The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-01-12
p|TCHF0Rk VS..
i IAE BIC STICK
Ser'ltor Tillman Replies to
Presidents Charges.
z

! -
DENIES ANY WRONGDOING
South carelinan Justifles His Course
In Connection With the Oregon Land
Ia Grant. and Declares the Chief Elk.
II seutive Was Actuated by Motives OF
Malice and Revenge in Making the
Ia Accusations.
Washington, Jan. Ex-senator Till
man replied to charges made against
him by the president of having exert.
ed his official influence as a senator
and for his own benefit to bring suit
against railroads of the Northwest in
order that he might be able to pur-
chase land held by the Southern Ore
eon company and granted to the state
Of Oregon in 1868 for. the construc-
ton OF a military road. The CALLER
les and floor of the senate were crowd
ed'when the senator arose to speak.
In my public work here" said Sen
ator Tillman, II have not hesitated
to eriticise and comment on the off,
c1al actions and utterances of Presi-
dent Roosevelt and I have doubtless
given him good cause to seek re.
venge. have, at various times, ar
raigned him in the senate for tyran-
meal invasion of the rights of con-
gress, for usurpation of authority not
given him by the Constitution, for dis
obedience of the law and the neglect
Of duty and, particularly in the case
OF Mrs. Morris, for brutal and cruel
conduct towards a helpless woman. I
was not: aware that these darts of
mine had quivered in the executive
hide and stung him SO, but the eager
ness and intensity with which he has
presented his case against me, his
making a precedent where none has
existed before. his taking from the
committee to which he has forwarded
them the papers and giving them to
the press before that committee had
considered them, indicates that Theo.
dore Roosevelt enjoys to the limit the
feeling of getting even with Ben Till
man and lays on the big stick with
the keenest relish, doubtless believing
that the 'pttchfork' has gone out of
business"
Admits Letter Is Genuine.
Referring to the presidents letter
to Senator Hale Mr.. Tillman declared
that the president recognized the ex-
traordinary character of his action "as
well as the unlawful use he has made
Of the secret service" Mr. Tillman
said he did not deny the authenticity
Of the letter or the telegram, of which
photographs were made, and he pre-
sumed the letter from William e. Lee
was also correct copy, but he was
not aware Of it's existence until it was
brought to his attention by the presi-
dents statement and added that he
was not in any way responsible for
Mr.. Lees ideas expressed in it. TAX
ing up the presidents statement con-
corning Dorr, land agent, making
his filings through Reeder & Watkins
Of Marshfield, Ore, Mr.. Tillman says:
1T will be noted that accused Dorr
in the senate of being a swindler and
asked the postofice department to is
sue fraud order against him. Dorr
declared in his circular: SO sure is
Senator Tillman of our success that
he has subscribed and paid the neces-
sary fees for quarter section for
himself and ten other sections for ten
Of his nearest relatives DORIS dec
laration that had paid the fees is
an absolute falsehood and the post
Office inspectors, while they searched
the records for entries at Coquille,
noted that Reeder & Watkins had
filed several hundred applications
nowhere mentioned that any had been
filed In my name or for me. There
fore the falsehood is proven on Dorr
and yet the president declared the as
sault which Senator, Tillman made on
Mr.. Dorr was, according to the report
of the. Inspector, a wanton assault
made to cover up Senator Tillman's
own transactions"
Justities His Action.
Senator Tillman then detailed at
length his plan to purchase Oregon
land, his attention being called to the
investment while at Spokane, Wash,
in October. 1907. After returning to
Washington in December he let the
matter. drop. On Jan. 81 he intro
duced the two resolutions referred to
by the president instructing the at
torney general to institute suits to re-
cover certain lands held by railroads
In Oregon. Continuing, Mr. Tillman
said:
II have not attempted to deceive
anybody; have not told any false
hoods; have not broken any law;
/ have not been guilty of any immoral
conduct. had the right to purchase
the land if could, but my judgment
told me it was unsafe as an invest
ment. would like to get some of it
yet and If the attorney general and
his successors shall not die of old age
before anything is done it may be pos.
pible that may have the opportunity
TO purchase some of these timber
.Ands of which he made mention in
bis report. Through my action atten.
ton has been directed in compelling
way to the need of prompt action by
the department Of justice. Whether I
ever get any of the land or not does
not matter If Hartman and others of