The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1909-09-09

vide open. Mayor Ralinger not only
closed the worst OF the dives. but
made Seattle a model city. His life
was threatened often. but thai Is a
tribute offered every man who does
real work. Ballinger's lite WAS threat
ened in Alabama also by II colonel
who wanted To pun gun on him aud
was made TO desist only by II little
I judicious choking The secretary of
the interior does not like 10 have these
old stories told of him now. II Is said.
/ But why did he get into the cabinet II
he did not want TO be talked about?
The Point at Issue.
Having Introduced fhe TWO prlnci-
! pals in tbe mill" II may he AS well TO
| tell what the row IL all about. Prima-
1 rily II is over one of the Roosevelt poli-
cies. Just before the ex-president left
| office he withdrew nearly u million
acres of timber and water site lands
! from public entry. The 0stensibe rea-
sou was to preserve the forests. but
the real purpose was 10 protect the
water power sites on portion of this
domain. Hardly had Secretary Bailin-
ger entered office than he again threw
this land open 10 entry. Mr.. Pinchot
thereupon appealed TO President Taft.
with the result thai 25.O00 acres con-
tanning some of the most valuable wa
ter sites. was second time with
drawn.
At the national irrigation convention
recently held at Spokane and at the
transmississippi congress. still more
recently in session at Denver. Mr.
Pinchot defended his conservation pol
icy amid immense enthusiasm. He
was especially cheered when he assert
ed that conservation of natural re-
sources is Il Roosevelt policy that Taft
Is pledged 10 carry out. In his Spo-
kane address he boldly asserted that
power trust is being formed in the
country which Is seeking to obtain
possession of the government water
site lands. leaving the inference plain
that BaIinger's action in throwing
open these lands left the way clear for
their acquisition by the trust. This
was universally construed into an at
tack on Ballinger. At the same con
yention Ex-Governor Pardee of Cali
fornia assailed the secretary of the in
terror openly for having played into
the hands OF private interests as
against The public veal.
The Legal End of 1t.
The defense offered by the friends of
Mr. Ballinger is that he is himself an
ardent conservatiOnist, bur that he is
only trying to obey the law. They say
that this is lawyers administration
and that strict construction is the rule
Thus the difference is more apparent
than real. being one of method rather
than of principle.
The opinion is expressed that this is
the view President Taft himself takes
of the matter. Rumo-s have been per-
sistent that he has sought to make
peace between the two officials and i'll
the main has succeeded. AS the ques-
ton involves two opposing forces and
as the conflict between these two has
in poYise abated. such peace can
scarcely be permanent. SO long as
there is opposition between private
seltishness and public good so long
will the movement for conservation OF
natural resources be endangered by
combinations of capital that seek to
exploit these resources for their own
ends.
OF the great conservation crusade
Clifford Pinchot has been the virtual
creator. Theodore Roosevelt became
its ardent champion. Despite legal
technicalities and the antagonism of
special interests. 1t will go on, for the
reason that it is meant TO protect the
rights of the people and to benefit the
future This nation is learning. as
older nations have learned. that it can
not eat its cake and have it. that it
cannot waste its resources without i'm
poverishing the unborn. In so mighty
and meritorious work individuals
are nothing: the cause is everything.
1t is above politics and above men.
Coal Fields Also Involved.
An interesting sidelight thrown eon
the question has come out of Alaska.
There Immensely rich coal fields were
a few years ago discovered. and a
number of individuals at once filed
claims. 1t is now asserted that before
making their entries these individuals
organized syndicate. to which the
lands would be turned over. plan
clearly against the law. The case has
been pending in the interior depart
ment since the days of Hitchcock. /
After resigning from the general land /
office Mr.. Ballinger became the attor-
ney of these coal land claimants. Now |
Is secretary of the interior he finds the |
case before him as judge in which he
was before interested as counsel. To /
his credit be it said that he has turned 1
the decision over to his assistant Sec /
rotary. but nevertheless the matter is
being crowded to trial. 1t forms one
more of the complications in this ma
ton wide controversy.
Discussion is rife as to what action
he president will finally take in the
matter. if any. The general belief is
hat he must stand by his secretary
II the interior. but this view does not
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