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About The Augusta daily herald. (Augusta, Ga.) 1908-1914 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 1909)
THE AUGUSTA DAILY HERALD VOLUME XIV., No. 11. TILLMAN PRODS ROOSEVELT miTH SHARPENED PITCHFORK pays President Attacked Him Because of Personal Malice--Accuses Roose velt of Wanting Land For Mr. Harriman DEMANDS INVESTIGATION Says That His Record Will Stand Comparison With Anybody. Wanted To Buy Land, But De nies Graft Charge WASHINGTON. Declaring that the president had been actuated by motives of malice and revenge in at tacking his course in connection with the Coos Bay (Oregon) land grant Senator Tillman in the senate made teply to the accusations of the chief (xeculive. His speech was read from manuscript and was a characteristic mixture of argument and invective. Senater Tillman rose to the question of pc rsonal privilege and was greet ed by an audience that packed the galleries. The senate chamber was tilled and the senator received the clo3cst3 attention. WANTED TO “GET EVEN 4 ” He began with the declaration that the president’s charges had been made to ‘Get even,” with him for his criticisms in the senate and made a counter accusation against the presid :nt. of trying to hold land for his 'Dear friend Harriman.” Ac knowledging without a quibble the au thenticity of the letters quoted by the \ resident he acknowledged he hud bet n "disingenuous” in saying he had hot "undertaiten” to buy any of the land. "But,” he said, “a mo ment’s thought. will convince any honest minded man that as 1 had not signed any papers, had not paid any money, had taken nobody's receipt, the usual'processes by which one ’un dertakes’ to bqy land, I was spelling accurately and not falsely. Every thing hinges on the meaning of the word ‘undertaken,’ and my use of ir Did I mean to conceal the fact that I was anxious to buy some of the land'.' not at all. "Did I mean to attack Dorr as swindler when I myself was engaged in a dishonest and dishonorable transaction? That is what the presi dent would have the people believe. Can I be justly charged with a false hood when if I had told the senate o! the entire transaction? It Iwould have made no difference whatever; whiile I would have been charged with intruding my private affairs into pub lic discussion.” Explaining how the status of the land grant, had been brought to his attention during a sojourn in Spo kane, Wash., in 1907 Tillman admit ted frankly that he had become pos sessed of desire to procure some tracts of it for himself and members of his family, one of them being his private secretary and the other a Mr. Lee. EXPLAINED EFFORTS TO GET LAND. He went into detail in explaining his effort to learn the exact status of the lands and said he had gotten the legal opinion from Senator Tur ner of Washington. After return ing to Washington in December he let the matter drop, believing it to be “a very doubtful proposition” un til Lee showed him a letter from Reeder and Watkins which Tillman said had been stolen from his desk in his committee room along with other papers in this case and de clared that the theft was probably done by some of the secret service sleuths. “When Reeder and Watkins,” he said, “indicated their desire that I should exert my influence in the sen ate I wrote the letter of February 15, of which the president obtained a photograph copy. In the meantime, and before that letter was written, from my investigation and after a conference with the attorney general, I Introduced the two resolutions of January 31st, one calling on the attor ney general for information and the other, which became law, instructing him to institute suits.” DIRTY WORK OF SLEUTHS. The senator added; “The presi dent’s sleuths were set to do the dirty work of spying on a senator, when that senator had exposed a fraud, which was being perpetrated on the public, and was reported to him oa July 27th. I had nothing to do with the change in the law of which the president complains in regard to the secret service. So the president’s animus is not against me on the same ground for which he has attacked Messrs. Tawney, Smith and others in the house, but one of personal malice fjjigendered by hatred because of my course in the Benate during the last seven years.” NO ATTEMPT TO DECEIVE. Tillman asserted he had not attempted to deceive anybody. "I have not told any falsehoods," he said. "i have not broken any law; i have Senator B R •’ffllman. *yjv y/y<w. The South Carolinian