The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-11
Denies That He Has Been Dis.
honest or UntruthfuI.
HE WANTED THE LAND
And Wants 1t Yet to the Extent
OF l, ,44O Acres.
Declares Roosevelt Is Actuated
by Motives Of Revenge.

washington, Jan. 11.-Senator Till
man today replied to charges made
against him by the president of>having
exerted his official influence as a SEN
ator for his own benefit to bring suit
against railroads of the northwest in
order that he might be able to pur-
chase land held blythe southern Ore
gon company and granted to the state
or oregon in 1868 for the construction
of military road.
In my public work here, ,''said Sem
ator TIllman, II have not hesitated to
crifleise and comment on the official
actions and utterances Of President
roosevelt and have doubtless. given
him good cause to seek revenge. I
have at various times arraigned him.
in the senate for tyrannicaI invasion
of the rights of Congress- for Ilsurpa-
ton of authority not given him by
the constitution for disobedience Of
the law and the sneglect of duty and
pdrIlculafIy in the case of Mrs. Morris
for brutal and cruel conduct toward a.
helpless woman 1 was not aware that
theSe darts of mine had uuivered in
the executive hide and stung him so
but the eagerness and intensity with
winch he has presented his case
against me is making precedent
when none has existed before, his TAX
ing from the committee to which he
has forwarded them the papers and
giving them to the press before the
Gates 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
Personal Privilege.
In addressing the senate Mr.. Till
man arose to a question of personal
privilege declaring that for the first
time in the history of this government
so far as he had been able to learn, a
member of the senate had been
brought to the bar of public opinion
before the senate itself to be Judged
under indictment by no less a person
than the president of the United
States. The manner of doing it. he
said and the aninus and zeal display
ed by the chief executive were worthy
of consideration. Mr.. Tillman called
attention to the publication of these
charges by the president before thew
had been considered by the committee
of the senate to which they were re-
ferred and declared that in so doing
the president had treated the senate
with that contempt which has been
his won't He declared the president
was an adept at advertising and had
used the press with more skill than
any man in American politics.
Another probable reason for his
thar
he sought to distract attention from
the action of the house of represent1-
tives on Friday in laying part of his
message on the table, by the sensa-
tional accusation against a man who
has had long service in the senate
"An examination of the Presidents
letter to Mr.. Hale which might Just as
we'll have been a special message of
the type with which we are so familiar
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 this that I have deliberately lied to
the senate.
Second, he charges that have ex-
erted my official influence and worked
as senator for my personal benefit
alone to secure the passage of a resolu-
tion and to press the department of
justice to bring suit against the cor
poration which holds so much of the
public domain in the west, and will not
sell it to settlers on terms of their
grants from the government.
HE has prepared his Indictment with
consummate ability and skill he is
even cunning in the apparently inno-
cent pretense that in making a search
through the secret service for one kind
of malefactorS he has run down an
other and the case of that one of such
serious Importance that his sense of Of
fetal obligation compelled him to
prompt action. Mark you, he has been
these cases since july last and men will
be curious to know why if his zeal was
honest he did not make them known
then"
Quoting from the presidents message
to the house on January in which he
said he had no charges of corruption
against congress nor against any men,
bers of the present house, Mr.. Tillman
said:
Charges Personal Malice.
80 - l.
for indicting me in the courts, which
no doubt would have rejoiced him over
much and all this fuss, fury and
| fustian about the seriousness of the
case and the gravity of the offense
with which he charges me can be at
| tributed to personal malice alone"
Referring to the presidents letter to
Senator Hale. Mr.. Tillman declared
that the president recognized the ex-
traordinary character of his action ''as
well as the unlawful use he has made
of the secret service" Mr.. Tillman
said he did not deny the authenticity of
the letter or the telegram of which
photographs were made and he pre-
sumed the letter from VIM. E. Lee was
also a correct copy, but he was not
aware of its existence until it was
brought to his attention by the presi-
dents statement concerning Dorr, a
| land agent, making his filing through
Reeder and Watkins of Marshfield.
| ore. Senator Tillman said:
s'It will be noted that accused Dorr
in the senate of being a swindler and
asked the postoffice department to is
sue a fraud order against him. Dorr
declared in his circular so sure is. Sem
ator TilIman of our success that he has
| subscribed and paid the necessary fees
! for a quarter section for himself and
| ten other sections for ten of his nearest
| relatives 1t was this bold and out
| irageous falsehood mainly that caused
| me to denounce Dorr as swindler as