The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-01-13

~~'""hstce anu TIC senate Win tnat
contempt which has been his wont.
Another probable reason for his
great haste was that he sought to dis
tract attention from the action Of the
house OF representatives on Friday in
laying part OF his message on the
table by the sensational accusations
against a man who has had long SER
yice In the senate. could have made
my statement 10 the senate and to
the country just as easily on Saturday
as I make II now. for I have nothing
to conceal and there was no great
need for delay or preparation; but
realizing that the great influence and
power of the chief executive was be-
Ing exerted to the limit Of his ability
to blacken my name and destroy my
character, and that his words and
the exhibits which he sent would be
given the widest publicity. while my
own statement would probably be
epitomized on account OF the pressure
on the wires. decided to wait until
today. with the hope that my defense,
without being funavoidably mutilated.
would reach the people in good time.
This. the newspaper men tell me,
would not have been possible on Sat
urday. This is sufficient explanation,
trust Tor the delay.
An examination of the presidents
letter to Mr.. Hale. which might Just
Is well have been special message
os the type with which we are SO IA.
miliar. will show that the presidents
charges, boiled down. amount to two
IN number.
First. He promotes me to fhem-
bership In the "Ananias Club" and
charges In effect. that have delib-
erately lied to the senate.
Second. He charges that have ex.
ersed my official influence and worked
as senator for my personal benefit
alone to secure the passage of q reso-
luton end to press the department of
Justice tc bring sui: against the corp.
orations which hold so much of the
public Domain the West and will not
sell II to settlers under the terms Of
their grants from the government.
He has prepared his indictment
with consummate ability and skill. He
= even cunning in the apparently in
nocent pretenss that in making d
search through the secret service for
one kind OF malefactor he had run
down another. and the case OF that
one Of such serious Importance that
his sense OF ofiicial obligation compell-
ed him to prompt action. Mark you,
he has been in the possession of all
the facts In this case since July last,
and men will be curious to know
why. IL his zeal was honest, he did
not make them known then.
The president announced in his
special message to the house on jan
uary 4:
I have made no charges OF corrup-
ton against congress nor against any
member Of the present house. II /
had proof OF such corruption affecting
any member of the house In any mat
ter as to which, the federal govern
ment has Jurisdiction. action would
at once be brought.
- .
This would simply be doing my
duty in the execution and enforce
ment OF the laws without respect to
persons But I do not regard II as
within the province or the duties of
the president to report to the house
alleged delinquencies" Of mepbers,
or the supposed corrupt action OF a
member .'in his official capacity"
IL therefore follows that he has
found no grounds for indicting me In
the courts. which. no doubt. would
have rejoiced him overmuch. and all
this fuss. fury. and fustian about the
seriousness of the case and the grav-
ity of the offense with which ne
charges me can be attributed to per-
sonal malice alone.
On January the president de-
ciared what he conceived TO be his
relationship to the house and that
he would not do certain things. On
January he wrote a letter to Senator
Hale. doing the very thing In regard
to a senator which he had declined
to do toward a member of the house.
Why this difference In my public
work here I have not hesitated TO
criticise and comment on the official
actions anG utterances OF President