Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-16
NO T|LLMAK INQUIRY
Sentiment in Senate to Ignore
Presidents Charges.
TWO REASONS THEREFOR
Accusation May Not Be Deemed of
Serious Importance.
ALIEN TO SECRET SERVICE
South Carolinian Wants to Be Prob
ed-Subcommittee to Meet
Monday.
TWO REASONS THEREFOR
ALIEN TO SECRET SERVICE

Nobody at the Capitol will be much sur
prised If the Senate does not take any
steps whatsoever toward Investigating the
Presidents land fraud charges against
Sena' 'r T:llman of South Carolina.
notwithstanding that Mr.. Tillman has
twice OH the floor of the Senate demanded
investigation. sentiment is strongly in
favor of letting the matter drop.
This failure to act on the case would
mean two Things, in the opinion of sena-
tors
First. it would Indicate beyond doubt
that the Senate does not consider The
Pre- sidept's charges as serious enough 10
inv, stisa'e, and believes. now that both
Mr. Roosevelt and Mr.. Tillman have
spoken, it is up 10 the people Of the coun-
try to take whatever view Of the matter
they may choose.
Not Secret Service Business.
In the second place, it is pointed out
rather slyly, that, as a matter of fact
the Tillman charges have nothing to dc
with the secret service investigation
which the President used as excuse foI
sending them to Senator Hale, chair
man Of the committee on appropria-
tions. The Senates decision to ignore
them completely would but emphasize
the, view, widely held at the Capitol
that the Presidents action was unwar-
ranted and was merely Undertaking"
of the kind he himself on a previous
occasion denounced.
The Senate, of course, is the sole
judge of the qualifications of it's mem
bers. 1t doesn't have to investigate any
Of it's number Of it doesn't want to.
This does not mean, however, that the
opinion of the majority Of that body
would be in favor of ''whitewashing' any
senator under suspicion. 1t can be stated
with authority that the leaders of the
Senate of both parties would not regard
failure to act in this case as "whitewash-
ing" in any sense of the term.
Tillman Wants Inquiry. .,ss.~
AS for Mr.. Tillman, he said this morning
he did not know what the Senate proposed
to do
81 have done all can.' he said. 81
have twice demanded investigation and
indicated my strong desire to have every
possible fact about this matter brought to
light. What else can 1 do?
IF the Senate fails to do anything.
suppose it will mean that it doesn't think
the charges of the President are worth
investigating. 1 shall be disappointed
however, If there Is not a thorough in
vestigation."
If. after all, there should be an investi-
CATION Of Senator Tillman's connection
with the Oregon land transactions it is
not likely that the Gallinger subcommittee
of the appropriations committee, appoint
ed to investigate the secret service, will
undertake it. The suggestion has been
made that 1T is a matter that should
privileges and elections. as it would in
seat.
Purposes of Subcommittee.
When the Gallinger subcommittee meets
for the first time next Monday it will first
take up the law under which the secret
service came into being. In order to lay
the foundation for a consideration of the
legality of the uses to which it has been
put.
Senator Gallinger said this afternoon it
is still too early to state how soon re-
port may be expected on the secret serv-
ice. He has not yet had time, he said,
to read the Aldrich resolution which di-
rects that the appropriations committee
make the investigation, and therefore is not
ready to discuss the question at ALL He in
timated. however. that he and Senators
Hemenway and Clay, who form the SUBJ
committee, will cover the entire subject
pretty thoroughly. before they do any
thing toward drawing up a report.