The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-01-13
ROOSEVELT AND TILLMAN.

Next door the editorial scales of
Justice have been balanced and the
verdict comes solemn1y forth that
Senator Benjamin r. Tillman, OF
South Carolina, is guilty of "the ethi-
cal infraction.''
It is a sad day for lohl journalism
when this staid and conservative ex-
ponent of the principles of republi-
canism surrenders its oWsl reasonk
Ding powers and joins that band of edi-
storial me-toos which is ever willing to
fl How any lead from the White House.
Down the street .whege editorial
brains have long since yielded to the
demands of political patronage, il has
not been surprising to see space
which is supposed to be devoted to
the expression of individual opinion
filed with excerpts from the holler-
than-thOu inscriptions from the YER
satile. though wholly irresponsible,
pen of the worlds mightiest hunter.
But next door, where caustic Originate
ty of Well-defined purpose has manip-
ulated the keys of the editorial Smith
Premier. it is discouraging to see this
echo of the presidents personal opin-
ion. an opinion which unquestionably
owes its birth to the exigencies of
situation which demanded that the
Iimelieht of Public opinion. focused
for the time toward the White House,
should be again shifted toward the
capitol
If anyone cares to read the record
in the case. the facts will be found
about as follows: In the long ago, the
government made an extensive rail-
road grant to the Southern Pacific, a
grant of some 10000 millions of
acres of fertile Oregon and California
lands, imposing upon that company
the condition that the lands be sold for
$3.50 per acre. The land is worth much
more than that. but the idea of the
grant was to encourage the settlement
and development of the country. The
company has never put the land or
the market at that price. although it
has several times promised to. at one
time going so far as to make deal
providing for its sale. Senator T1llman
heard of this deal. and investigated
He found that the land was worth
mere than the price it was offered and
agreed to take, through the members
OF his family, 1440 acres. The railroad
company. now controlled by Hartman
then called the deal off and refused
t. put the land on the market Sena-
tor Tillman, thoroughly acquainted
with the facts in the case, asked the
dcna,tment of justice to compel the
company to live uD to its agreement
with tire government. Had the depart
ment of Justice under President
Roosevelt, done its duty, the land
would have been sold. Tillman-whC
because he is a senator. has not lost
Ills right to buy or sell-would have
purchased his 1440 acres and other
citizens of the United States would
have purchased the remaining 1898
56n acres.
Instead of that. Roosevelt, with q
blare If trumpets. proclaims Tillmar
as a "lard 81 abber" and the me-toc
PRESS echos tne charge and pronounces
the senator guilty. Throughout the
country the story is printed under
glazing headlines, and most Of the
people as well as the me- too editors
read only the headlines and mentally
condemn the brilliant and forcefu
South Carolinan.
1t is fair to presume that should Mr.
Roosevelt, to cover his own short
comings. see fit to proclaim that the
lowly Nazarene had not paid the rent
on the manger in which he was born
and that he was thereby CRATER
the me-toos. forgetting that Roosevelt
had discredited himself in the Panama
canal DEAL" in the famous Dear
Maria" letters. in the former Roose-
Welt Chandler Tillman controversy, in
his attempts to graft travelling ex-