The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-01-12
HARTMAN HOLDS
100000 ACRES OF
STOLEN LAND
SENATOR TILLSAN.
PROPERTY is BEING HELD IN
DEFIANCE OF lAW-TlllMAN
BRANDS RoosEvELT's CHARGES
AS OUTRAGEOUS FALsEHoo0.
SENATOR TILLNAN.

hOOSeNeltS communication 10 Senator
Hale. of the appropriations commit
tee published last Saturday. but which
will not officially reach the senator
until today, In wnicn he accused III
man or improper conduct in obtaining
public lands in Oregon.
No more serious arraignment " a
government Official has ever been
heard in the senate than that deLiy-
cred by Senator Tillman today. IL was
listened 10 with the deepest interest
by senators and visitors alike. He ac-
cused the president or cunning" al
vertising." cowardlce" bold and out
rageous falsehood,' personal malice,
hatred" OF purposely withholding
facts in his possession and of delib-
erately misrepresenting conditions FOR
the purpose OF placing the senator III
bad light before the world, while
at the same time having shown gross
disrespect 10 Senator Hale's commit
tee as well as extreme discourtesy, by
having made his letter 10 the senator
public through the press on Saturday
before II could be received by Senator
Hale today, and by his committee In
turn reported 10 the senate.
Senator Tillman spoke in part As fol-
lows:
Having been informed by Senator
Hale OF the character OF the charges
Thursday afternoon and that he wouic
call meeting OF the appropriations
committee OH Saturday TO consider the
papers relating 10 the secret service
sent him by the president, | expect
ed 10 have opportunity 10 examine into
the case and make such defense or
explanation in the senate itself as 1
thought proper. l understand the
president had notified Senator Hale
that there was no need for hurry. and
that he would not give the papers 10
the press before Monday, but on FIJI
day morning he changed his mind and
notified Senator Hale that he had de-
termined TO give all the facts TO the
newspapers that evening. and they
appeared Saturday morning. II is Wei
TO remember that the universal Gus
tom heretofore, and the courtesy due
from an executive TO legislative
body, demanded that having sent the
papers 10 the most important commit
tee OF the senate, they were In the
possession OF that body, and II was
a gross breach OF propriety TO make
them public. This we'll illustrates the
executive attitude towards this body
He gave the communication 10 the
press before the committee had seen
the papers and examined into the mat
ter.
President Seeks Publicity.
1T Is we'll understood that The pres
ident is an adept at advertising ana
that he has used the press with more
skill than any man in American poll
tics. He realizes the importance OF
getting In the first blow, though II
was below the belt and might well con
yict him Of cowardice. But he cared
rothing for either courtesy, custom or
decency, thus treating the committee
and the senate with that contempt
which has been his wont.
AN examination OF the presidents
letter to Mr.. Hale, while might just as
we'll have been special message Oh
the type with which We are SO fami-
liar. will show that the presidents
charges, boiled down, amount TO two
in number.
First, he promotes me TO member
ship in the 'Ananias club and charges,
In effect, that | have deliberately lied
to the senate.
Second he charges that | have ex-
erted my official influence and worked
as q senator for my personal benefit
alone to secure the passage OF a reso- |
luton and to press the department OF
Justice TO bring sIit against the cor |
porations which hold SO much OF the |
public domain in the west and VIII
not sell IL TO settlers under the terms
OF their grants from the government
HE has prepared his indictment |
with consummate ability and skill. He |
is even cunning in the apparently In |
Iocent pretense that In making q |
search through the secret service for |
one kind OF malefactor he had run |
down another OF such serious import |
ance that his senss OF official oDlisa- |
ton compelled him 10 prompt action.
Mark YOU, he has been in the pos
session OF all the facts in this case
since July last. and men will be cur
ious To know why, IL his zeal was
honest. he did not make them known
then.
The Oregon real estate swindlers
had secured good many thousands |
of dollars before the exposure I'm the |
senate SlOpptu pSOpi' liOiH bNiHb
duped, and yet Theodore Roosevelt. |
who poses as the only remaining hen
est man in public life, in the face OF
these facts, has felt called upon to |
attack the character OF a man whose |
integrity has never before been ques-
toned. and whose official position II |
second only 10 his own. In doing this |
he made false declaration. for tue |
government inspectors now here say |
no such thing as the president quotes, !
which can be proven by examination /
OF their report.
Hartman Won't Sell.
Just what law did ! break? What
wrong did | do or contemplate? Ac-
cording TO the report OF the attornc y
general. in answer TO the resolution
which | introduced and which passed
the senate. Hartman, the presidents
dear friend. still holds In defiance OF
law upward of 1000 600 acres OF the
best lands OF Oregon and California.
and refuses to- sell them at any price
never expected, and could not under
the terms of the laws as | construed
AZ. get more than seven quarter sec.
tions for myself and family. one cor
my private secretary, ana one for Mr.
Lee, making nine in all. II Hartman
and others like him are made to dis
gorge by reason OF these suits. shall
the fact that was endeavoring to buy
little pittance Of the land be used as
the basis of charge OF being a liar