Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-21
SECY. BALL|NGER
MEANS BUSINESS
Prest. Taft Yields to His Demands
For an Investigation of Con-
troyersy With Pinchot.
REJECTS REPUBLICAN PARTY.
Leading Members In Congress Feel it
Is Time 10 Use Lancet on
Fostering Sore.

Washington. Dec, 20.-President TAT
today yielded to the demands of botl
Secy. Rallinger and his critics for
public investigation of the whole sub
Jcct matter underlying the so-called
Ballinger-Pinchot controversy.
Mr.. Ballinger this afternoon served
upon the president virtually an ultima
CATION was indeed the price of his re-
manning in the cabinet. He made 1t
clear that he was no longer willing to
sit silent and wait for the thing to
blow over"
Mr.. Taft. 1t is said reluctantly admit
ted the disappointment of his hope that
The country at large would accept as
fnal his own yindication of Mr.. Ballin-
ger In his dismissal of the charges
brought against the secretary OF the In
tcrlor by l.. r. CLAWS, former special
agent of the land office. and his con-
clusion that the investigation demanded
by both sides was inevitable
PARTY AFFECTED.
Mr.. Ballingers attitude in this mat
ter has the support of leading Republi-
cans in both branches of Congress-sen-
ators and reprcsentativeS-wh feel
that. entirely apart from the merits OF
the controversy itself, a fostering sore
of this character must poison the whole
system of the party in power. and that
1t Is high time to resort to the lance.
These leaders, determined that
cleansing of this wound Is necessary,
have not hesitated to go to the White
House and impress their views upon
Mr.. Taft. Conferences of a confidential
character. in which members of the
cabinet. party leaders in both houses of
Congress and the president himself
have participated, have been held in
the last few days. They eliminated to-
day when Secy. Ballinger, Atty.-Gen.
Wickersham and Postmaster General
Hitchcock met in Mr.. Understands
office and proceeded thence to the
White House, where the matter was
laid before the president.
Mr.. Ballingcr told the president. it is
said that the situation had become In
toleiSlble to him, and that though the
senate charges against him had como
from irresponsible persons, he could no
longer sit suplnely by. and In justice to
himself, he felt compelled to insist upon
an Investigation
The president was given to under
stand that Mr. Ballingers demand car
Iied with ii the endorsement of both
Mr.. Wickersham and Mr.. Hitchcock 1t
is known tonight that he has the SYM
pathy also OF other members of the
cabinet
Tomorrow is cabinet day. There can
he little doubt that this will be one of
the important subjects of the meeting.
Presumably this is one of the reasons,
that the investigation. backed by the
administration, Will not be broached in
Congress before the holiday recess.
Several things have served to bring |
me matter TO head. The speech of |
Representative Hitchcock a Democrat !
OF Nebraska. i'm the house Il few DAYS |
ago. demanding action upon his reso-
luton providing for an investigation |
m ol inc inc land Office, was factor. Mr. |
Ballinger. 1t is said, feared that this |
resolution might be laid upon the table |
by the Republican majority and that |
such action would be construed by his |
enemies as an effort on the part Of the |
administration to "whitewash" hin.
"A few days ago he received pointed |
advice from close personal friend |