The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1909-01-15
BEN TILLMAN.

Senator Tillman's Oregon land deal,
it is reported, is one of the chief topics
of comment about the Nations CAPT
tall He, according to charges preferred
to the Senate by the President, is
guilty of using his official position
to acquire land in the far Northwest,
the land being part of the same
public domain which he had succeeded
in having the government GUST others.
Less than a year ago, or last Febru-
airy, Senator Tillman made the state
ment. it is said, that he had bought
no Western land, yet the evidence sub
mitted by the President discloses facts
sufficiently strong to draw from the
Senator another statement that is the
opposite to the first. 1t is a potent
fact that both are not correct. How
is he going to reconcile those two
statements? 1t is a hard job, but he
has tackled it courageously and is
talking away for dear life. If he can
succeed in convincing the public that
he is not capable Of a misuse of his
official position in acquiring those
Oregon lands, he will have accom-
piished a greater task than did Her.
cules in cleaning out the Augean
stables. His admission in the fololw-
ing words will be difficult to explain:
TN my conversation with the Attor-
ney-General in regard to the resolu-
ton which l introduced, and which he
himself prepared after he had talked
over the whole land situation, l dis
tinctly remember telling him that my
interest in the matter had been first
aroused by my desire to purchase
some of the timber land, and that my
coming to him was due to the fact
that | discovered upon investigation
that l could not buy it through any
agency whatsoever, that l could no
: buy il even by lawsuit because was
advised by very able lawyers in the
West, among them the Hon. George
Turner, of Washington, that in attack
ing the holders of these land grants
no one would have any standing il
court except the grantor, the Govern
: ment, itself. was, perhaps disin
genuous."
Senator Tillman, in his self-defens
effort before the Senate last Monday
t said: 81 was, perhaps, disingenuous.
e Let us give verbatim Wcbster's def
milton of "disingenuous:" l. Not nc
l. BILE or high-toned; mean; unworthy
. as, disingeneous conduct or schemes
: 2 not ingenious; wanting in nobl
candor or frankness; not open; III
c candid; meanly artful." To all Q
4 this Senator Tillman subscribed whe
S he confessed, 81 was, perhaps, disir
genuous."
We have included this definition i
- our comment to show that the tongu
e that has wagged so freely and uttere
d such bitter invectives, such scathin
y denunciations in the Senate, on tn
,, busting, before Chautauqua assemble
e and, in fact, everywhere, against tn
4. Negro people of this country, has bee
d driven by the unexpected force of CT
% cumstances to incriminate it's owner
81 was, perhaps, disingenuous."
4 Yes our friend, the Senator,
y seems has been caught red-handt
S, with the "goods'-the odor of "OregC
i lands clings to his garments T
n may rage and fume against those I
a sponsible for the cover being pullt
n Off disclosing his dual role, but
no purpose. The record is again
n him. While the Senator is gulpir
in down the bitter contents, dregs al
all, of the cup of which he has bee
I'd giving the Negro people such copiol
r. draughts, they we venture to sa
v will not be shedding any crocodi
It, ears.