Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1909-12-02
BALLINGER SCORES.

"a Ni@~ ~ Rt@- N-AANAN VI thC AAtCAA RAg
and it is not unnatural that he
should wish to conduct the affairs
Of that department according to his
Interpretation of the law; and with
out interference on the part Of
bureau-heads. subordinates, and. as
the secretary tersely said in a recent
interview, amateur conservation
lists" Mr.. Ballinger is one of the
ablest lawyers in the country, and
there is no question but that he has
kept within the scope of the Con-
stitution. He apparently has in
Cured the hostility of that small
coterie of men, who, during the pre-
ceding administration, had as their
motto, What's the Constitution
must stand or fall by the record he
makes as Secretary of the Interior.
Upon him, and not upon his subor-
dinates, will the stigma of mal-ac
ministration fall and that the sec
rotary is going to fearlessly perform
his duty, keeping in mind the in
terests of the whole people, and
adhering strictly to the Constitution,
no man who has followed the vary
ing phases of the controversy can
doubt
The attempt on the part of few
"faddists" and space writer's to dis
credit the secretary is going to
fail. Those writer's who, in the
comfortable surroundings of their
modern studies in the East. at
tempt to treat of conditions in the
West, make themselves ridiculous in
the eyes of the people who are
actually in touch with those condi-
tons. 1t seems strange that a rep
utable magazine will give space to
the visionary rantings of a literary
hack under the delusion that it is
presenting facts to its readers. If
these article We're published in the
fiction -department-,of-suc maga-
zine, there might be at least some
semblance of an excuse for their ap-
pearance in print Take this man
Matthews. for instance. who has
SHE'D his castor in the ring by TAX
ing a fire at the secretary in Hamp-
TOMS magazine for December. He
takes as his point of attack the
granting of a right Of way through
the Deschutes. Canyon in Eastern
Oregon for the construction Of rail
roads by the Hill and Hartman in
terests; and claims that the granting
Of this right of way will interfere
with the development of the ma
tcral power sites on the Deschutes
river. Had Mr. Matthews devoted
small part of his time to investi-
eating facts, instead of devoting so
much attention to his literary style.
he would have found that the pre-
liminary details of the right of way
were arranged while Secretary Car
field was Secretary of the Interior;
also that the right of way. as grant
ea. Will not interfere with the de-
velopment of the power sites, and
in the event that it should in the
futures, the grades must be changed.
The building of railroads into Cen
trial Oregon through the Deschutes
Canyon viii develop an immense and
productive territory and will add
more to the wealth of the West than
the development of all the power
This is a sample of the reliance
mat should be placed upon the
calumnies which have been heaped
upon the head Of Secretary Bal
linger; and it is gratifying to note
that he is going ahead serenely and
not allowing himself to be swerved
from the path Of duty. 1t is also
gratifying that he has the support
and confidence of President Taft Of
the Western people as whole and
Of those in the East who know the
real facts and the motives which
inspire the secretary. Perhaps the
greatest endorsement the secretary
could pet was the resolution IF com