The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-08-10
RICHARD ACHILLES BAL1NGER, STAND vi

lou are accused OF grave NAL administration of your
high office OF secretary of the interior.
What have you to say for yoursef7
You cannot longer escape the issue In this Montana
case it is presented squarely The rich water power
lands along the Missouri river were withdrawn by
predecessor at the direction of President Roosevelt |
whose policies your chief, President Taft has
perpetuate.
You know why these lands were Withdrawn from entry
You were told by your advisers that there was grave
danger that the water monopoly would grab them
and keep them away from the people.
Yet you insisted that they be restored as soon as you
took office guardian of the public domain which belongs
to all the people.
interests OF the United Sates longer required these
lands to be withdrawn The restoration was your idea
cuded in these Withdrawals Why did you not restore
simply these agricultural lands and leave the water power
sites out of reach of the power trust9
Why there such haste about the restoration of these
landss
Did Senator Carter influence your decison9 Did YOU
know that he bound body and soul to W. A. Clark and
his interests Montana9 Do you know that the interests
OF Amagamated Copper not the interests Of the
mon peope7
Secretary Ballinger you have also some things to ex
plain In connection with the cancellation of the coopera
ton certificate pan adopted by your predecessor You
say that advised by your legal advisers that the
plan not in technical conformity with the law
But why were two United States senators allowed to
see the decision before it made public?
Had those two United States senators interests which
you felt bound to respect above the interests of the
tiers who had worked the canals and who building
homes on the Grand Valley project? Can any interests
be greater than the interests of these settlers eye
Did the fact that two private irrigation companies
interested in Grand Valley, effect your decison9
Secretary Banger these questions that you should
answer here and now. You in gathering of people
who have right to know these things. They want to
understand methods and policies You it to your
state to explain your actions cabinet officer You
it to your chief, President Taft who has sworn to
uphold the Roosevelt policies You it more than all
to the people of the United States whose you
You owe it to yourself
Explain!
We would like to hear from President Taft about this
Montana matter He has stated before and after he went
into office that he would uphold the Roosevelt
ton policies Yet these policies have been overhrown by
Of his cabinet officials, either through ignorance
through criminal knowledge of what he was doing
The damage has been DONE Montana has been eternay
delivered into the hands of the power trust President
Taft cannot do anything about it But he and
should give earnest of his intention to abide by his
promises to the people.
The Montana situation is but typical instance of what
has happened in every state in the west since Banger
restored the lands Not only has the water power sites
been lost to all the people for all time but the trust has
been placed in position where it will in time be enabled
to levy tribute every industry within the radius of hun
dreds of thousands of square miles of fair land The
damage has been done.
Did Mr. Taft know what his cabinet official dong7
Did either Mr. Taft his secretary of the interior make
any election promises that this action intended to
fulfil The people have right to hear from the president
on this matter.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Balinger, what have you to say?