The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1909-09-18
BALLlNGER ExONERATED

The peopel of the entire northwest
viii learn with pleasure that R. H.
Ballinger, secretary of the interior,
has been investigated and completely
exonerated by the president of the
United States The charges were filed
BY L. r. CLAWS, chief of the field di-
vision Of the general land office. The
charges were concurred in and APP
proved by Clifford Pinchot. The presi-
dent in his letter addressed to Mr..
Balliager says:
ION the 18th of August last Mr.. L. r.
CLAWS, chief OF the field division OF
the general land office, with head
quarters at Seattle, Wash, called upon
me here and submitted a statement or
report relating to the conduct OF the
interior department and particularly
to the action Of yourself Assistant
the General Land Office bennett and
Chief of Field Service Schwartz, in
reference to the so-called Cunning
ham, group of coal land claims in
Alaska. Mr.. CLAWS report does not
formulate his charges, but by insinua-
ton and innuendo as well as by direct
ayerment, he does charge that each
one of you while in public office has
taken steps to aid the Cunningham
claimants to secure patents based on
claims that you know or have reason
to be lieye fraudulent and unlawful.
Il have examined the whole record
most carefully and have reached a
very definite conclusion. 1t is impossi-
bic for me in announcing this conclu-
sion to accompany it with a review of
the charges and the evidence on both
sides. 1t Is sufficient to say that the
case Mr.. CLAWS attempted to make en-
braces only spectres Of suspicious
without any substantial evidence to
sustain his attack.
The whole record shows that Mr..
CLAWS was honestly convinced of the
illegal character OF the claims in the
Cunningham group and that he was
seeking evidence TO defeat the claims,
but II also shows that there was delay
on his part in preparing the evidence
with which to bring this, or other
claims, to hearing and that justice to
the claimants required more speedy
action than the department, through
Mr.. CLAWS, seems to have taken.
Mr.. CLAWS seeks by quoting from
a single telegram in the department to
| show that one time the department
wished to delay him in his investiga-
tons of the Alaska claims, and at an
other time unduly hurry him and he
attempts to prove the two circum-
stances by citing kilograms of CORE
spondence without disclosing other
circumstances and correspondence
which he knew, or had under his con-
troll and which do show an entirely
proper reason for the action which in
this case was directed to be taken.
I'm other words, the reading of the
whole record leaves no doubt that in
his zeal the convict yourself, Acting
Secretary Pierce, Commissioner Dem
nett and Mr.. Schwartz, he did not give
me the benefit of information which he
had that would have thrown light
on the transactions, showing them to
be consistent with an impartial atti-
tude on your part toward the claims
in question.
oTrYou are therefore authorized to
dismiss L. r. CLAWS for unjustly i'm
peaching the official integrity of his
superior officers. From my confer
ence with you and from everything
| know in respect to the conduct of
your department l am able to say
that you are fully in sympathy with
the ADMINISTRATION attitude in favor
OF The conservation Of natural re-
sources"
Thus perishes one Of the fondest
hopes and dearest dreams of Mr.. Gift
ford iPinchot and his friends. They
had it all fixed, but alack and alas, II
altafell through
m The Spokane Spokesman Review
will have to write another chapter in
the history of the case.