The Winchester news. [volume] (Winchester, Ky.) 1908-19??, 1909-01-09

us. We intend to be Of more value
than any one Of the others in this
matter
"On the 31st of January, 1908, Sen
ator Tillman introduced in the senate
the following resolution:
Whereas, at diverse times, vari-
Gus railroads and other corporations
have received large grants of public
lands of the United States, under and
by virtue Of acts Of the congress, con-
tanning conditions to the effect that
such lands should be sold to actual
settlers only or in quantities not ex-
ceeding for any one purchaser a limit
fixed by the act relating thereto, or
at a price per acre not greater than
an amount mentioned in the act au-
thorizihg such grant, to the end that
such lands might promptly become
the homes of citizens Of the United
States; and, whereas 1t is currently
reported and widely believed that the
/ department of justice has information
to the effect that certain of the cor
porations aforesaid or their alleged
successors in title, having obtained
colorado title to large tracts of land
within a state or states Of the Pacific
! slope by virtue of the grants above
mentioned and still holding considera-
BILE portions thereof, have violated or
! evaded the equitable and Statutory
conditions so as aforesaid imposed by
the congress upon such grants for the
| Onnd. 40 OF &c n
vised that any action has been taken
by the department of Justice to en-
force the said conditions or restore
the said lands to the public domain.
Now, therefore, be 1t resolved, etc.,
| that the president be requested, il not
incompatible with the public interest,
to inform the senate what inform
alton, if any, has been received and
what action, if any, has been taken by
the department of justice with respect
to the matters and things in the pre-
amble to this resolution set FORTH
and pressed vigorously for immediate
action.
'The resolution being laid over,
Senator Tillman introduced the same
day a further and joint resolution
containing the same recitals, but con-
GLIDING as follows: Resolved, etc.,
that the attorney general be and he
is hereby directed, authorized and
empowered to take such proceedings
or institute such suit or suits on be-
half of the United States as may be
necessary, appropriate or expedient
to insure a compliance with the above
mentioned conditions, or to restore
aforesaid lands to public domain, or
to report to the congress why such
action as aforesaid has not been or
should not be taken
Submits Photo of Letter.
''On Feb. Is Senator Tillman wrote
to Messrs. Reeder and Watkins. A
photograph of this letter is also at
tached as exhibit Dis. In it l call
your attention to the fact that he
speaks again of Mr.. Lee as his agent
and of the correspondence carried on
through Mr.. Lee. He states that what
he has done in stirring up the ques-
ton of the Oregon land grants to rail-
roads has been done entirely apart
from any personal interest he has in
the matter and adds
"'Although I never would have had
my attention called to it but for the
investigation as set on foot in con-
nection with the proposed purchase
by me of some of the timber land in
question, of course if I decide to
make the tender and go into the law
suit 1 will bear your proposition in
mind, but l would have you under
stand that nothing l do here in the
senate will be done because OF Any
! personal purchase of any of the land
If l can succeed in causing the gov
eminent to institute suit for the re-
covery of the land and make it easier
for others as well as myself to OBJ
tain some of it, | shall do it without
any regard to the dealings with your
firm. / still want to get some of the
timber land if it is possible, and as
it is probable that Mr.. Lee or some
other representative of mine will be
in your county in the next two
months, we will leave the matter of
payment for the initiatory steps and
subsequent proceedings in allegiance
for the present. Any contract we
might make will be entirely apart
from and Independent of. any work
here in the senate. l will be glad for
you to hold in reserve eight of the
best quarter sections of which you
have definite information, and l will
in the meantime press the investiga-
ton and other work here which will
facilitate the final purchase and in
effect obviate the necessity of your
making any case in the courts at ALL
"This letter in which Senator Till
man requested that eight of the best
quarter sections be held in reserve
for him was written just four days
before he announced in the senate
that he had not undertaken to buy
any lands in the west. 1t is unneces-
sary to comment upon his proposal.
made in this letter, to use his in
fluence as senator to force the gov
eminent to institute a suit which
would make it easy for him personally