Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-01-12
TILLMAN's REPLY TO ROOSEVELT
The Senator Invites Searching lnves-
tigation Of Transaction.

From the Associated Press.
Washington, January 11.-Being
greeted by applause from the galleries
when he entered the senate chamber
today to reply to President Roose-
velt's structures in respect to his con-
nection with Oregon timber land
transactions, Senator Tillman Of South
Carolina, proceeded to read his pre-
pared remarks with little attempt at
oratorical effect. He was accorded
full attention by senator's on both
sides Of the chamber, the public and
private galleries being taxed to their
full capacity by visitors who occupied
all the seats and standing room, while
without the entrances long lines Of
men and women unable to gain ad-
mission stood for nearly three hours
vainly hoping to enter the galleries.
In addition to his speech, which
had been printed in advance, Mr.. Till
man had prepared other brief re-
marks, which he read.
1T has been expected and desired"
he said, that having made my own
defense 1 should turn my batteries on
my assailant. do not feel that my
strength is sufficient for the double
task, for my physicians have warned
me against overtaxing myself One
Of the truest and best sentiments in
English literature is this from Tenny-
son:
"'Soiling another will never make
ones self clean
'The president lives in a glass house
with even glass floor in II and should
remember the old adage. He has ex-
erted all the power Of the govern
ment to destroy me, but I feel that I
stand unscathed because If all other
arguments fail to convince men, the
character for rectitude, truthfulness
the sixty-one years Of my life would
at least be my bulwark. Men who
have always been clean and honora-
BILE do not suddenly become liars and
hypocrites at sixty-one without any
necessity.
Later on in this session it is my
purpose to devote some time to bring
ing Theodore Roosevelt face to face
with his true self and let the people Of
the United States see what character
Of man they have been so bowed down
to. For the present I content myself
with applying to him this quotation
from Spencer's 'Faerie Queen
He ranges throughout the whole
world, neither Is there any that can
restrain him. OF late he has grown es-
pecially presumptuous and pestilent,
barking at and biting all alike wheth-
er they be blameworthy or innocent.
None are free from his attacks. He
spares neither the learned wit nor the
gentle poet, but rends and tears with
out regard Of person, reason or
time"
I'm my public work here" said Sem
ator Tillman, II have not hesitated to
criticise and comment on the official
actions and utterances of President
Roosevelt, and I have doubtless given
him good cause to seek revenge. I
have, at various times, arraigned him
in the senate for tyrannical invasion
Of the rights Of congress, for usurpa-
ton Of authority not given him by the
constitution, for disobedience Of the
law and the neglect of duty, and par
ticularly in the case Of Mrs. Morris,
for brutal and cruel conduct toward
a helpless woman. I was not aware
that those darts of mine had quivered
III Tie cAcCullNc Illuc dIlu SluU6 Hlul
so, but the eagerness and intensity
with which he has presented his case
against me, his making a precedent,
when none existed before, his taking
from the committee to which he has
forwarded them the papers and giving
them to the press before that commit
tee had considered them, indicates
that Theodore Roosevelt enjoys to the
limit the feeling Of getting even with
Ben Tillman and lays on the Big
Stick with the keenest relish, doubt
less believing that the 'Pitchfork' has
gone out of business"
There is no denial in the speech Of
any Of the facts presented by the
president. On the contrary they are
admitted and explained in detail, the
position Of Mr.. Tillman being that he
had perfect legal and moral right to
buy the land If he so desired, and that
he had not tried to deceive anybody
either directly or indirectly. He also
had a great many hard things to say
against Mr.. Roosevelt by way Of re-
elimination.
When Mr.. Tillman concluded his
remarks there was no further out
break Of applause, the vice president
having admonished the occupants Of
the galleries against making such
demonstrations Mr.. Tillman was
congratulated by a number Of Demo-
cratic senators.
They. have got to convict me or
they have got to acquit me, one or the
other. That Is all there Is about It,"
said Senator Tillman, after making
his speech, and referring to the sem
ate in relation to the presidents
charges against him.
1t Is understood that an effort will
hn rnQ1n In fhn fa 70
form plan by which an inquiry by
the senate, as indicated by Mr.. Till
man, will be obtained. The sub-com-
mittee Of the committee on appropri-
ations now has in hand the investiga-
tion Of the charges made by the pres
ident and whether that subcommittee
or some special committee will be
given the duty Of fully investigating
the charges against Mr.. Tillman Is to
be determined.
Not long after he had concluded his
cablegram from a London newspaper
asking him to express in fifty words
his opinion of President Roosevelt and
saying II he would do so the tolls
would be paid at the other end. The
senator declined to comply with the
request.
Special to Charlotte Observer.
The Tillman speech today did not
satisfy. 1t was disappointing to his
friends. The impression here Is that
he never scored against the president.
Had he admitted that he did wrong in
not telling the senate, in his remarks
concerning the Oregon lands in Feb
ruary, that he had written a letter
undertaking" to buy some of the
land, and dismissed the other allega-
tions Of the president by saying that
they amounted to very little, and quit,
he would have come out better. A
Of Democrats say that Mr..
Tillman proved the charges against
His remarks were read, and
therefore, lacked the Tillman ginger.
A great crowd filled the senate cham
Der to hear him, but almost to a man
he was disappointing. AS the speech
drew to close, one could not refrain
from plying the senator.
Mr.. Tillman has talked about graft
ers, boodlers and the like so much
that the people here expected better
Of him. No one thinks that he in
tended to do anything wrong, but all
say that he has been very imprudent.
He has committed no crime, his COL
leagues say, but his position is a very
one