Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-01-15
SENATOR TIlLMAN'S DEFENSE.

| SENAI Oh IlIlmHN VET GNS6'
In defending himself in the Senate
Yesterday from the accusations OF
President Roosevelt, Senator Illlmah.
of South Caronna. spoke with COM
| paratiye moderation. which. for Il
man of his temperament. was slenitl-
cant. whatever his fellow Senators
and the public may think as 10 tn"
adequacy OF his defense. Mr.. TIL
man, i, is true. INDUCED in person
alities at times. but he was replying
to allegations which impusned his
veracity and his integrity. In th"s"
| circumstances a Senator far more jill
ficult to provoke to anger and to vthe-
menace OF speech might have yl"ldeu
to the impulse to rotor holly upon an
accuser as aggressive and irritating
as well as vulnerable rs President
| Roosevelt. The charges against IN"
/ South Carolina Senator. as SUMMARY
cd by him. are as follows:
Firs,-Thc President promotes me
to membership in the "Ananias Cup
and charges. In effect. that nav" de'
liberately lied to the Senate.
| SccOnd-Hc charges that | have "N-
erted my official influence ana work
Ell as a Senator for my personal b'n'-
ut alone to secure the passage Of
resolution and to press tn" Depart
| ment of Justice to bring suit against
the corporations which hold so much
! of the public domain OF the West ana
will not sell IL to settlers under tn"
terms of their grants from the GOV
eminent.
We publish in our news columns
: today the text OF MIR Tillman's speech.
Mr. Tillman charges that the Fr'Sl-
den, was aspired by personal malice:
that in submitting to the Senate what
ourpurts to h. a complete official re-
cord Of transaction which is discrrhi
tabl. to the South Carolina Senator
Mr. Roosevelt has suppressed facts Of
material Importance and has mis-
stated others. Mr.. Tillman derives
a certain satisfaction from the cir
cumstance that the President does
not charge him with any unlawtnl
act. Rut an act which is not Illegal
NAV be odious and Senator Tillmnn.
smarting under the President ,Mp"-
tations, offers an elaborate defense.
! The specification under the first
charge supplied by the President N
his communication TO Senator Hale
Is tina, n few days after making an
plication for nine quarter section OF
public lana in Oregon with real es-
tate firm in the West Mr.. Ti!lman
told the Senate that he had not bought
any land anywhere in the West nor
| undertaken" to bay any. In his re-
ply to this charge Mr.. Tillman admits
that he was perhaps disinS"nuous.
but moments thought" he goes on
to say, will convince any homes,
minded man that, as | had not signed
any papers. had not paid any money:
had taken nobOdy's receipt. the usual
processes by which one undertakes
To buy land. | was speaking accurate
" and not falsely. Everything hinges
on the meaning Of the word 'undertaS-
en- and my use of II"
After making nts application to the
Western real estate firm for the land
Mr.. Tillman received copies Of cir
cular issued by one Dorr, htterto I'M
known to him. making certain state
ments about Senator Tiilman as an
Involvement to the public to employ
Dorr and make applications for land.
Mr. .Tillman pronounced DORIS clrcu-
lar. so far 20 1t referred to him. raise
and misleading and designed to pro-
mote a swirdle 1t was the state
ments i'm The Dorr circular only which.
Mr.. Tiilman asserts. he was denying
in the Senate He declares that he
went promptly to the PoStoff1ce De
partment and asked tina, Dorr be IN
vcstigated and his mail be withheld
under a fraud order This was done.
Mr. Tillmau AYERS that in CONVERSE
ton with the Attorney General and
with the officials of the Postofiice De
partment about this business he told
them of his own connection with 1t
and made no concealments. He was,
he contends, doing what he had a
right to do. maintaining that he had
not lost his right TO buy land because
he is a Senator.
Discriminating Americans. familiar
with the high standard Of decorUm
and delicate sense of prcpriety which
characterized Senators from South
Carolina in other days will probably
not take as lenient view nf Senator
Tillman's conduct in this transaction
as the Senator himself and many oil
his friends do. Mr. Tiilman has prGh
ably convinced those who know him
REST that he did not make purpose
: I, misleading statement 10 the Scna.":
that in securing action ~ the gov
; eminent in these land cases he has
rendered a service to thousands OF
persona who desire TO secure quarter
sections in the tract Of 2.0oo."oo acres
. in Oregon and Southern California
, now cont rolled. as Mr. T;iiman alleges.
I by Mr. Hartman. Rut. howsocver
! small the Senator'S personal interest
may have been in the success Of the
Governments suit instituted on his
initiative. was still a comInerc al
an. practical interest. Persons with
a highly Developed sGrss Of the pro
-G..i.. Ill, a. ., l;RcuI. 70 roam