Who Replied To President’s Graft Charges in Senate Monday. not been guilty of any immoral con duct. I had a right to purchase land if I could, but my judgment told me it was unsafe as an investment.” “I wouid like to get some of it yet,” he said and added: "Through my action attention has been directed in compelling the way to the need of prompt action by the department of justice. Whether I ever get any of the land or not does not matter if Harriman and others of that ilk are made to disgorge large holdings, which they have stolen and are attempting to hold.” WOULD DESTROY HIM IF POSSIBLE. Tillman said: “Of course, the president is sure that I have done something very discreditable and out rageous. He hates me and would destroy me if he could. “The president gloats over the fact that my letter was written ‘just four days before he announced in the sen ate that he (I) had not undertaken to buy any land in the west’ as clinch ing his contention' that I have Jied to the senate. Records show that in tho interim between the Dorr circular had been sent to me, for on February 19th, when I made the exposure of Dorr, I said in the senate: Tn the last day or two I have had my attention called to a scheme of swindling, etc.” It is easy for those who are themselves vulnerable to convict others on the most flimsy evidence and- the presi dent seems to work on that the)f' ory.” WANTED TO HELP HARRIMAN. Tillman continued: “The man who announces to congress that he, Theo dore Roosevelt, assumed the right to permit the steel trust 4 to absorb its greatest rival contrary to law, would doubtless not hesitate to help his dear friend Harriman in holding two mil lion acres of public domain because Ben Tillman has contemplated and wanted to buy 1,440 acres.” DEMANDS AN INVESTIGATION. In conclusion Tillman said: “I court most searching an investigation. Nay, I demand it. I declare most emphatically I have never sought to conceal my effort to buy the land; I spoke to the attorney general about It; I explained to an agent of the se cret service the whole transaction when I gave him the Dorr circular and the letters which had been sent to me concerning it. The question of the motive will at last control and it. cannot be shown that I have any rea son to conceal anything. I invite comparison of my private life and my public work as a man and a senator with Theodore Roosevelt or any other man and feel absolutely sure of the ground upon which I stand.” (Continued on page nlne.)~ VIRGINIA TO CELEBRATE BIRTH OF EDGAR ALLAN POE CHARLOTTES VIILE, Va—Plans are being laid at the University of Virginia for the celebration of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe, the cele bration will be international in its scope and will extend over two days, January 18 and 19. • The university's great interest in Poe is due to the fact that he was once a student at that institution. The room on West Range, No. 13, which he last occupied when there, will be put In shape for the occasion and particular effort will be made to show visitors that th<* university reveres the memory of the literary genius. Forecast f or Augusta anti Vicinity—Fair Tonight, Rain Tuesday. AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, MONDAY AFTERNOON, JANUARY 11, 1909. STORM AND SHOCKS TERRORIZED JHE SURViVORS Work of Rescure Progress ing, Many Live People Are being Found Beneath the Ruins of Messina. MESSINA.—The search for the bu ried victims of Italy’s last great earthquake still continues and is fre quently rewarded with the rescue of living people. Sunday at noon n man named Bensaja, who had spent fourteen days with out food locked in the ruins of his home was taken out unconscious and resuscitated. He had been caught in by the debris and unable to move, was compelled to watch the lingering death of his wife and four children. Saturday a mar ried couple were removed not only alive, but conscious. Their imprison ment had lasted thirteen days. On Saturday night a terrific tempest ac companied by earthquake shocks arose causing a number of fresh col lapses in the ruined city and spread ing new terror among the survivors. Most of the people in Messina were camped under tents or huts and near ly all of these were destroyed by the wind and blinding rain. CARNIVAL BEING PLANNED BY THE FIREMEN OF MACON MACON, Ga —A revival of the good old days of fifteen or twenty years ago is being planned by members of the old volunteer fire department of Macon, and the time set for the car nival, or gala week, is April 12 to 17. ! This week has been set apart for I one of the biggest celebrations in j years and if all the plans can be i worked out.there will be good times ■ for everyone. Ref qge the paid fire department began - working in Macon the volun ! teer companies used to have big alh ' letie meets each spring and this oc casioned general merry-making. The j town was thrown wide open and peo- I pie came from miles around to en \ joy the festivities. Of late there ■ has been no such times but the old | guard wants a rejuvenation. 