The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-01-11

no difference whatever, while | would
have been charged with introducing
my private affairs into public dis
cussion2 Just what law did break?
What wrong did L do or contemplate?
According 10 tho report OF the attor-
ney general In answer TO the resolu.
ton which / introduced and when
passed the senate, Hartman, the Pres
ident's dear friend, still holds in de-
f1anco Of law upward of two millions
of acres OF the best lands OF Oregon
and California and refuses TO sell them
: at any price. / never expected, and
could not, under tho terms OF tho Law,
ns l construed it. get more than seven
quarter sections for myself and family,
one for my private secretary and one
for Mr.. Lee, making nine in all. This
In the aggregate would moan that |
would obtain through my activity here.
as the Presidents charge Is, nine quar-
tor sections, OF fourteen hundred and
forty acres at a cost OF $4,000. VIII
the President undertake TO say that
have lost my right to buy land because
] am a senator? Can tne President
deny my activity secured the pas
|
attorney general TO bring suit for the
recovery OF this land for tne use Of
actual settlers? II Mr. Hartman and
others like him are made TO disgorge
by reason Of these suits, shall the fact
that | was endeayoring to buy little
pittancc Of the land be used as the
basis OF a charge Of being q liar and
a corrupt senator TO be disgTaced?"
Senator Iillman tnen told how Ills
attention had been brought TO this land
while at Spokane, Wash. In October,
1907. He wrote to Reeder and Watkins
asking for information and telling
them of his desire to purchase some Of
the land If possible. Desiring to find
! out If the conditions Of the land grant
H., to the state Of Oregon made it possible
! for purchasers" and not actual set
tiers" to buy at $3.50 per acre, he wired
to the librarian Of the senate for copy
OF the act. He met Mr. Lee at Mos
cow Idaho, and talked with him on
the subject. arranging that he would
go to Marshfield and investigate in
person. He authorized Lee to draw on
MIN If he found the lands were what
they were represented to be. W
] Lees authority as my agent never
went beyond an examination OF the
! land, and II the application was filed, to
see that got good timber land instead
OF rocks and marshes" said the SEN
! ator. He went into detail In explain
/ ing his effort to learn the exact
status of the lands, and got an opinion
! from Senator Turner OF Washington.
After returning to Washington, d. c.,
| in December, he let the matter drop.
! believing 1t TO be a very doubtful
/ proposition until Mr.. Lee showed him
letter from Reeder and Watkins,
which Mr.. Tillman said had been stol
,, en- from the desk in his committee
case, and declared the theft WAS prob
ably by some of the secret service
/ Sleuths.
when Reeder and Watkins" he
said, indicated their desire that |
should evert my influence in the SEN
ate, wrote the letter of February Is,
OF which the President obtained pno-
togTaphic copy. In the meantime. and
before that letter was written, on my
own invitation, and after conference
with the attorney general, introduced
the resolutions of Jan. 81, one calling
on the attorney general for informa-
ton, and the other. which became
law, instructing him to institute suits.
My official activity then Is shown to
have taken form In the senate before |
knew anything about Reeder and Wat
kins attitude or expectations and
was in no way influenced by them.
II was still anxious to obtain some
Of the land, II 1t could be done legally,
and wrote Reeder and Watkins TO that
effect, but my faith in them, and In
the whole scheme. died when | re-
ceIved the circulars Of Door, which
came to me on February II and is
from three different directions, show
Ing the widespread circulation Of
them"
Mr.. Lees report to him, he said, had
also led him to believe that Reeder
and Watkins were not ''of the calibre
and character" to be employed In
matter Of such magnitude.
"Dorr. Of whom / mad never heard
before" he said, was evidently push
ing his scheme Of getting suckers TO
Invest, and using my name as nave
indicated, without authority; because
had not paid any fees TO him OF writ
ten TO him or filed any applications.
therefore. felt 1t incumbent on me To
expose the swindle In the senate,
which I did on February 10. and asked
the postoflce TO issue fraud order.
| pressed the passage OF the joint reso-
luton In the senate, and on Aprll oO
It became a law. March Is l was taken
Ill and on May 16. after q partial re-
cuperation, / sailed for Europe, re-
turning October 2i.
The Presidents sleuths set TO do
the dirty work OF spying on senator
wnen that senator had exposed
fraud which was being perpetrated OH
the people. reported to him on July q.
had nothing TO do with the change In
the law OF which the President COM
plains In regard TO the secret service
So the Presidents lanimuS is not
against me on the same ground for
which he has attacked MeSsrs. Taw-
ney, Smith and others In the house,
hut one OF personal malice. engender
ed by hatred, because OF my course in
the senate during the last seven years.
Il have not attempted TO deceive
anybody; / hayo not told any false
hoods; have not broken any laws
1 have not been guilty OF any immoral
conduct, had the right 30 purchase
.he land IL / could. but my judgment
told mo II was unsafe as an invest
ment. / would like TO get come OF II
yet, and II the attorney general AMI
ms successor snall not die of old age
before anything is done, It may be pos
6ible that / saay have zhe opportunity