The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-12-23
LIFT LID FROM
BIG SCANDALS
Ballinger-PinchOt ContrO.
versy to Be Revived.
CAPITAL FULL OF RUMORS

Defeat OF Taft For denomination In
1912 Alleged to Be Back Of Effort
to Discredlt BsIllnger--papers Call
ed For by Senator Flint viii Dis
close, According to Report, That
CLAWS Charges Were Work Of Off.
ciaIs In the Forestry Service.
Washington, Dec. 23.-That the
Ballinger- Pinchot controversy will
occupy the center of the legislative
stage this winter and will in all prob
ability inject itself into the political
future, is conceded on all sides in
Washington. The differences between
the secretary of the interior and the
chief forester of the government over
conservation have ceased to be a con-
versational affair. The lid is about
to be lifted and the facts disclosed.
Some people say that back of the
Ballinger-Pinchot imbroglio lies a
conspiracy that will soon be laid bare
In all its nakedness. Broad intima-
tions are given that as Il result of the
warfare between Richard A. Ballinger
and Clifford Pinchot an organization,
composed in large part of friends of
the former federal administration,
may be formed for the purpose OF
preventing the denomination of Will
liam II. Taft as the Republican presi
Dental candidate in 1912.
1t is openly charged by the friends
of the secretary of the interior that
at the outset of his administration in
March, movement was started with
the purpose of forcing him to adopt
policy in administering the laws re-
lating to public lands and the forests
i'm consonance with the views of Mr..
Pinchot. This effort failing, an effort
was made, 1t is alleged, by means of
a campaign conducted largely in the
magazine and periodical press, to
force him out of the cabinet. But ad.
ministration leaders declare that IL is
a mere coincidence that the men who
are on the trail of Secretary Ballin.
ger held prominent places in the
Things are expected to move rap
idly in the Ballinger-P Pinchot affair
when congress meets in January.
Early in the month the attorney gen.
eral will respond to the Flint resolu.
tion passed by the senate, which
calls for all the papers in the Alas
kan coal land cases embraced in the
charges against Mr.. Ballinger made
by l.. r. CLAWS, the financial officer
of the land service, who was dis
missed by authority of President
Taft. These papers will disclose, II
was said, that the CLAWS charges
were the work in large part of Off
were prepared by officials of the for.
est service, and that CLAWS was used
as a medium of attack on Secretary
Ballinger by subordinates of Nr. PIN
chot.
1t Is charged directly that Mr.. Pin
chot Is personally responsible for the
attacks on Secretary Ballinger. There
are members of the administration
who are inclined to believe that the
campaign was conducted by over
Jealous partisans of the foresters.
Friends of Secretary Ballinger in
sist that Mr.. Pinchot is responsible,
and at the proper time they say II
will be shown that Mr.. Pinchot knew
what was going on and countenanced
1t.
In dealing with the situation Pres
ident Taft will be guided by the con
clusions reached in the report of the
congressional committee of inquiry,
This means, 1t is contended here, that
ultimately either Mr. Ballinger will
quit the cabinet or that Mr. Pinchot
will have to vacate the office of for
ester. ------.