Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-03-18
SENATOR DAVIS
 ON OLDFIELD BILL
Says the House Committee On Public Lands Had a every Inefficient
 StenOgrapher.

(Jonesboro Evening Sun).
 United States Senator Davis is mailing the following letter to his friends in this county with regard to his position on the Oldfield bill, which explains some matters that have re- gently appeared in public print:
 United States Senate,
 Washington, D. C., March 9, 1910. My Dear Friend:
 You have no doubt seen something of the rot that has been going the rounds of the newspapers recently in regard to the statement which was supposed to have made before the house committee on Public Lands, rel ative to a bill pending to quiet the title to certain lands in the St. Francis levee district, in certain cit ies of Arkansas, who have bought this land from the Arkansas Levee Board, believing that the Levee Board had title, appeared before this committee to explain the situ- ation, and the equity which these people had as against the govern ment, who is now asserting title to these lands. The committee had a very inefficient stenographer, who got my statement all mixed up and tried to make it appear that I had stated to the committee that I had some interest in the passage of this bill, and that l had 8 fee contingent upon it's passage. As soon as the manuscript of my statement before the committee was submitted to me, I saw not only this, but numerous other errors, and corrected them in the manuscript. This is constantly done by everybody, both on the floor of the house and in the senate and before all committees, because a man cannot afford to be bound by the statement taken down by some of these little stenographers that they have around the public buildings. soon discovered that I had some pol itical enemies on this committee who were interested in creating some prejudice against me at home, and, while they allowed every other man who appeared before that committee to revise his statement, so as to make the stenographer' notes speak the truth, they would not allow me to revise mine.
 was this: That long before I became senator I was employed by the St. Francis Levee Board to assist their local attorney in collecting the value of certain timber that had been stolen from these lands many years ago\ but that since that time the Levee Board had sold these lands to the parties who were asking that the title be quieted, giving only quit claim deed, and were, therefore, not interested in the passage of this bill to the extent of one farthing. Neither was I, but that wanted to be entirely frank with that committee, and I wanted them to know my entire connection with the transaction, and wanted them to know that at one time 1 did have a fee from the St. Francis Lavee Board, as above stated. Here, where the facts are known, no attention IS made of it, but the newspapers, who have always fought. and few per sonal enemies here, who wanted to injure me at home, thought they could make political capital out of tfiy matter, hence they heralded it all oy- CT the country that I was to get a fee on condition that this bill pass cd.
 There never was a bigger lie print ed or told.
 I have never yet been accused os being a fool, and it would certainly be the act of a fool to go before and make permanent re- ccrd of matter of this kind that would send him to the penitentiary. I may have my faults, but among them is not dishonesty. and l trust that my friends at home will not te alarmed about this matter, and That they will withhold Judgment in the IT alter until they can hear my side of +hr controversy It is all gotten up as a cheap buncombe to injure me with you and my other friends.
 trust you will give this stasemen. as much publicity as possible In the I will this summer when occasion requires it, speak on this subject throughout the state
 With k!ndest personal regards, Il bog to remain, Your friends,
 JEFF DAVIS.