Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1909-01-11
IMMENSE CROWD
HEARS THE SPEECH
The Galleries Are Filled With
Mixed Audience and Senators
and Representatives Throng
the Floor to Hear
Speaker.

Washington, Jan. 11.--Senator Till
mans reply to President Roosevelts
charges against him in connection
with an Oregon land grant was made
in the Senate today and it received
the attention of an immense audi
ence. Long before the doors leading
to the Senate chamber were opened,
the corridors were thronged with peo-
PIE, embracing both sides and all col
ors. When the senator arose to SPEAK
there was not vacant seat in the gal
leries. The Senate floor was wen oc-
cupied, not only by senators but by
members of the House of Representa-
tives as well
Much interest was manifested in
Senator Tillman and when he entered
the chamber his coming was an
ncunce by many exclamations of
There he is" accompanied by vigor-
Gus craning of necks and pointing of
III gers. 1t was generally understood
that he would attempt to justify his
course and the disposition of the au-
dience, both on the floor and in the
galleries, was to await his explanation
before passing judgment.
"In my public work here" said Till
man in opening 81 have not hesitated
to criticize and comment on the Off
cial actions and utterances OF Presi-
dent Roosevelt and l have doubtless
given him good cause to seek revenge.
l have at various times arraigned him
in the Senate for his tyrannical inva-
sion of the rights of Congress, for the
usurpation of authority not given him
by the constitution, for dlsobedience
of law and for neglect of duty
81 was not aware that these darts
of mine had quivered in the executive
hide and stung him so, but the eager
ness and intensity with which he pre-
scented his case against me indicates
that Roosevelt enjoys to the limit the
feeling of getting even with Ben Till
man and that he lays on the big stick
with the keenest relish, doubtless be-
Eeving that the pitchfork had gone out
Of business"
Tillman called attention to the pub
lication of the charges by Roosevelt
before they had been considered by
the committee of the Senate to which
they had been referred and declared
that in doing this the president had
treated the Senate with that con-
tempt which has been his wont" In
examining the charges, he said, they
could be boiled down to two in num-
ber.
First. he promotes me to member
snip in the Ananias club and charges
in this that l deliberately lied to the
Senate.
second, he charges that l have ex-
10 l.
as a senator for my personal benefit
alone; to secure the passage Of a res
olution and press the department Of
Justice TO bring suit against "a corpOr-
alton which holds so much Of the pub
lie domain in the west and will not
sell it to settlers on the terms Of their
grants from the government"
Both Of these charges the Senator
Cenied in vigorous style. He admit
ted that he had endeavored TO pur-
chase Oregon lands and said that
there was no secret about IT, He had
consulted with the attorney general
about the matter and communicated
with DOrr and his associates about
it, Later he received a circular that
Dorr was putting forth and In which !
il was said that Tillman was inter-
ested and had paid fees for the land. |
This he denied, and pointed out that in !
his denial in the Senate at the time
he asked for a fraud order against
Dorr he did not say that he had
ted 10 purchase the land but that |
statements in the Dorr circular were !
false and misleading.
"T he sleuths whom the president !
put upon my trail made their re-
port and a perusal of 1t will show |
that so far from endeavoring 10 JUS !
tify the fraud order against Dorr
they We're really put to work to in !
vesrPate me and TO endeavor, IL pos !
sible. to discover something to my |