The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-18
RAIDS ON THE CABINET.

tration, directed specifically against the
Cabinet, this apparently by the special
admirers of Mr.. Roosevelt. Of course,
Mr.. Roosevelt himself must he exon
Grated from all completely in this cam
paign, for he is i'm remote portion
of the earth. and il is not conceivable
that he would know anything about
what is going on in this direction. But
the anxious cOnscrvators Of the pub
lir resources. which means for the
most part the Withdrawal of oppor-
tunilics for settlers to use the uatural
resources of the region around them
arc the ones who arc specially active
IN this propaganda against the Taft
administration. The particular dircc-
tion that this conservation takes is that
the miners. the settlers, and others are
forbidden TO use the public timber. the
water privileges, must not. IN fact,
avail themselves of the resources Of the
country lest somebody in the East yet
unborn might possibly come along aud
want those resources for himself, two
or three hundred years hence
u has been the practice in America
from the beginning, for the settlers IN
any rcuion'on the public domain TO use
freely the natural resources of the re-
giou they were settling. There has
never been any exception to this. There
has never been any question of the pro
prictv of their doing this until within
a few wears past, when the Eastern
people got the idea that ii would be
good thing 10 stop the settlers IN this
Western country from the same liberty
of use that they and their toreiathcrs
had found so beneficial. We in the
West. tho hardest portion of the Re
public TO settle. naturally do not appre-
ciate the benefit Of that sort of con-
scrvation; but the East is bigger than
we are. aud Of course is able TO enforce
its fancies against the needs of the
settlers Of thc West. But even so. we
would not object So much If they should
do it according TO law.
Ii appears TO be those theorists. the
ones who have made names for them.
selves in the East FOR their piuching
policies toward the West, that are en-
gagged in the propaganda against the
Cabinet of President Taft. Incidentally.
OF course, and necessarily, that move
ment is ultimately against President
Taft himself and in favor of the ere
turn from Elba" Significant phra5e,l
of Mr.. Roosevelt in 1912. The reason
is that President Taft wishes 10 pro
coed under the law. whereas The emf
ucnt conservators referred TO don't care
much about the. law so that they can
enforce their theories and desires.
The FIRST raid was upon Secretary
Nagcl by Mr.. North, who was director
of the census. and who wished 10 run
his little bureau Independent of the de-
partmcnt 10 which it belonged. Mr..
Naccl made short work Of Mr. North.
and dismissed him. Then a determined
raid was made upon Mr. Ballingcr by
Mr. Pinchot and the conservationist
forces Mr.. Taft, however, investigated
the whole matter, and saw that Mr..
was blamcless. and so Judged.
There was nominal reconciliation be
tween Jjaiinger and Pinchot. but the
fight does not down. 1t is on again. APP
parently With greater stress than ever;
and IL looks as though Mr., Ballinger
would have to 20, or else the noisy CON
scrva,ors must be muzzled.
Then there Comes nm attack upon
Postmaster General Hitchcock. which
promises equal virulence with that upon
Secretary Ballinger. One OF the charges
against him is said TO be that lie made
Il deal with The Guggcnhcm interests
during the last campaign in connection
with certain coal land claims in Alaska
which it is alleged Mr.. Hitchcock " set.
tied satisfactorily.
Then, in connection with the dis.
missal Of Mr. Crane. Minister TO China,
an appointce of My, Taft n viruleut
raid is made upon Secretary Knox, al
legiDg injustice, unfairucss and au ami
mus against NJ. Crane entirely un-
worthy Of Cabinet officer.
There is Il concerted campaign on
also against the Secretary Of the Treas
HfN IN connection Win lnc cHolnlna-
ton OF personal baggage sbv Collector
Loeb ut the port of New York. Mr.
Loeb is reported as employing thieves
gyaficrs, and various kinds of scoun-
drcls for the purpose of catching pco
pie who Try to smugGlc duliable goods
ircC Of the customs rates.
SO serious In general are these raids
so open is the insinuation. that 1T means
The return of Roosevelt in J9l2' that
the Cabinet as whole is said 10 nc cou
sidcrably exercised upon the apparently
concerted efforts against them, indi
vidually and collectively, from quarters
that are easily recognized as tho special
champions of Mr.. Roosevelt The at
tack is not made directly upon Presi
dent Taft. because that is supposed TO
be unwisc; but it is made with such
directncss, snch periinacity. and so
openly upon the Cabinet in the interest