8188 COUNTY HUNTERS GO AFTER TAFT ’POSSUMS MACON, Ga. —Ribb county ma> ■ soon furnish some big Georgia 'pos sums to the committee on reception in Atlanta which is arranging for the big dinner to be given in honor of Judge William Howard Taft.. Within the last few days the best, ’possum dogs that the county affords have been put through a new course of training and they are now ready for the chase. Ribb county opossums are said to possess a distinct flavor and one that is even richer than those of other parts. The rich Ribb county lands furnish the best kind of persimmon trees and therefore the 'possums are well fed and grow to a large size. MISS KIRKE ONCE WES RESIDENT OF CHARLESTON Did Missionary Work in Mexico, as Well As South America. Will Go To Pest House. The authorities of Aiken finding that the erection of the small liouso in which Miss Mary V. Kirke is to be domiciled near the pest house can not be finished quickly enough to suit them, they have decided to have her taken to the pest house itself un til the house is completed. It has now been arranged to have Mrs. Kirke carried to the pest house tomorrow to remain there until the house being built for her nearby is J finished. The publication of the story by The I Herald has caused considerable infor mation to become known by Mrs. Kirke. People in Charleston remem ber her as a resident of that city at one time. She is also known in Sa vannah. Miss Kirke as a young woman was very much interested in religious work. She was a devout member of the Presbyterian church and wished to do ali she could to spread the blessings of the gospel in other land* Shortly after the civil war she went to Mexico as a missionary and a re mained there several years. After re turning from that country she was sent to South America, where she was very actively engaged in church work She returned to Charleston from South America and in 1882 left Char leston for Aiken, where she has lived since that time. Liquor Question Will Be Up Before Carolina Solons Special to The Herald. COLUMBIA, S. C.—Liquor will, after all, be the principal issue before the new legislature convening here.- at noon Tuesday. Encouraged by ihe reception accorded thoir approaches the prohibitionists have about aban doned' their plan to ask that the question of prohibition or county dis pensaries be referred tb the people direct and will instead press hard for a state-wide prohibition enact ment by the general assembly at this session. They regard their chances good. Exactly half the counties are already dry. A curious feature is that the floor leaders of the prohibi tion measure are Mendel Smith, John Richards and other former dispen sary champions. Governor Ansel's message is expected to favor state wide prohibition, increase of istato house salaries, tax reform, compul sory education and the erection of a building supplementary to the capi tol. Organized labo# will for the first time command large attention. The MRS. SUMNER DIED MONDAY MORNING Passed Away At City Hos pital After Short Illness. * Mrs. Gulia Sumner, the wife of Mr. Geo. Sumner, passed away at the city hospital Monday at 1:30 o'clock. Mrs. Sumner was taken suddenly 111 Sun day night. She was carried to the hospital, where the best ofi medical attention was given her. Mrs. Sumner is survived by a moth er, Mrs. Mary Thomas, and a hus band, Mr. Geo. Sumner. She leaves two sisters, Mrs. Arthur Lyman and Mrs. John Cartwright, and two broth ers, Mr. W. J. Thomas, of Savannah, and Mr. F. W. Thomas, of Augusta. The death of Mrs. Sumner Is extreme ly sad as she has five children, the oldest of which Is only eight years old. The many friends of the family learn with deep regret of the death. The funeral arrangements will be announced later. MANY LEGISLATURES ARE NOW IN SESSION All Over the Country Solona Are Gathering To Grind Out Laws. WASHINGTON.