Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-21

a man who has recently left the gov
ernment service, who has himself beel
| an Investigator of tho department o
! justice and who Is an expert on lanC
| laws, urging just such an ultiInatum 81.
| Mr.. Ballinger carried to the Whit,
House today. He impressed upon the
| secretary the conviction that the tim,
| had come when he must either demand
an acquittal or retire to private life,
IMPORTANT ASPECTS.
Four important aspects OF the situa-
| tion arc taken into consideration by
| party leaders:
F1rst-The effect upon the future OF
the Republican party and of tlfe Taft
administration IL attacks upon the in
tegrity of member of the presidents
official family may be made with Inn
punity and allowed 20 pass unanswered,
even unchallcngcd.
Secondly-The possibility OF the con-
troversy between adherents and oppo-
nents of Mr.. Ballinger becoming so
bitter as to cndanger party Legislation,
Third-The practical standstill of the
whole policy of conservation of natural
resources In the present conflict among
those In whose hands lies the admins
tration of that policy.
Fourth-The desire TO do justice to-
ward the cabinet officers whose personal
and official integrity has been assailed.
So the decision has been reached to
sift the entire matter to the bottom. 1t
remains only to settle on the details of
the program All parties understand
that the investigation must be of such
character as to leave in the public mind
not the slightest doubt OF its thorough
ness and lmpartlality.
Mr.. Ballinger is impatient of delay
and is said to have urged that resolu
ton providing for congressional in
vestigation be presented in the senate
tomorrow. 1t is understood that he
has been overruled on that point and
that the exceedingly complex task of
determining the form of inquiry Will
be threshcd out between now and the
reconvening of Congress on Jan, 4.
This whole subject gives promise of
heated discussion among members OF
both houses of Congress. and 1t Is not
unlikely that the investigation will at
length be put In the hands of joint
special committee representing both.
Ordinarily an Investigation of this
character would fall to the committee
on public lands In one house or tho
other. These committees are made
up. however. largely of men from west
ern states who have in one way OF an
other taken sides In the controversy
and whose interests might be regarded
as possibly interfering with an un-
biased judgment.
One thing appears certain-the in
yestigation. whoever makes it-must be
relentless and everybody seems agreed
that 1t must be absolutely public; 1t is
admitted that anything In the nature of
star chamber proceedings would
satisfy no one.
The entire department of the interior
80 far as 1t concerns public lands and
mineral and water rights, 1t Is agreed.
must be barred to the searchlight; from
the time when Mr.. Ballinger was COM
missioner general OF the land office un-
der the Roosevelt administration, down
to the present moment.
The position OF Mr.. Ballinger and his
friends goes beyond any question of
personal controversy and they and
those who voice the attitude of the
administration disavow any desire to
convict somebody else" as a means
of vindicating the secretary OF the In