Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-12
ROOSEVELT HURLS
GRAFT CHARGE At
SENATOR T|LLMAN
President Makes Public hives
tigation Of Secret Service Of
Ulcers and Says 'Tillman Used
Office for Gain.

WASHINGTON, Jan. s.-The pItchfork
Of United States Senator Benjamin r.
Tfllman, Of South Carolina, has been
turned against the owner himself BY
President Roosevelt. who has made pub
lie the details Of an investigation which
has been carried on by secret service
agents and postofice inspectors against
the Palmetto senator I'm connection with
an alleged Oregon "iand-grab.'
The evidence Is presented 20 senator
! Hale by the president and was given in
>esyonss to the request OF the senator
2 heads OF the various executive de-
nents for statement OF the opera
Of the secret service Senator Till
win make his reply in the senate
day.
8 hFs Statement the president says:
Says Tillman Used Office
THAT aEr. Tillman use. his influence
as a senator IN an EFFORT to force the
government TO compel a railroad corpO-
ration 70 relinquish Its control OF land
grants nom the United States in order
that he and las fanny and his secretary,
j. b. Knight might profit through pur-
chases Of some OF the land; that the
senator used his government ranking
privileges In numerous instances for the
conduct OF private business"
Comparatively few senators were ia
vored With the opportunity OF readins
the presidents report TO Senator Hale,
but those who did read the report tooE
9 serious view OF Il. although most OF
the senators refused to believe that Mr..
Tillman had ever done anything IN vio-
lation Of his oath as . senator.
Statement OF President
The presidents communication TO
Senator Hale Is as follows:
Ny Dear Senator Hale: i have request
ed the different departments Of the gov
eminent. not only those 10 whom you
Gent requests. but those TO whom you
did not. 10 give me all the Information
about the use OF special attorneys, spe-
cial agents. inspectors. etc. in their de-
partmeuts. which win enable me to put
before you all the facts which. as 1 un-
derstand it. your committee desires 70
have trasmit these reports herewith.
call especial attention 70 the reports OF
the secretary OF state, the secretary OF
the treasury, and the attorney general
Let me at the outset most earnestly
express my cordial agreement with the
view that q is not only the right but
the duty Of congress TO investigate the
workings OF the secret service OF de-
sective agents. by which alone the gov
eminent can efrectually safeguard Itself
against wrong doing. punish crimes and
bring TO Justice criminals. I am trell
aware Of the liability TO abuse inherent
IN any effective detective system or SCI
cret service system. for the measure OF
the efficiency Of the system Is also the
measure OF the seriousness Of the abuses
Of the system. II u be applied TO wrong
purposes or directed in an improper man
ner. II Is eminently to the public In
tersst that there should be vigilant in
uuiry into the workings OF this agency.
both BY the hands Of the executive de-
partments and BY congress-
~ System Indispensable
1T nevertheless remains true that this
system Is absolutely indispensable. II the
proper interest Is TO be adequately safe
guarded and wrong doors taught TO feas'
the law. $500
TO show how Indispensable detectives
are when important work OF a confden-
tlal character must be done. I refer you
20 the experiences Of the immigration
commission appointed by congress and
largely composed OF senator's and repre-.
sentatives which has found II absolutely
necessary to employ Detectives In order
20 achieve the best results In my
communication OF the fourth instant 70
the lower house have set forth at
length the reasons why. IN my judg-
ment.. it is eminently desirable that. In
addition TO the special detectives or In
spection service OF each department,
there should be IN some one department,
preferably the department OF justice a
service which can be used at need In any
department in order to achieve the ends
] have described. I would like to state
here that very frequently accusations
have been made TO me privately by mem
bers OF the two houses to the effect thar
the secret service has been used as
police OF morals or to shadow sena-
tors. congressman and other public on
Gals. Hitherto, the effort to discover
the basis for such allegations he's always
been fruitiess. I should be greatly
obliged II any information could be fur
nished me tending 70 show any instance
where this has been done in times past
Department Detectives
certain Of the special agents. in
spectors aud the like. in the several de-