—State legislatures are now In session or will meet this week in Wyoming, Wisconsin, Arkan sas, California, Colorado, West. Vir ginia, Washington, Connecticut, Dela ware, Idaho, lowa, South Dakota, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Min nesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Nebraska, New Jerse.a, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ore gon, Pennsylvania and New York. Later In the year the legislative bodies will assemble In Arizona, Flor ida, Georgia, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Nevada. Kl RKLEY—-PAGU E. Mr. Carl Klrkley and Miss Florence Pague were united in marriage by Rev. Thomas Walker at 10 o’clock Monday morning at the Woodlawn Baptist church parsonage. The young couple have many friends who wlßh them success in the Journey of life, j ATLANTAN GETS Gffi HO LETTER Special to The Herald ATLANTA, Ga. —A black hand let ter has been received by ,1. K. Tim mons at 21 Baltimore place. It warns him that the black mark lias been set opposite bis name and sug gests it would be better for him to leave Atlanta. At the bottom of the sheet on which it Is scrawled Is rude ly drawn a hand pointing toward a dagger. He is a city salesman for a local tobacco concern. Ii is be lieved that negroes mistook him sot an informer on blind tigers. WHAT TO DO W ITH CONVICT MONEY ATLANTA, <!a. —Attorney General Hart may he called upon to decide the direction that the money derived from the hire of convicts for the present and succeeding quarter is to tak?. The total amount for two quarters Is approximately SIBO,OOO. The legislature by direct appro priation provided $150,000 to be used tor the support of the penitentiary department, the balance to go to schools and roads. The treasurer is not clear as to whether the total ap propriation of $150,000 to Hie peni tentiary department shall he laken from the hire to the first of April or whether the department shall receive only its proportionate pari, inasmuch as the system will change on April Ist. labor bills principally urged are for factory inspection. Restatement of employers liability. Repudiation of fellow servant, and tho pleading and protection of the union label. Whaley Probably Speaker. Dixie Whaley, of Charleston, will be re-elected speaker of the house without opposition. There are sharp contests for the clerkships, the elec tions of which more than usual number are pending, will be held early in the session. Chief justice | of Ihe supreme court, and three oir cult judges, an associate justice, three penitentiary directors, many college trustees and penitentiary su perintendent are among those to be chosen. One New Officer. The date for the inauguration of the new officers will probably be fix ed by a resolution Tuesday. Tho ceremony haß no especial Interest, the only new official being John Swearingen, of Trenton, who suc ceeds O. B. Martin as superintedent of education. BURGLARS ROBBED ATLANTA FIRM Battered Open Safe and Got Away With Only Five Dollars. ATLANTA, Ga.— Burglars Sunday night entered the establishment of the Orr Stationery Co., at 94 White hall street and battered open a small Iron safe. After all their trou ble they obtained only $5 from the safe. CORONER HELD INQUEST OVER BODY OF ROBERTS Coroner Ramsey conducted an in quest at 12 o’clock over the remains of James Roberts, colored, who died early Suaday morning from a wound Inflicted Saturday night by a negro named Will Jones. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that Roberts came to his death “as the result of a gunshot wound Inflicted by the hand of Will Jones.” Jones is in jail and will be tried for murder. ROME MAY STOP THE SALE OF NEAR-BEER m—mmmmmmmmn Mayor Lipscomb is Having Samples of Article Test ed By State Chemist. ROMK, Ga.—The question of how near the near beer sold In Rome Is to the real article will shortly he de termined, Samples of the article have been sent to tne state chemist by Mayor Lipscomb, and he will make an analysis and report his findings. The loeal dealers were all visited by the officers Saturday. A sample brew was drawn from each keg that had been opened for sale, and a sample bottle of each was selected from the stock. All these were tak en to the mayor’s office, sealed in the presence of the policemen, and will he forwarded to the state chemist for re port. Acting on the theory that the prohibition law forbids the sale of any beer containing more than a certain percent, of alcohol It Is said that prohibition leaders will make eases against the local dealers if the state chemist’s report shows that the kind they have been selling contains