The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-01-09
PRESIDENT MAKES PUBLIC REPORT
REGARDING T|LLNIAN INVESTIGATION
Copies Letters Written by the Senator and His Agent Submi Colleagues
Serious View Of Report Reply in Form Of Written Statement Will Be Sub
mitd Senate Monday; Roosevelt Considers Duty Congress
to Investigate Workings Of Secret Service

mission by franlsing privilege illegal,
steps are taken by the poyloiiicc au-
thorities to collect the full postage
Some of these instances represent
rea, abuse, but in other cases they
Ire due to the carelessness or ignoT-
ancc. and very often douLtloss are
entirely unknown to the congressman
themselves. and no good purpose
would be served by any publicity In
tic matter
But case has just arisen of diff
ferent kind. which It seems to me
| should put before you as iluStrat.
Ing in striking fashion the way IN
Which investigations begun by any
OF these agents in the line of their
duty may develop facts OF high inn
I.ortance, which the Investigators
would not in the first instance nave
sought to discover, which when dis
covered ought not to be hidden or
suppressed. but the development OF
which may tend to create an crrGl,,,-
Gus impression that the agents in
question are being used for purposes
not within the line of their iawfui
duty
ON the 18th of February, 1908, tsoe
exhibit Al Senator Tillman called the
attention OF the senate to a circular
Of q syndicate firm for the sale OF
lands in Oregon, particularly in COOS
and Douglas counties, which had teen
granted to corporations BY the gov
eminent, the circular stating that the
company In possession of the lands
was bound to sell them fo- 81 80 I'M
acre, or upon their refusal would bo
prosecuted by the government and
that among those who have spoken
for part of this land is Senator
1illman OF South Carolina, the lead
er of the Democratic party in the
senate. a man who usually gets what
le goes after.
Senator .Tillman denied the state
ments OF this circular and expressed
wish for an investigation and upon
MS request, the postofiicc DEPART
lcent, through its inspectors, made
snch an investigation. He stated In
reference to this circular:
Il have not bought any land any.
where in the west. nor undertaken to
l'uS any, | have made some Inqlriee,
as one naturally would in roaming
through the west l simply want the
people of the country to be on notice
that this Swindler at Portland has no
warrant whatever for endeavoring 10
inveigle others into his game
lCtl enclose the circular referred to,
Re exhibit B, the report of the post
office inspectors. under date OF July
-. 1908, as exhibit c.. This is Il con-
fidential report of a type usually lot
furnished. but in this case the mater
is so serious that | feel that | should
put it before you. [ enclose YOU, also.
as exhibits D1, DE-. D3. Di and DS,
Photographic fac SMILES of letters and
envelopes and kilograms from Scna-
tor Tillman and his agent VIM. Il.
Lee. 1t appears that on October 10.
1907. Senator Tillman wrote letter
,eXhibit D3) to Messrs Reedor and
Watkins of Marsbfield Oregon, who
were attorneys representing people
who were applicants for the purpose
of obtaining certain wagon road
land grant land. Dorr whs a lanI
agent making his filings through
Reedor and Watkins Senator Till
mans letter runs In part as follows:
wired you from Wausau, WIS,
a. follows. and write 10 confirm It:
VIM. A. Lee, my agent, will see
You about land want nine quart
ers reserved. VIII forward signed
applications and money at once. Mem
hers OF my family are entrynen. Let
ter follows. (Signed) g. X -
1 wrote now to say ] wired Mr.
Lee. who resides at Moscow. ldano.
To so at once to Marshfield and SOC
you about the land, TO locate quarters
for the seven members OF my family,
who are OF age, and one Tor my PRIV.
ate secretary, J. B. knight. whom ]
desire to let into the deal, and. OF
course, he wants a quarter for himself
The letter continued stating IN
octail what was to be done in order
to enable the senator 10 get trc
land. The VIM E Lee, to whom SEN
ator Tillman thus refers as his ageIt,
wrote to Reedor and Watkins. under
date of Dec. Z. a letter, Photographic
cCpy of which is herewith submitted
marked Exhibit D4.'
I'm this letter Dir. Lee explains that
he had written Senator Tilrnan fully
as TO the status OF the lard matter.
advising him that it was COOL
gamble, but that the senator was
lecturing so that he did moi get Mr.
Lees letter until week aid half
previous. The letter continues: In
case Senator Tillman goes in on this
deal with some good land in the right