The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1909-01-21
FACTS ABOUT THE TILLMAN
CASE
Concerning the Oregon Land Deals.
No Reason for Shedding Tears
Over the South Carolina Senator.

Concerning the Oregon Land Deals.
No Reason for Shedding Tears
Over the South Carolina Senator.
Norfolk Landmark
If the facts brought out and ad-
mitted by himself with regard to his
present predicament did not clearly
condemn Senator Tillman of conduct
grossly unbecoming in a public rep
resentative, and in some respects
grossly unbecoming in a private citi-
zen, we should say SO with the same
1irectness as we have said the con-
trary.
We have no wish to condemn any
innocent man, whether We like him
or not. But there is no reason
whatever to be shedding tears of
sympathy for Senator Tillman when
ne has been caught doing the same
thing which he has made it his life
time habit to denounce in the most
merciless terms. We are not sorry
for Senator Tillman, We do not can
slider the incident a trivial one, we
10 not regard him as a martyr.
The question of personal animosity
between the President and the Sem
ator does not make any difference to
rs in considering this matter. The
question is, Did Senator Tillman do
what was unbecoming in a Govern
ment officer? If he did, it is a good
thing that he was exposed, and the
attempt to palliate his offense is
without any justification whatever.
Having discovered while 1ecturing
IN the West land he has been CEN
sured for spending SO much time in
lecture tours while Senator) that
certain valuable timber lands were
held under doubtful title and that
a syndicate was trying to have them
released and thrown open to the pub
lie, Senator Tillman asked the syndi-
cate to reserve about two square
miles for himself, family, and secre-
taries. He appointed a man named
Lee as his agent in the matter; and
Lee said Gin writing) that If the Sen
ator got good land out of the deal,
the Senator could probably be of
great help in securing the release of
the tract, and, in fact, would set up
such a howl that the Government
would be compelled to get busy"
Now, this was not Tillman; it was
his agent, and the evidence is only
circumstantial. But on February
15th, last, the Senator himself wrote
the syndicate as follows:
II will be glad for you to hold in
reserve eight of the best quarter Sec
tions of which you have definite in
formation, and l will in the mean
time press the investigation and 9TH
er work here, which will facilitate
the final purchase and in effect OBJ
viate the necessity of your making
any case in the courts at ALL"
On February 10th, four days after
writing that letter, Senator Tillman
arose in the Senate and said, while
denouncing circular in which the
syndicate represented him as helping
it in the effort to get the tract re-
leased:
II have not bought any lands any
where in the West, nor undertaken
to buy any. l have made inquiries
as one naturally would in roaming
through the West
In connection with that deadly
parallel, consider the statement of
the Senator that he told Attorney
General Bonaparte of his own (Till-
man's) interest in the land case and
the public denial of the Attorney
General that any such admission was
made. The Senator says that he is
willing to put his own reputation for
veracity against Mr.. Bonaparte's.
Under the circumstances, the Senator
is rash. If the Senator's offense
were Illegal. whose testimony would
be apt to have most weight before a
jury, in view of the other evidence?
And, finally, what right had an Of
fcer of the United States Government
to reserve choice sections of a piece
OF public land before it was opened
to the public for purchase? What
right did Mr.. Tillman have to an
acre or an inch of this land and
picked out and held in advance for
or his family, or his secre-
tary? Such reservation would have
been a deliberate advantage taken of
the public by public servant enjoy
ing special opportunities and inf1u-
snce.
We do not see how any right
minded person, friendly or unfriend-
y to Senator Tillman before this
revelation was made, can defend,
,ondone, or even palliate his offense
n the premises. Suppose Tillman
had caught Grover Cleveland or
Wade Hampton in such business!