too much alcohol. DAILY AND SUNDAY $6.00 PER YEAR DR. WILKINSON CALLED FOR RECORDER’S RETIREMENT I. H. TUFF ELECTED PRESIDENT »isl Electors Gathered in tlie Cities of the Various States ajfd Named tlie President and Vice-President. WASHINGTON, D. William Howard Taft was eloe'ed presidenl of the United Slates by the elec tors who gathered Monday in the capital cities of the various slates lo casl their votes for presidenl and \ ice-presidCnt. Although the returns will not he canvassed by congress until next month, it 1h confidently anietpated that Taft and Sherman have been successful in today’s election. The principal easiness before to day’s sessions of the state electors was the selection of messengers to carry the news to Washington. Each itate selects such a messenger, and in most of them there have been many candidates for the honor. According to the law the state (doctors, at today's sessions, will of loct their own organization, select their presiding officer and tellers, oast their votes and select from their number the messenger to carry a copy of the results of their voto to lie delivered to the speaker of the house of representatives. Two more copies will be forwarded by mall, ac cording to the constitution of (he United Stales. Congress, having re ceived all of the electoral votes from all the slates passes on the result. In theory these electors are free to choose whom they please—and this was designed to be the case by the makers of the constitution— hut tn practice they vote for the can didate nominated by the party whose electoral ticket they represent. Title they do not in obedience to law but to party pledge and custom, and in American history there never has been a ease where this custom and party pledge was violated. As they are pledged, and it is known to whom they are pledged, there Is no uncertainty about the re sult, which Is merely a formal rati fication of the ehoice of the people. Certified conies of the returns of these electoral colleges are then son! to Washington, are there turned over lo the president of the senate, on the first Wdnesday in February, in tin presence of the senate and house sitting Jointly, and the''e counted. As this is merely the official count of the vole already counted Informally and known, this is a mere formality. There are some other Interesting facts conected with the election of a president I hat are not generally known. Mon holding places under the government are not permitted to act as electors. In 1837 It was dis covered after Ihe electors were ap pointed that North Carolina, New Hampshire and Connecticut had selected electors who were deputy postmasters. A congressional com mittee, headed by Henry Clay, held that, their votes must be rejected. It happened that Van Buren was elected regardless of these voles, but it might easily happen, In a close elec tion, that some mischance wouUl de feat the will of the states. Also, the constitution requires that the elec tors shall meet on the same day. In i 857 a snowstorm kept the Wiscon sin electors from mee.lng until the day following the appointed date. The Georgia electors have voted twice on the wrong day. tn none of these cases did the Irregular votes count, and In none did (heir loss change the result. The stales, and not the people, elect the president. Thus, while in part the electoral rep resentation Is based on population because there is one elector for each congressman, In part It Is based on “state’s rights,” because there is an elector for each senator, and each state has two senators regardless of Its size. VETERANS MEET SOON TO ELECT OFFICERS Camp No. 135, C. S. A., will meet at the court house Monday night at So'clock for the purpose of holding their annual election of officers. The camp only meets every three months and every member Is requested to attend the meeting. Capt. Kent Bi- Bell Is In command of the camp. TODAY’S NEWS Of STRICKEN DISTRICTS KOMK —Slight earthquake shocks: are still being felt at Intervals about Messina. IJvlng survivors are being rescued after being imprisoned by the debris ; ten and twelve days. The village of Pace Is completely ] destroyed and all residents are kill ed. Two notorious criminals Ceyeco | Puard and Alfonz, who escaped when the Messina prison was destroyed and . who went accused of Rapine murder ! and wanton destruction since the : earthquake were arrested Monday. General Mazazza Issued a proclo- ' mation Monday declaring that no mercy would 1/e shown to looters | who were caught. The