The Detroit times., 1909-12-23
BIG PLOT IS ON TO
MAKE P|NCH07a
SCAPEGOAT
Forester's Dismissal From Govern
ment Service Is Back Of Plan
for Congress To Probe
Ballinger Case.
Plunder and Politics Seen in Con.
spiracy-Aldrich and Cannon
Have Stuffed Committee.
BY OLSON GARDNER.

WAStlNGlON, ID. u. Dec. "a
purpose TO force Clifford Pinchot out OF
the government service is back OF the
plan for an alleged investigation of the
land office and forest service.
President Taft has yielded TO the
persuasions OF Frank Hitchcock and
Attorney-General Wickersham. They
have convinced him that the head Of
the forest service must CO.
Behind Hitchcock, Ballinger and his
friends Is the power OF the Guggen-
helms. Standard Oil. the electric power
trust and the other tremendous influ-
ences which have taken open issue
with Pinchot's efforts to save the coun'
try's resources for the people.
Congress Is also hostile. Speaker
Cannon at one end OF the capitol and
Senator Aldrich at the other are fight
Ing the battle OF the big special inter
ests. They have their lieutenants like
Mondell in the house and Vive- Presi-
dent Sherman I'm the senate. On the
peoples side are very small ma
jority called insurgents"
Publicity the Only Hope.
Publicity is now the peoples only
hope. IL an aroused public sentiment
forces an investigation open to the
press, and permits the development Of
all the evidence. there will be YER
diet which cannot be twisted or per-
Nerted to the end intended.
President Taft has been assured
that Pinchot can be eliminated with
out drawing down unpopularity on the
White House. Congress is quite will
Ing To assume the responsibility.
A carefully packed committee is
planned to do the work. The present
scheme Is for joint committee OF the
house and senate which would be
named by Speaker Cannon and Vice
President Sherman, Mr.. Ballinger has
been working on the files OF the land
ofice and the interior department, and
he believes he has tSe cards all
stacked.
A model for the present enterprise
fs furnished by the Lily investigation
In the last congress The Connecticut
congressman charged the house lead
ers and the majority OF the naval AZ
fairs committee with graft. The charge
was true. No man can live In Wash
ington and know his business as
newspaper correspondent and be ignor-
ant OF such facts But Cannon. Bou-
tell Tawney and the rest rallied To
the defense OF their clients and made
a report which called Lilly everything
from a race track tout to a lunatic.'
His constituents understood, and Lilly
was elected governor. but the trying
experiences with the house leaders
broke his health. and he died In con-
sequence.
"The Beast In the Jungle"
What Judge Lindsey calls the beast
IN the Jungle" prowls in Washington
and nothing Is more cruel or more saw
age wnen once aroused or driven TO
bav. Pinchot has got the beast on
his track and the beast is determined
to have Pinchot's blood.
Politics and plunder unite In con-
tributing reasons for the proposed
whitewash OF Ballinger and the elm
nation of Pinchot.
Politics. impersonated by Frank
Hitchcock. says that Taft must be re-
lieved OF the PinchotBallinge trouble.
And there Is a plunder reason which
Is ouite as insistent.
The enemies of the forest service
have planned legislative harpoon FOR
this service 70 be thrust this winter.
II takes the form OF an amendment 10
tho law permitting the secretary or
the interior to take away from the
forest reserves all land not actually
covered with mature forest growths.
This would take away all lands not
useful for agriculture which are being
held for reforestation, and would d.
vide and subdivide the forest reserva-
tions until they would be mere shoe
etrings. II would make them impos-
sible to administer as forest reserves.
All OF which is well known to Bal
l,nger. IGuggenheim. Hitchcock. Can
non & Co, and for that reason desired
by them.
GIfford Pinchot will not resign. The
forest service has been his life WORK.
Possessed OF a large Independent for.
time. he has devoted 20 OF his best
wears to this branch Of the public ser
vice. To see his work crushed before
his eyes will be a deep grief TO MIN.
He says frankly that this is the pros
pect which now seems inevitable
But he will not surrender He VIII
go down fighting. and letting the pep
pIe know who and what their enemies
are