The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-09
AFTER TILLMAN.
President Roosevelt in a Com
municatiOn to Hale
Charges SOutherner With TAX
ing Part in Land Grab.
USED HIS INFLUENCE.
To Force the Government to
Relinquish Public Land
Benefit Thereby.
USED HIS INFLUENCE.

Washington. Jan. 9.-Presiden'
Roosevelt has made public the details
ef an investigation by postoffice in
spectors and secret service agents OF
Senator Tillman's connection with an
alleged "land grab in oregon. AS ne
presents the evidence to Senator Hale,
in response to the latterS request TO
the heads of the various executive De
partments for a statement OF thG
president undertakes to show:
That Mr.. TiIlman used his influence
as a senator in an effort to force the
government to compel railroad cor
poration to relipquish it's control OF
land grants from the United states IN
order that he and his family and ms
secretary. j. B. knight, might proht
through the purchase of some of the
land: that the senator used his gov
eminent Thanking privilege in numer-
Gus instances for the conduct OF prl-
vate business.
Senator Tinman said that he could
not make his reply as complete as he
would desire for today's papers and
that, he would therefore withhold
whatever remarks he might have to
make until Monday when he would
make a statement to the senate NO
effort was made by him to concea! the
fact that when he had learned facts
concerning the railroad grant he had
made an effort to obtain portions of
the land in the names of himself and
his family, but he declared that at
most, as he could have gotten posses
sion of only a few hundred acres, his
efforts were, after all in behalf of
the public and not especially in his
own interest.
Immediately after the conclusion
of the chaplain's prayer Monday. Mr..
Tillman will ask the recognition of
the chair on question of personal
privilege. Departing from his custom
of extemporaneous speaking, he Will
III -Ar,A1
The communication to Senator Hale
is nearly 5000 words long. and in adj
dition there is appended numerous
exhibits including copies of letters
agent. William z. Lee, showing that
they did make an effort to secure sew
eral quarter sections of the oregon
land, and the representations of the
postoffice inspector, who investigated
the transactions of the land agents.
The presidents communication to
Senator Hale is in part as follows:
"The White House. Washington,
my Dear senator Hale: 1 have
requested the different departments of
the government. not only those to
whom you sent requests. but those to
whom you did not, to give me all the
information about the use of special
attorneys, special agents, inspectors.
etc. in their departments, which will
enable me to put before you all the
facts which. as I understand it, your
committee desires to have. 1 send
these reports herewith. I call espe-
cial attention to the report of the
secretary of state, the secretary of the
treasury and the attorney general.
LET me at the outset most earnest
~ express my cordial agreement with
the view that it is not only right, but
the duty of congress to investigate the
workings of the secret service or de-
tective agents by which alone the gov
eminent can effectually safeguard
srlc-& T1@4v L,
crime, and bring to justice criminals.
am we'll aware of the liability to
abuse inherent in any effective de-
tective system or select service sys-
tenn: for the measure of the efficiency
of the system is also the measure of
the seriousness of the abuses of the
system if it be applied to wrong pur-
poses or directed to any improper
interest that there should be vigilant
inquiry into the workings of this
agency both by the heads of the ex-
ecutive departments and by congress-
"A case has just arisen, which seems
to me, 1 should put before you as il
Illustrating in striking fashion the way
in which Investigations begun by any
of these agents in the line of their
duty may develop facts of high impor-
lance. which the investigators would
not in the first instance seek to dis
cover, which when discovered ought
not to be hidden or suppressed, but
to create an erroneous impression that
the agents in the question We're being
used for purposes not within the line !
of their lawful duty.
"On the 10Th of February. 1908. |
Senator Tillman called the attention
of the senate to a circular of a syn
dictate firm for the sale of lands in
Oregon, particularly in Coos and
Douglas counties. which had been |
granted to corporations by the govern |
ment, the circular stating that the !
company in possession of the land |
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 this land is Senator TIL |
man. of South Carolina. the leader of |
the Democratic party in the senate. a |
man who usually gets what he goes |
after
TilIman'S Denial
senator Tillman denied the state |
m ents of this circular and expressed a |
a wish for an investigation and upon
his request the postoffice department |
its inspectors, made such an |