New-York tribune., 1909-01-10
TJT,LMAN PAPERS GONE
uIII WE4KEN DEFENCE.
Taken from Desk, He Says-In
Trouble -4bout Typescriter.
FFrom The Tribune Baresu.l

-x..hinStou. Jan 9.-Senator Tillman relter-
..sa to-day his purpose 20 reply to the charges
,.t,e5 in the Presidents communication TO
e.fcr Hale on Monday. He also announced
- his defence would be materially weakened
- the loss Of certain papers which he charges
- taken from his desk in the Capitol during
.,,r,r,er recess Mr. Tiilman indicates that
- will dwell with considerable emphasis upon
a.. snio,ri:y Of permitting the Secret Service to
- with q Senator's private papers. and will
-5errake TO establish the impression that mem
- 20 both Houses Of Congress have been sub
.o.e5 10 constant espionage by what he terms
..be Black Cabinet" The Senator from South
~s,clina expects that his counter charges along
,bgs line viii win for him the sympathy Of the
senate and that his colleagues will be aroused
. a high pitch OF Indignation. expectation
p.hich seems TO indicate that Mr.. Tillman does
,ot realize the gravity Of his situation and the
General resentment cf his colleagues because Of
his wholesale denunciation Of most Of them on
,he Chautauqua circuit.
After the documents submitted by the Presi-
dent were examined by the members OF the
Committee Appropriations to-day, they were
handed 10 Senator Tillman. and members OF the
,ona-nittee said that they would express no
nsirion and take no action until they had heard
MIR T1Irnan il his own defence, but 1t Is OBJ
yjous that many Senators chaing at the
he's been placed, ana there some who de-
,lsre thst unless the Senator from South Caro-
lins can establish q better defence than would
seen possible from the documentary evidence
they have thus far seen, the Senate, Which Is
.hs fudee of Its own membership, will be forced
10 take drastic action.
u did not think was violating any law.
understand Il has been the custom for many
years for Senators snd members of Congress TO
send typewriters through the mail under frank.
and ! DO not see why there should be any objec-
ton TO me doing the same
This is the explanation, given to-day by SEN
stor TiIlman. for the fact that his typewriter Is
nov being held at the city postofhce pending
the collection of b,l for SIS for postage 1t was
shipped by him from his home at Trenton S. C,
10 Washington, snd when he was requested by
the postal authorities TO settle the bill he not
only refused to do So but added the information
that il was "a government typewriter and he
didn't care whether they burned it UP or sold it.
There is discrimination against Senator
TlJlu.au IN this case" said Postmaster Barnes
We always hold UP typewriters when they come
through the mail under frank. for, We under
stand the law, the franking privilege is supposed
70 cover only official documents do not see
how a typewriter can by any construction be
called document, although it undoubtedly is
The TIlln1an typewriter its own "give-
SWAY" Sor its rattle in the box IN which it was
packed revealed its presence 10 the Sherlock
Holases Of the department AS rule when q
box presumably OF official books. reaches the
ofioe addressed 20 some Representative Sem
stor and bears the magic frank. IL Is passed
without question. In this case, however, there
was distinctive and incriminating typewriter
rattls within the box EFT must be typeTrit-
e." declared the superintendent Of the division
10 which IL had come; "send the Senator a bill
for SIS. II Il is not typewriter, he'll tell US
enough"
"cIow. what Id like 10 know" said official
Of the Postoflce Department to whose official
notce The matter was brought after II left the
local Office. "is Just how We ought to proceed- II
the typewriter belongs to the government 1t
sFould be poor business to sell the machine,
which is probably worth more than SIS, for the
postage biu. II We should sell IT. could we not
rec0Yer the value Of the machine from the Sen
stor for If he had government machine In his
possession he certainly ought TO be held ac-
counIabIe for its safe keeping. Besides all that,
how On earth cid the Senator como to have the
machine IN the first place? I did not know until
to-day that Senators were allowed to draw them
as they would stationery OF lead pencils. Per-
hsPs however, he got & under the stationery
mead FOR 4 a typewriter can pass througn the
mails under the head Of official document
there is no reason why Il is not stationery and
could not be so designated among the Senator's
peruuistes"
At the city postofice it is said that within
the last few years g number OF typewriters
belonging 10 legislators have been held UP. as
sena.or Tilman's is now, for the payment Of
postage The Congressman have invariably paid
the bill after more less pTotestation There is
: nc penalty provided by law to punish violations