The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-01-13
Roosevelt VS.. TlInaa.

Senator Tillman's statement in the United
Senate refuting the charges OF the
President alleging completely in land grab
bling in Oregon. is 80 long and detailed as to
beoloud the gist OF his defe nse TO the common
reader. Read carefully, one sees that the
incident ia of little importance, except to
give a pretext to the President for evening
up. II there is any anne part in Senator Till
mans defense 1t is the fact that he did not
openly state when introducing bis resolution
to expose the land frauds. that he had consid-
cred buying some OF the land.
The facts are about as follows:
The government granted lands, without
consideration, to the extent Of about Two
million acres TO certain railroad interests,
conditioned that any private Individual
should have the right to buy as much as lo
acres Of said land at $3.50 per acre. The rail-
roads refused TO sell this land to settlers or
anybody else for any confederation Certain
real. estate agencies in Oregon claimed to put
a man In position to secure sections OF the
land for about $3.50 per acre. Senator Till.
man as a private individual, and as an IN.
weston, proposed through these land agents
to buy some of the land, at the price proposed
to the public generally. He was on the same
level as any other private purchaser. No
concessions were granted him by reason OF
bis official position. The amount OF land
that he contemplated buying was insignlf-
can't compared with the magnitude Of the In
terests involved.
II he had been the tool OF any corporation,
he would not have been forced to come In on
the level with any common purchaser at $3.50
per acre.
His sin then seems to be In passing a reso-
luton proposing TO wrest from the railroads
lands Improperly granted and now being held
contrary to law against all would-be pur-
chasers, after learning that neither he nor
other individuals could buy this land. He
had never asked for anything more than for
the chance OF the citizen to buy at the mar
ket price. What he did, any other citizen
was privileged TO do, without question.
When Senator Tillman learned that the
proposed sale OF land in Oregon was a swim
die he would have no more to do With IL, and
In order to protect the unsuspecting public
from robbery heiintroduced q resolution In the
Senate exposing the fraud and calling on the
authorities to issue q fraud order. He spoke
to the Attorney General and to Secret Service
men OF his effort to secure some OF the lanor
and Of the difficulties In the way.
There was no. concealment. The act in IL
self was not wrong.
Tllman's best defense Is In the fact that
these Oregon lands were held of the market
In violation Of the original agreement with
the government that private individuals
should have the right to buy them at S2S
per acre. His resolution in the Senate did
not propose to make new terms but to re-
quire the enforcement OF the original terms.
This he had the right to do, and as a Citizen
he had the right TO tax advantage OF the op
portunity offered. II he had not edged so
nearly up TO a mistatement in saying Thai he
had not attempted to buy land in the West.
nothing else connected with the case would
be worthy Of consideration: