The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1909-01-14

whole situation, I distinctly remember
telling him that my interest in the
matter had been first aroused by my
desire to purchase some of the timber
land and that my coming to him was
due to the fact that / discovered, up
ON investigation, that / could not buy
it, through any agency whatsoever;
that / could not buy it even by law
suit, because / was advised by very
able lawyers in the West, among them.
the Hon. George Turner, of Washing
ton, that in attacking the holders Of
those land grants no one would have
any standing in court except the
grantor, the government itself. / was
perhaps disingenuous, but a moment
thought will convince any honest
minded man that as I had not signed
any papers, had not paid any money,
had taken nobody's receipt, the usual
processes by which one undertakes
to buy land L,was speaking accurate
ly and not falsely. Everything hinges
on the meaning of tho word under
taken and my use of it. Did I mean
to conceal the fact that 1 was anxious
to buy some of the landq Not at all.
Did / mean to attack Dorr as a swim
der when / myself was engaged in a
dishonest and dishonorable transac-
ton? That is what the President
would have people believe. Can I be
justly charged with falsehood when if
l had told the Senate of the entire
transaction it would have made no
difference whatever while / would
have been charged with intruding my
private affairs into a public discus
sion? Just what law did I break 7
What wrong did I do or contemplate ?
/ never expected, and could not I'M
der the terms of the law, as I con
strued it, get more than seven quar-
ter sections for myself and family,
one for my private secretary and one
for MI. Lee, making nine in all. This,
In the aggregate, would meal that /
would obtain through my activity
here, as the President charge is.
nine quarter sections, of LAO acres
at a cost of $4,000. Will the Presi-
dent undertake to say that l have lost
my right to buy land because 1 am a
Senator? Can the President deny
that ny activity secured the passage
of the resolution instructing the At
torney General to bring suit for the
recovery of this land for the use of
actual settlers? If Hartman and
others like him are made to disgorge
by reason of these suits shall the fact
that / was ~endeavoring to buy a little
pittance of the land be- used as the
basis of a charge of being a liar and
a corrupt Senator to be disgraced9"
After relating a long drawn out
consideration of certain men connect
ed with the situation through which
he abandoned the hope of obtaining
the land he said:
"Dorr, of whom I had never heard
BEFORE" he said, twas evidently
pushing his scheme of getting suckers
to invest and using my name, as /
have indicated, without authority;
because / had not paid any fees to
him or written to him or filed any ap-
plications. /, therefore, felt it incum-
bent on me TO expose the swindle in
the Senate. which l did on February
10Th, end asked the p~ostoffice author
tiles to issue a fraud order. / press
ed the passage of the joint resolution
in the Senate and on April 30th it be-
came a law. March 18th I was taken
i'll and on May 10th, after a partial
r~ecuperation, 1 sailed for Europe, re-
turning October 21st.
ct have not attempted to deceive
anybody; / have not told any false
hoods; / have not broken any law;
I have not been guilty of any immoral
conduct. I had The right to pur-
chase the land if / could, but my
Judgment told me it was unsafe as an
investment. l would like to get some
of it yet.
"In conclusion, Mr.. President, /
court the most searching investiga-
ton. Nay, I demand it. l declare
most emphaticallv I have never
sought to conceal my efforts to buy
land"