Relief fleet left for Calabria ! Monday in a violent J DECLARED COUNCIL COULD IMPEACH HIM BY A TWO THIRDS VOTE WHAT IS THE LAW? Minister Also Paid Hi* Respects To Speeches of the Attorney for Defend ants. In his sermon at St. James church Sunday night Rev. Richard Wilkinson called on city council to dismiss Re corder Plcquet from his position on ac count of his actions in the blind tig er cases. Mr. Wilkinson declared that If the city fathers failed to do this they put themselves in the position of endorsing his acts. This came after a severe and lengthy aralgnment of Mr. Picquet Concluding it Mr. Wilkinson said, “Your present recorder, city council made him, city council ought to re move him. It can do it. by a two l hints vote for cause. They will do this if they do not sympathize with him. I believe they will take that step.” Mr. Wilkinson rend from The Herald, Judge Plcquet’s utterances tn sentencing the blind tigers. Com menting on Mr. Plcquet’s statement that he hated to do It, Mr. Wilkinson said that It was evident the action gave the recorder pain, “in tho name of all's that, right, lot's release hint of that pain,” Mr. Wilkinson said: “The first thing you know It will kill him. Let's change him and put him at. the bar. He ought to be there.” Referring again to this suggestion Mr. Wilkinson said, "If that thing does not happen, which I have asked, then In the name of good citizens let us rise up and demand It.” Referring at another time to tiro respnsibility of council In the matter Mr. Wilkinson said, “I understand the Judge on the bench is a creature of city council. His actions must be weighed as their action. He is their agent and they should be held re sponsible. If these acts are not rep udiated they make them their own.” Mr. Wilkinson took up the record er's remarks as to the prohibition law not being wanted by the people. “Wlial. right have you to say that,” he Inquired. "It Is not a Judge’s business lo comment on the law In that manner. It the enfre-cemcnt of the law Is such a great pain to him, let council find another fellow for the Job. They ought not keep him hurt ing that way." “Lawlessness Ih encouraged by the powers that he. No not question that I am ready to prove it.” was another of Mr. Wilkinson’s expressive com ment. Mr. Wilkinson attacked the sent ences given by the recorder. Tho judge had the power to Inflict a fine of throe hundred dollars he said and give time in Jail in addition. Yet ho fined them fifty dollars. “Why, they’ll make that, back before breakfast,” Mr. Wilkinson declared, “who cares for a fifty dollars fine. I reckon If they rnude It three hundred, though, somebody else would not be able to get what they wanted.” Mr. Wilkinson had prefaced his re marks by reading the salient points of the prohibition law. After he read the oath taken by the recorder, and commented upon It. Then he read the law covering contempt of court. He bitterly assailed Mr. Picquet for al lowing the witnesses to be hissed. “The Idea of hissing in a court room,” he said. “Why, If I was on the bench It. would not last sixty seconds. And if oi..er than tnose In sympathy with the hisses were on the bench, It would not last either. It is time we rise up and assert our place.” METHODS OF INTIMIDATION. The methods of intimidation which were being used, the threats of peo ple losing their jobs by participating In the prosecutions came In for a good share of Mr. Wilkinson’s re marks. He said that the address might be his last before the church, as they might make him lose his posi tion. He said though he was weigh ing his words. He had been preach ing for many years and had yet to | got his first call down for what he j had said. Mr. Wilkinson took the position ' that the law very plainly showetj by j the words sold “directly or Indirect ly ’ that proving whiskey wan sold In ; a certain place made its proprietor (Continued on Page 8.) The American battleship Connecti cut the flagship of the fleet arrived at Naples Monday with Ambassador Grlscom otf board. i flirty men from the American ship Culgoa, are working In Messina, clear ing away the ruins of the American consulate anu searching for the bodies of Counsul Cheney and his wife and the bodies of other Americans. The arrival of the American relief ship Raver was hailed with glad ac clamation at Reggio. Great storms, rain and lightning,- are raging throughout Calabria. ■ The American supply ships Culgoa and Yankton will remain In the straits of Me«slna until the uiiddla oX tile wank.
