The San Francisco call., 1909-01-09
TiIIman Is Shown Up by PresI-
dent as Grabber in the
North
Letters Reveal Negotiations of
Senator With Agent of
Syndicate
Roosevelt Fires a BrOadside
Based on Reports of
Secret Agents

Secret Agents
partment which were unearthed some
six years ago. for instance. offer a case
in point My suspicious were first
aroused by report made as 10 the
very eNtravagant and debauched man
ner Of life Of a certain postal en-
ploye. the report being made by an
official Of the secret service in connec-
tioh with another transaction at which
he was at work
Abuse of Privileges
so il was with the cases Of the
abuse Of the franking privileges. The
postofice never Of set purpose inspects
any printing sent through the mails by
a senator or congressman, but some
times through the accidental breaking
OF such packages the contents are ex-
posed. and if they are of a character
which makes their transmission by
franking privilege Illegal steps are
taken by the postOfice authorities to
collect the fun postage. Some of these
instances are due 10 carelessness or ig-
norance. and very often doubtless are
entirely unknown TO the congressman
themselves and no good purpose would
be served by any publicity in the mat
ter.
But a case has just arisen Of a
different kind. which il seems to me
] should put before you as illustrating
I'm striking fashion the way in which
investigation begun by any Of these
agents in the line Of their duty may
develop facts of high Importance. which
the Investigators would not in the first
instance have sought to discover. which
when discovered. ought not to be hid
den or suppressed, but the development
OF which may tend 10 create an erro-
neous impression that the agents in
question were being used for purposes
not within the line Of their lawful duty.
Tillman and Syndicate
"On the 18th of February. 1905 (see
exhibit Al, Senator Ti,lmsn called the
attention Of the senate 20 a circular
OF a syndicate firm for the sale of
lands in Oregon, particularly in Coos
and Douglas counties, which had been
granted 10 corporations by the gov
ernment, the circular stating that the
company in possession Of the lands
was bound TO sell them for $3.50 an
acre, or upon their refusal would be
prosecuted by the government. and that
among those who have spoken for a
part Of the land is Senator Tiilman OF
south Carolina, the leader of the demo
cratic party in the senate. a man who
usually gets what NE goes after
senator Tillman denied the state
nents OF this circular and expressed
a wish Tor an Investigation and upon
ms request the DOstoffice department
through its inspectors made such an
investigation. He stated in reference
10 this circular:
have not bought any land any
where IN the west, nor undertaken to
buy any. ] have made some inouiries
as one naturally would in roanine
through the west I simply want fbe
people OF the country 10 be put or
hotlce that this swindler at Portland
has no warrant whatever for endeavo,..
ing TO inveigle others into his game.
Letters as Exhibits
Il inclOse the circular referred to q.
EXHIBIT 3; the report Of the postof7cs
inspectors under date Of July %. 1908
as eNhlblt G l inclose you also pho
losraphic facsimiles Of letters anf
envelopes and kilograms from Senator
Illlman and his agent. william z. Lee
~ appears that on October I9. 1907
oehator Iillman wrote a letter (exhihii
- - TO Messrs. Reeder and Watkins
Marshfield, Ore. who were attornev.
representing people who were annii
cants for the purpose Of obtaining ,
certain wagon road land grant. Dor
was land agent making his filing,
through Reeder and Watkins. Sena.
Tor Tillman's letter runs in part =,
follows:
wired YOU from Wausau. Wis a.
lolloWs and write TO confirm il. vii
nam A. Lee. my agent. will see vo,
about the land. ] want nine ouarfe-
reserved. VIII forward signed annIf
cations and money at once. Member
Of my family are entrymen. Iette,
follows
"'B r. T.
I write now to say I wired Mr. Ie,
who resides at MOSCOW. Idaho. to go 2
once to Marshiield and see you abou
the land 10 locate quarters for III,
seven members OF my family who are n
age and one for my private secretary
j. 3. Knight, whom I desire to let int,
The deal and. OF course. he wants ;
quarter for himself
IL Is "a Good Gamble"
The letter continued, stating in do
"a hos 20