Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-01-12

dated by four days MY statement in |
the senate that | had not bought any
land or undertaken to buy any, and |
the president considers this positive
proof of falsehood. did not say had |
not considered the purchase of land; |
did not say / had not contemplated |
the purchase of land, because / had
done both.
In my conversation with the attof-
lney general in regard to the resolu-
ton which / introduced and which he
himself prepared after we had
talked over the whole land sit.
uation. | distinctly remember tel.
ling his that my interest in
the matter had been first aroused
by my desire to purchase some of the
timber land and that my coming to
him was due to the fact that discov-
cred upon Investigation that | could
not buy it through any agency what
soever. that Il could not buy it even
| by law suit, because was advised by
/ very able lawyers in the west. among
them The Hon, George Turner Of
/ Washington. that in attacking the
holders Of these land grants no one
would have any standing in court ex-
cept the >grantor, the government
itself. | was PERHAPS disingenuous, but
moments thought will convince any
! honest minded man hat as had not
/ signed any papers, had not paid any
money, had taken nobodv's recent,
/ the usual processes by which one UNI
ldertakes. to buy land I was speaking
accurately and not falsely.
Brings Hartman Into Squabble.
Everything hinges on the meaning
of, the word undertaken and my use
of it. Did mean to conceal the fact
that I was anxious5to buy some of the
Hand? Not. at all. Did mean to at
tack Dorr as a swindler when myself
was engaged in dishonest and dishon-
orble transaction? That is what the
president would have people believe.
| Can be Justly CHARGED with falsehood
when if l had told the senate Of the
entire transaction it would have made
no difference whatever. while
would have been CHARGED with intrud-
ing my private affairs into a public
discussion. Just what law did
break? What wrong did do or con
template? According TO the report OF
the attornev general in answer to tbs
resolution which I introduced and
which passed the, senate Hartman,
the presidents dear friend, still holds
in defiance of law upwards Of two mil
lions of acres of the best lands of
OREGON and California and refuses to
sell them at any price. never expect.
ed and could not under the terms of
the law as I con strued it, get more
than seven quarter sections for myself
and family, one for my private secre-
tarv, and one for Mr. Lee, making
nine in all. This in the aggregate
would mean that would obtain
through my activity here, as the pres
ident's charge is nine quarter sec
tions, or fourteen hundred and forty
acres at a cost of $4,000 Will the pres
ident undertake to say that l have
lost my right to buv land because I
am senator? Can the president DENY
: that my activity secured the passage
Of the resolution instructing the attor-
ney general to bring suit for the recov.
erv OF this land for the use of actual
settlers? If Hartman and others like
him are made to disgorge by reason
:, of these suits, shall the fact that j
!. was endeavoring to buy little pit
, lance of the land be used as the basis
!. .of a charge Of being a liar and a cor.
rupt senator to be disgraced?
}, Letters Stolen From Desk.
Senator Tillman then told how his
attention had been brought to this land
, while at Spokane, Washington, in Oct
: Eeber 1907. He wrote to Reeder and
) watkins asking for information ant
S telling them of his desire to- purchase
! some of the land if possible: Desiring
! to find out if the conditions of the
:. Grant to the state of Oregon made II
. possible for purchase and not "ac-
3. tCal settlers to bu-, at $3.50 per acre
t he, Wired to the librarian of the senate
e. for a copy of the act. He met Mr.. Lee
{. at Moscow, Idaho. and talked Will
. him on the subject. arranging that he
= would go to Marsllfield and investigate
! in person He authorized Lee to draw
Q ON him if he found the lands were
t wl-at they We're represented to be
{ He went into detail in explaining his
+ effort to learn the exact status of the
T lands and got an opinion from Senator
= Turner. of Wa shington. After return
: ing to Washington. d. c., in Deem
I Der, hellet the matter drop, he believ'
n ing it to be a, very doubtful PROPOSE
n ton until Mr.. Lee showed him {
t letter from Reeder and Watkins, which
= Mr.. Tilllnan said had been stolen from
= the desk in his committee room alon.
= with other papers in this case and de
9 clared that the theft was probably b.
q some of the secret service sleuths.
d When Reader and watkins h
Z said, indicated their desire that
r. should exert my influence in the sen
= ate ! wrote the letter of February /
;. OF which the president obtained pho
Z to"raphic copy. In the meantime, ant
J. before that letter was written from
IL NY invitations and after conference
3, with the attorney general. introduces
Il the two resolutions of January 31st
4 one calling on the attorney genera
= for information and the other, which
! became q law, instructing him to in
u stitute suits.
e Il was still anxious to obtain som
II of the land if it could be done legal.
and wrote Reeder and Watkins to tina
effect, but my faith in them, and il
= the whole scheme, died when I re
y ceived the circulars of Dorr whicl
L came to me on February II and !
Il from three different directions, show
IS ing the widespread circulation Q
: Them
y Mr.. Lees report to him he said, ha