & Watkins
on February 15 was to have them
understand that Lee misconceived
my attitude in the Senate, and thai
| was not to be considered as a tool,
but acting in the interest Of the pub
lie Remember | knew nothing Of
Mr. Lees letter till sent in by the
President. At the same time | was
willing to use them in locating de-
sirable quarter sections, if later or
I found that the action of Congress
would make it possible to restore the
land to the public domain by the
cancellation Of the patents.
The President lays great stress OIL
the statement of mine made the 18th
Of February in letter to Reeder G.
Watkins. He italic;zes the words
"ac wa1l &c myce1f" " &C though If
were unlawful, immoral, or improper
for j Senator to buy any land or to
act in this Chamber en- any question
affecting his personal interest. /
fail to see any sense or reason in
this position, but | must submit that
to the judgment of the Senate and
the country. I had not become a
party to any litigation; I was not in
terested except as private individ-
ual wanting to purchase, and as a
Senator desiring to enable others to
have the opportunity to do SO. Of
course. the President is sure that |
have done something very discredita-
BILE and outrageous. He hates me
and would destroy me IL he could.
The President gloats over the fact
that my letter was written "just four
days before he announced in the
Senate that he had rot undertaken
to buy any land in the West as
clinching his contention that have
ho CT,