Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-12

| fees is an absolute falsehood and the
Postotiice Inspectors while they search
ed the records for entries at Coquille
and noted that Rseder and Watkins
had failed several hundred applica-
tons no where mentioned that any
had been filed in my name Or for me-
Therefore the falSehOod is proven on
Corr, anG yet the President declared
the assault which Senator Tillman
made upon Mr.. Dorr was according To
the report of the Inspector wanton
assault made to cover up Senator Till
mans own transactions
NO such statement was made by
the Inspector. Iii fact, SO earnestly in
tent on convicting Senator Tillman is
the President he actually commits
himself to this proposition, to wit: Till
man voluntarily and without any COM
ruision from any source and with
nothing TO conceal brought up a mat
ter in the Senate which he would not
nave done to cover up transactions
which were absolutely unknown to
anyone except himself and his corre-
spondents, Feeder and Watkins and
were entirely honorable and clean. My
exposure closed out the swind!ers.
Dorr, when his mail was not delivered
retired from the land business and be-
came fruit grower as reported by the
Inspectors. The swindlers had secured
good many thousands of dollars be-
fore the exposure in the Senate stop
ped people FROM being duped, and yet
Theodore Roosevelt. who poses as the
only remaining honest man in public
N he 70 ,f hoe Fxa rxyA
called upon to attack the character Of
man whose integrity has never before
been questioned. and whose official DO
sition is second only TO his own
In doing this he makes a false dec
laration for the inspectors nowhere
say any such thing as above quoted,
which can be proven by an examina-
ton Of their report.
Now about the lying: My letter of
February 18th of which the President
occurred a Photographic copy antedates
by four days my statement i'm the SEN
ate that | had not bought any land or
Undertaken TO buy any, and the Presi-
lent considers this positive prSof Of
-;usehood, | did not say 1 had not con-
siderei the purchase of land; / did not
saE l had not contemplated the pur-
base of land because / had done both.
In my conversation with the Attor-
ney General in regard to the resolu-
ion which l introduced, and which he
himself prepared after we had talked
over the whole land situation/ / dis
iinctly remember telling him that my
interest in the matter has been first
proused by my desire to purchase some
IF a irv,h Ion <I,rA
TO him was due to the fact that I dis
covered upon investigation that
eould not buy it through any agency
whatsoever. that could not buy 1t even
~ lawsuit because l was advised by
very able lawyers in the West, among
them the Hon. George Turner Of
Washington, that in attacking the
holders of those land grants no one
would have any standing in court ex-
eept the grantcr, the Government it.
elf / was perhaps disingenuous, but
| moments thought will convince any
ionest minded man that as / had not
signed any papers. had not paid any
money had taken nobodys receipt,
he usual processes by which one 'un-
lertakes to buy land. was speaking
accurately and not falsely. Every
thing hinges on the meaning of the
word undertaken and my use of It,
Did 1 mean to conceal the fact that I
was anxious to buy some of the land?
Not at all. Did 1 mean to attack Dorr
| as swindler when l myself was en-
gagged in a dishonest and dishonorable
| transaction: That is what the Presi-
dent would have people believe. Can
T be justly charged with falSehOod
when if had told the Senate Of the
| entire transaction it would have
made no difference whatever, while I
would have been charged with intrud-
ing my private affairs into a public
| discussion.
Just what law did I break? What
wrong did I do or contemplate? Ac-
cording to the report OF the Attorney
General in answer to the resolution
which I introduced and which passed
the Senate, Hartman, the Presidents
dear friend. still holds in defiance OF
laws upwards of two millions of acres o!
the best lands of Oregon and Cali.
fornia and refuses to sell them at any
price. I never expected and could
not under the terms Of the law as
construed it get more than seven quar-
ter sections for myself and family
one for my private secrtary and one 70
Mr.. Lee, making nine in all. This ii
the aggregate would mean that
would obtain through my activity here
as the Presidents charge is. nine quar-
ter sections or fourteen hundred an,
forty acres at cost OF $4.5cO. win III
[ President undertake to ga. trat I hav
, lost my right to buv land hecause
am Senator? Can the Presiden
3 deny that my activity secured the pas
! sage Of the resolution instructinr tn
4 Attorney General to bring suit for til
!? trecovery Of this land for the use 7