New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-01-11
FRIENDS FEAR FOR
TILLMAN'S. HEALTH
4NYIOCS is TO THE Eff
Feet OF CHARGES.
His Denial That He Vas an Ap-
plicGnt for Land Deplored by
His Colleagues.

washington. Jan. 1O.-No subject has been
rossiped about recently at the Capitol with such
ferzor as President Roosevelt's disclosure OF
Senator Tillmen's alleged connection with an
oregon land deal but the colleagues Of the
South Carolinian are inclined to withhold judg-
r1ent until he has had an opportunity to ex-
rlain II is likely that when the doors of the
Senate open tomorrow there will be crowd
awaiting admittance sufficient 10 I'LL the gal
ie-ies many times The fact that the Senator
will read his explanation probably will rob II of
some Of the sharp and homely epigrams usual
IN his speeches and the effort therefore may be
somewhat of g disappointment to his audience.
Many expressions of dissatisfaction are heard
because Of the manner in which the President
made public the material gathered by postoffice
inspectors about Senator Tillman- 1t is pointed
ont bv Senators that the matter sent TO Sen
ator Hale was not in response to the latters re-
c,,ast TO the heads of the executive depart
n,srfs for a statement Of the operations of the
secret Service as the investigation of Senator
TiIlrnanrs alleged effort TO obtain Oregon LANDS
was wholly under the Postoflce Department and
was prosecuted by. the inspectors of that depart
meEt
one Senate leader was heard to express the
cririun that as the President had had In MS
,assession for several months the information
ra+rered about Senator Tillman it was his duty
z
warranted action in the courts
i vas rumored at the Capitol to-day that the
President had told friend. who repeated the
rsr,arl1 that an effort had heen made by Sena-
-ors Hale and Aldrich TO suppress the facts about
Senator TiIlman Undoubtedly this impression
was gained al the White House by visit 10
the President 10y Mr. Hale. who suggested thet
the matter relating 10 Mr.. Tillman should oe
withdrawn. 1t is said that the Maine senator
dc not base the request on the ground that IL
mas not r7roperly a reply TO the demand for in
formation about the Secret Service, but because
Of the fact that Senator Timan is in poor
health. and the charge was likely to arouse him
10 a pitch of excitement dangerous to his life.
President Roosevelt declined to withdraw the
reference TO M Tfilnlan, and when Senator
Hale would not make il public he decided to do
SO himself.
There is no question that the condition OF
Senator Tillrnan's health is serious When he
went 20 Europe last March he was in highly
nervous state. The trip resulted in a marked
;rnproveuent. but for some time his friends have
noticed that his nervousness was returning
Close friends on the Democratic side of the Sen
ate chamber admit their anxiety over the effect
,he Presidents charges may have on Senator
TTlman.
Some Of the Senators who have examined all
~ the evidence produced by the President and
he postofice inspectors say that if the facts are
as represented. the offence was one OF lmpro-
prefr and indiscretion. but that no criminallty
Is involved. II was said that Mr.. Tillman might
have introduced his resolution calling on the
Department Of Justice to begin proceedings TO
compel the sale Of the Oregon land at 81 % an
acre in accordance with the original grant, and
at the same time apply for some of the land
without making himself the target for severe
criticism.
The feature OF the disclosure most deplored
.bv the colleagues of Senator Tillman is the ap-
rearance Of an effort to hide the fact that he
.Ras an applicant for nine quarter sections un-
der the terms Of the original grant in MS
statement in February last the Senator SAID
that he had not bought any Western land nor
had he undertaken to buy any.
The evidence submitted by the President
shows that prior this statement Mr. 1lilnlah
had made application for nine quarter sections
Defending himself against the appearance OF
having made a misleading statement Senator
Timan told his friends to-day that he should
have said on the floor that he had not con
iracted" 10 buy any land, and that the whole
case against him had been built upon the inter
Tretation placed upon the word undertaken