The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-01-12

nave lost my right to buy land be-
cause am a senator? Can the pres
Ident deny that my activity secured
the passage of the resolution instruct
ing the attorney general to bring suit
for the recovery OF this land for the
use of actual settlers2 If Hartman
and others like him are made to dis
gorge by reason of these suits shall
the fact that ] was endeavoring to
Duy little pittance of the land, be
used as the basis of q charge OF being
liar and corrupt senator, to be
diSgTaced-"
Senator Tillman then told how his
attention had been brought to this
land while at Spokane, Wash, in Oc-
tober, 1907. He wrote to Reeder and
Watkins, asking for information and
told them of his desire to purchase
some of the land, if possible Desir-
ing TO find out if the conditions OF the
grant to the state of Oregon made it
possible for purchasers" and not "ac-
tual settlers, to buy at $3.50 per acre
he wired to the librarian of the SEN
ate for copy of the act. He author
lied Lee to draw on him if he found
the lands were what they were rep
resented to be.
Charges Theft of Letters.
Lees authority as ny agent" he
said, never went beyond an exam
lnatiOn of the land, and if the aDpli-
cation was filed, to see that I got good
timbered lands instead of rocks and
marshes"
Mr.. Tillman went into detail on eX-
planning his effort to learn the exact
status of the lands and got an Opin-
ion from Senator Turner, of Wash
ingtOn- After returning to Washing
ton, D. G., in December, he let the
matter drop, believing it to be a very
doubtful proposition until Mr. Lee
showed him a letter from Reeder and
Watkins, which Mir Tillman said had
since been stolen from the desk in
his committee room, along with other
papers in this case, and declared that
the theft was probably by some of the
secret service sIeuths-
when Reeder and Watkins" he
said, indicated their desire that I
should exert my influence in the SEN
ate, wrote the letter of February Is,
of which the president obtained a
Photographic copy. In the meantime.
and before that letter was written,
and after a conference with the at
tOrney- general, 1 introduced the two
resolutions of January 81, one calling
on the attorney general for informa-
tiOn and the other, which became
Law, instructing him to institute snits.
My official activity then is shown to
have taken form in the senate before
/ knew anything about Reeder and
Watkins's attitude or expectations,
and / was in no way Influenced by
them.
Il was still anxious to obtain some
of the land if il could be done legal
~ and wrote Reeder and Watkins to
that effect, but my faith in them and
in the whole scheme died when I re-
ceived the circulars and directions,
showing the widespread circulation of
them"
Mr. Lees report to him, he said,
had also led him to believe that Reed
er and Watkins were not of the cal
ibre and character" to be employed
in a matter of such magnitude"
''DOTr, of whom I had never heard
before" he said, was evidently push
ing his scheme of getting suckers to
invest and using my name. as I have
indicated, without authority, because
I had not paid any fs8s to him or
written to him or filef any appliea-
lions. ], therefore, felt it incumbent
on me to expose the swindle in the
senate, which ] did on Feb. 10 and
asked the postoffice department to is
sue a fraud order. I pressed the
passage of the joint resolution in the
senate. and on April 80 it became a
law. March IS, / was taken ill, and
on May Is, after a partial recupera-
ton. J sailed for Europe, returning
October 81.