The Irish standard., 1909-11-13

fore they are excluded by the natural
ization laws.
WHITEWAsHlNG OF BALLiNGER.
That Mr.. Ballinger, Secretary of the
Interior in Taft's cabinet, is not above
suspicion in attempting to grant the
rich coal fields of Alaska to the Gug-
genheims and other fraudulent claim
ants is made manifest by L. r. CLAWS,
11eld officer of the land department IN
Seattle, in an article in Golfers
Weekly, of this date. Prior to his de.
parture on the 13,o6O-mile trip, Presi-
dent Taft discharged Mr.. CLAWS with
out hearing, and exonerated Balm
ger from all charges implied by that
official in his report. After his de-
capitation, Mr.. CLAWS promised to lay
the whole case before the American
people, and he has done SO in a man.
ner that places Secretary Ballinger il
an awkward predicament, to say the
least of it. The statement appears in
the magazine at this time because the
writer believes that the land office IN
the near future may grant the coal
lands to fraudulent claimants, and he
wants to do his best to prevent such
G. DEAL whereby the government would
be cheated by sharpers out of many
millions of tons Of coal, with the coa-
nivance of Ballinger and his former
subordinates.
CLAWS has made a strong case from
documentary evidence and puts Bal
linger on the gridiron. The latter and
the Seattle claimants deny the charges
made by CLAWS, but respecting the
question of veracity raised between
them CLAWS has certainly got the best
of them. 1t will not do for Ballinger
to say that the story told by CLAWS Is
"a tissue of falsehoods" and refer to
his vindication by Taft after most
careful consideration" The fact is
that Taft was getting ready at the
time to start on his long journey and
did not give the charges the consid-
Grafton they deserved. and great and
just" as Ballinger says Taft is, he has
to reconsider the case and get to the
bottom of it before the people believe
he was justified in whitewashing the
Seattle lawyer now in his cabinet
Ballinger has been charged with acts
which permitted great trusts to COB
BILE up the water power sites in the
West, and also with collision with the
Guggenheims and their agents, the
Cunninghams, in trying to hasten pa.-
ents to Alaskan coal lands, and were It
not that Louis R. CLAWS was visilant
and faithful to his duty he would have
succeeded in the plot He baked Bal
linger and the underlings of the land
Office so effectually that the claim
ants have not yet received their pat
ents. 'i',l, ~ -. g. I'-
Through orders from: Attorney Gen.
eral Wickersham and Secretary Will
son, at the suggestion of CLAWS, who
told them of the transaction, the grant
ing of the patents was postponed, and
as result of Claws characterization,
as the President called 1T in his letter
of dismissal the band of rogues who
thought to rob the nation of its Alas
kan coal beds have been frustrated In
their rascally methods. That Ballin-
ger tried his utmost to carry out the
deal in behalf of the conspirators is
apparent in the article written Dy
CLAWS for the enlightenment of the
public. The young man has lost his
job for preserving the coal fields from
being fraudulently gobbled up by land
pirates, but we would rather occupy
the position Of CLAWS out of office than
that of Ballinger as Secretary of the
Interior.
President Taft has been duped and
his good nature has been imposed upon
by political tricksters. A congress
sional investigation which will probe
the case to the bottom is now in order.
The Guggenheims, who are Jews, will
do everything possible to prevent an
investigation and they undoubtedly
WELD a tremendous influence at WASH
ington. One of them bought his way
into the United States senate from
Colorado. In violation of the laws OF
land entry they wanted to despoll
Alaska of its mineral wealth and get
possession of thousands of acres Of
that new country by the consolidation
of small claims procured under false
pretenses by their agents whose
schemes were laid bare by Louis II.
CLAWS, who watched their operations,
to the proper authorities at Washing
ton
CLAWS has given sufficient proof in
his article of the existence of a COM
bination to grab the rich coal fields in