The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-15
Senator Declares That Two Cabinet Members Are
 Eligible
PREPARED FOR ANYTHING
 TO COME SAYS PULLMAN
Defense Is Made of His Position In the Land Grant Matter and the Sena-
 tor Is Proud of His iiaA Integrity.

Washington, January 14-The Ananias club was discussed in the Senate today by Senator Tillman, who declared that statements made by Attorney General Bonaparte and Postmaster General Meyer in reply to his reply to charges made against him by the President, in relation to his contemplated purchase of Oregon timber lands, made them eligible to mem- bership, in that organization. He again defended his action and said in fighting the "unscrupulous men" who are deter mined ito destroy" him, he was pre- pared TOT anything even assassination"
 Senator Tillman alternated between a denunclation of these two members of the Presidents cabinet and the ridcule which he hurled at them in shrill tones rever- berated throughout the Senate chamber. and at times could be heard in the ad- joining corridors. The announcement that the Senator would speak today again called forth crowded galleries, while the Senate itself was fully repre- scented. Mir. Tillman obtained the floor very early In the session. He read a letter he had received from Attorney General Bonaparte in response to his verbal request made yesterday for in- formation concerning the legal proceed- ings that have been brought by the de- partment of Justice against the Southern Oregon company, which holds the 100000 acres of timber land granted in connee- tion with the Coos Bay wagon road. The letter is dated yesterday. and reads as follows:
 Letter to Tillman.
 My Dear Senator-Referring to our tel ephone conversation this morning, I beg to say that l find an examination of the files of the department that the suit in connection with the Coos Bay wagon road grants was one of those which, as told you, had been the subject of difference of opinion between the special counsel engaged in these cases. A private suit had already been brought in connection with this matter, and the question arose whether the government should inter- vene in this suit, or should bring an in- dependent suit. After careful considera- tion and rather volumnous correspond ence with the two special counsel, l de- cided that 1t would be better for the gov ernment to bring independent action altogether to the private suit already Instituted. l, therefore, wrote sometime ago to B. D. Townsend and subsequent ly telegraphed him directing that such suit should be brought as soon as prac- ticable. The questions involved in the suit connected with the Coos Bay grant and several other contemplated suits of minor moment will be substantially de- terninad hv decision iJ, ha oosa ready instituted against the Hartman railroads which hold the Oregon and California land grant titles, and it is deemed advisable by MT. Townsend to bring to trial, if possible, the main suit, namely that against the Hartman inter- ests and involving the Oregon and Cali fornia railroad grants before these other far less important suits are tried I agree with him to this extent and al- though, as above suited, l have ordered all the suits to be brought as soon as possible, l think injury to the gov ernment interests has been caused by the delay in instituting proceedings in re- gard to the Coos Bay grants and a num- Der of other matters.
 T enclose you herewith copies from the dockets of the department a state- ment of the present situation of the main suit against the Hartman interests the bill of complaint, in which, as you will see, was filed September last, as set forth in my statement of yesterday. Re- spectfully,
 (Sgned) "CHAS. J. BONAPARTE.
 Attorney General"
 Bill of Complaint.
 The data furnished by MT. Bonaparts showed that the bill of complaint against the Southern Oregon company had been filed September f, 1908.
 Analyzing the report of the secret serv- ice inspectors in connection with his cor respondence with Reeder & Watkins, Senator Tillman pointed out the glaring inaccuracies and suggested that there should be some determination of the exact qualifications for membership on the Ananias club. He declared that Shakes peare in As You Like It. has put words in the mouth of Touchstone which de- termined the degree of a lie warranting fight and quoted as follows;
 70. sir, we all in print by the book; as you have books for good manners I will name you the degrees. The first, the retort courteous; the second, the quip modest; the third, the reply churlsh; the fourth, the reproof valiant; the fifth, the counter check quarresome the sixth, the lie with circumstance; the seventh, the lie direct
 "All these you may avoid. but the lie direct, and you may avoid that too with an if l knew when seven justices could not take up a quarrel, but when the parties were met themselves, one of them thought but of an if, as if you said so then I said so; and they shook hands and swore brothers. Your If Is the only peacemaker; much virtue in if "
 Enough Notoriety.
 On taking the floor MT Tillman said it was not pleasant for him to intrude his personality the attention of the Sem ate.
 T have enough notoriety already" de-