Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-09

some six wears ago, for instance, Of
fer a case in point. My suspicious
were first aroused by report made
as to the very extraYagant and de-
bauched manner CT life of a certain
postal employe, this report being made
by an official of the secret service in
connection with another transaction
On which he was at work. So with
cases or the abuse or the ranking
privilege.
Not Purpose'y Inspected.
The .ostofIice never OF set purpose
insrects any package sent through ths
mails by a senator or congressman,
but sometimes through the accidental
breaking of such package the contents
are exposed and if they are CT char
acter which makes their transmission
by franking privilege illegal, steps are
taken by the postoffice authorities to
collect the full postage. Some OF these
instances represent real abuse, but in
other cases they are due to careless
ness or ignorance, and very often
dubtless are entirely unknown to the
congressman Themselves, and no good
purpose would be served by any pub
licity in the matter.
But case has Just arisen of a diff
ferent kind, which it seems to me
should put before you as illustrating in
striking fashion the way in which in.
vestigations begun by any of these
various agents in the strict line of
their duty msy develop facts of high
Importance, which the investigators
would not in the first instance have
sought to discover. which when dis
| covered ought not TO be hidden or sup
posed that the development of which
may tend to create an erroneous I'M
preston that the agents in question
| were being used for purposes not with
| in the line of their lawful duty.
Tiiiman Asked investigation.
On the 18th of February, 1908 (see
| exhibit Al Senator Tiilman called the
| attention OF the senate to circular
| of a syndicate firm for the sale OF
lands i'll Oregon. particularly in Coos
| and Douglas counties, which had been
| granted TO corporations by the govern
ment, the circular stating that tho
company in possession of the lands
| was bound to sell them for $3.50 az
acre or upon their refusal would be
prosecuted by the government, ant
that Among those who have spoke
for a part of this land is Senator Till
man, of South Carolina, the leader o
the Democratic party in the senate, ;
man who usually gets what he goe
| after
Senator TiIln1an denied the state
mentS OF this circular and eXrresse,
Il wish for an investigation, and upoi
his request the postofiice department
through it's inspectors, made such al
investigation. He stated in reference
to this circular:
81 have not bought any land any
where in the west nor undertaken T.
buy any. l have made some inquiries
as one naturally would in roamin
through the west. | simply want tn
people of the country to be put on nc
tice that this swindler at Portland ha
no warrant whatever for endeavorin
to inveigle others into his game.
Report of inspectors.
81 inclose the circular referred t.
as exhibit b; the report of the pos
Office inspectors, under date of July g
| 1908, as exhibit c.. This is a COZ
fidentiaI report of a type usually nc
, furnished, but III this case the matte
, is so serious that l feel l should pr
it before you. l inclose you also. q
, exhibits D l, D 2, ID 8, D and d
photograph tacsirnfles of letters an
%Al ot,
Tillman and his agent, William e. lie
1t appears that on Oct. 20, 1907, SCI
ator Tillman wrote a letter (eXhib
d 81 to Messrs. Roder and Watkins,
! Marshfieid, Oregon, who were alto
neys representing people who were a
:. plicants for the purchase of certai
wagon road land grant. Dorr was
: land agent making his filings throus
| Roder and Watkins. Senator I'll
mans letter runs in part as follows:
, Il wired you from Wausau, Wis, ;
follows and write to confirm it: evil
!, lam e. Lee, my agent, will see yC
= about land. | want nine quarters r
o served. Will forward signed apple
q ton and money at once. Members
p my family are entrymen. Letter fl
!. lows. (Signed) B. r. T. ! write no
= to say | wired Mr.. Lee. who resides
). Moscow, Idaho, to so at once to Mars
q field and see you about the land,
). locate quarters for the seven mel
;. bers of my family who are of al
and one for my private SECRETARY,
r. B. knight, whom / desire to let in
= the deal and of course he wants
- quarter for himself"
Il "A Good Gamble"
d The letter continued. stating in {