New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-03
JEFF DAVlS'S FEE
HE TOLD ABOUT II.
Refused When He asked to
Haze H0rds Killed.
rFro-n Tre Tribune Bureau !

From The Tribune Bureau
! Washington, March 9-Senator Jen DAVIS
of Arkansas. is in the limelight again.
! This time he Is not striving for puohc'tE
b,- attacks on ''nefarious trusts or cor
rupt men, but seems inclined to resent
the action Of the House 'on1mhtee OF
! Public Lands in refusing him the privilege
Of striking from his testimony given some
DAYS ago a statement in which he was
understood 10 declare that no was pecdil-
ariIy interested in the passage OF the Dill.
/ His exact words were, There IS gooo
! fee If l can recover the price Oh that
timber
! The bill in question is one 10 "quiet aLio
! confirm title TO certain so-called sunk lands
swamp lands and overf1owed lands stu
ated in the State of Arkansas 1t deals
/ With lands which were coded to the state
! of Arkansas by Congress under the swamp
! land act The value OF most of this iaho
was placed at 81 80 an acre, and some OF
it, according to testimony before the com
mittee. had been sold to settlers az that
price It was also stated that the timber
was found TO be worth UP to s23 An acre
The St Francis Levee Board of Arkansas
has been filing number of suits to regain
the land on d grant from the state OH
the ground that the state received us tltie
from the federal government under the
swamp land act The Interior Department
however. has ruled that the Original sur
vevs of this land we're incorrect. AMI thai
title of the lands reverted TO the fedeta
government by a compromise act between
the United States and Arkansas IN IS9e
Following this decision, a large number OF
settlers and homesteadeTs have moved upon
the land the St Francis Leyee Board dis
putting the claim.
The bill was introduced by Representative
OIdfeld, of Arkansas. at the request OF
Senator Davis. and was 50 marked "heh L
was placed in the official basket senator
Davis told the Committee on Public L-ands
that he had been acting as attorney for the
levee board. and from his testimony the
committee understood that he would re-
ceive large fee if the bill was passed
After the hearing at which he made bis
statement Senator Davis requested that ne
be allowed TO revise his remarks, and on
the return of the revised copy the commit
tee found he had stricken out all mention
of the fee and also that portion relating TO
his service as counsel. To-day he asked
permission that these portions be stricken
from the record. and the committee, after
an executive session, refused to allow IL
Senator Clarke Davis's colleague, told the
resented his position by stating that he was
in favor of the bill and suggested that
Davis might have learned his position by
consulting him. After introducing the bill,
Representative OIdfeld thought of with
drawing ii. but declares that as he had no
interest in IT, and there were several per
sons here to appear before the committee,
Il was decided by some of those on both
sides OF the proposition TO thrash the thing
out before the committee.
Senator Davis talked wildly of A plot OF
his political enemies and made it clearly
understood to newspa permen who saw him
to-day that he would not tolerate any re-
fectionS on his honesty. Senator Davis
has been asked whether his correction with
the levee committee as attorney Is not a
violation of Section 10 of the new criminal
code, which reads as follows:
Whoever being elected or appointed
member of or delegate to Congress
shall after his election ask. accept,
receive or agree to receive any money,
property or other TalUab bic considerations
for his attention to or services or
with intent to have his action or decision
influenced on any question. matter cause
or proceeding which may AZ any time De
pending in either House OF Congress or
before any committee thereof which by
Law or under the Constitution may be
brought before him in his official capacity
times the amount asked. accepted or re
ceived and imprisoned for not more than
three years and shall moreover forfeit MS
Office or place and thereafter be forever
DISQUALIFIED from holding any office OF
honor, trust or profit under the government
Of the United States
Senator Davis gave ont sta tement TO-
night in which he defended the hill a
n1eritorious. After giving several reasons
why il should pc passed. he declared thai
before he was elected 70 tho Senate he
was employed ny the St Francis LeFSe
BOARD TO assist ITS attorney in col
Letting an amount due from timber hepre-
dations on the lands that the St trancis
evoe BOARD had sold these lands. giving
ONLY quit claim deed and vas not inter
artad in this bill to the extent Of one
farthfng." He said that the bill did not
affect his fee and that the story had heen
started by his political enemies He makes
no attempt to explain his testimony be
fore the public lands committee.