The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1909-01-15
SENATOR InlMAN REPLIES
SenatOr Declares R~0Osevelt's CHARGES
Are Based on Personal
Malice.

Washington, Jan. 13.-Being greet.
ed by applause from the galleries
when he entered the senate chamber
yesterday to reply to President Roose
velt's structures in respect to his con,
nection with Oregon timber land
transactions. Senator Tillman of South
Carolina proceeded to read his pre-
pared remarks with little attempt al
o%ratorical effect. He was accorded
careful attention by senators on both
sides of the chamber, the public and
private galleries being taxed to their
full capacity by visitors.
Charges Personal Malice.
Mr.. Tillman accused the president
of personal malice, Misrepresentation
Justification, c~owardice. hitting be.
low the belt" contempt OF the senate
and violation Of the law in use OF the
service. He charged that important
papers bearing On the case had been
stolen from his desk at the capitol,
probably by some Of the secret serv.
ice sleuths." He arraigned the presi.
dent for permitting the so-called steel
trust to absorb the Tennessee Coal
and Iron company, and for helping
his dear friend Hartman" hold 1000.
600 acres of the public domain. be.
cause Tillman wanted to buy LAO
acres.
Asks investigation.
The senator demanded the most rig.
Id investigation Of his conduct. He ad.
mitted that he was "perhaps disin,
genuous in the statement to the sen.
ate declaring that he had not bought
nor undertaken to buy" any of the
lands in question. Everything. he de.
clared, hinged on the meaning Of the
word undertaken" as he used it. He
had not PAID any money, nor had he
taken any ones receipts. the usual
process by which one undertakes to
buy land"
Not Guilty.
Il have not attempted to deceive
anybody" he declared with emphasis;
Il have not told any falsehoods; I
have not broken any law; | have not
been guilty of any immoral conduct.
] had the right to purchase the land if
| could"
Replying to the presidents charge
that he had made improper use Of
his official position. Mr.. Tilim9n said:
Il fail to see any sense or reason
in this attitude. ! had not become a
patty to any litigation; I was not in
terested. except as a private individ-
ual wanting to purchase, and as a sen
ator desirin" to enable others to have
the opportunity to do so.
of course. TIE president is sure
that lave done something very dis,
cre+itcble and outrageous. He hates
me and would destroy me if he could
Roast President Later.
"The president lives in a glass
house, with ever a glass floor in it,
and should remember the old adage.
lie has exerted all the power of the
government 70 destroy me, but | feel
that l stand unscathed. because If all
ether arguments fail to convince men
the character for rectitude, truthful
ness and honesty which I have buildea
in the sixty-one years of my life would
at last be my bulwark. Men who have
always heeen clean and honorable do
not suddenly become liars and hypo-
critics at sixty-one without any neces-
sitv.
Later on in this session it Is my
! purpose to devote some time to bring.
ing Theodore Roosevelt face to face
with his true self and let the people
of the United States see what charac'
ter of many they have been so bowed
down to-"