The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-09-16
TAFT AND BALLLNGER

TAFT AND BALLLNGER
Instead OF stopping the controversy
about the Ballinger-Pinchot trouble,
the official views of President Taft in
regard to the words Of CLAWS, who has
been active in his indictments of Bal
linger, will add more fuel to the sitn-
alton. On the face OF 1t, Taft has
done the same thing to CLAWS that
was done to McEarg some days ago, al.
though they are In the opposing camps
Of the squabble.
No doubt the evidence has been thor
oughly sifted in both these cases. and
1t seems probable that the action Of the
president in crushing out subordinate
departmental controversy is according
to the justice Of the matter.
There remains, however, another and
more important thing. the question as
to the actual policy Of the administra-
ton in the conservation of natural re-
sources and the land grabbing machi-
nations of large interests.
The country at large feels, whether
with any ground or not, that that still
remains to be settled. 1t will not be
satisfied with the official sanction OF
Ballinger's policy by Taft, no matter
what the impartial view of the presi-
dent may be. It rather believes that
the president should. in addition to the
deciding Of departmental disputes, per-
form what it esteems to be the duties
of an executive in protecting the pub
lie welfare.
This draws its force from the undo.
niable evidence that many of the laws
which are on the statute books Of the
United States, drew their being from
the interests for their protection
Therefore. they feel that the letter of
the law would be an injustice to the
people and that a policy of strict en-
forcement Of the law. together with le-
gal quibbling, would be of a sort to do
damage to the public welfare and thus
fall short OF the true meaning of the
presidents oath Of office.
But this policy is yet to appear and
We SO far agree with Golfers when It
said on August IS:
Don't mix up Ballinger and the
president. Many newspapers, states
men and others, will assure you that
these two gentlemen stand for law,
whereas Clifford Pinchot, Mr.. Newell,
Mr.. Garfield and Mr.. Roosevelt repre-
sent lawless Impotence. Mr. Taft
does in reality care for legal imparti-
atty and calm. Mr.. Ballinger, wear
ing that cloak, cares somewhat too
much for business interests" The
contest between him and Mr.. Pinchott
should not be side tracked on some
irrelevant side ISSUE
When President Taft says that ow-
Ing to decision Of the controller. from
whose appeal there is none that the
Forestry Service cannot do the work of
the Interior and deplores the red tape
In an honest fashion: II agree with you
that it would avoid wasteful duplica-
ton In organization because the For.
estry Bureau is much better able with
It's trained men to do the work with eff
ficiency and economy
This shows that red tape and gen
eral insistence on the favorable con-
struction OF interest made laws may
defeat the policy of the president.
There is pathetic note about the
letter to Ballinger which the honest
man will sympathize with. Neverthe.
less. the people will. as a whole, insist
that the real policy Of conservation
and defeat OF land grabbing be carried
out, and that too much insistence on
red tape and strict construction OF the
law, together with technicalities, dc
not defeat the real policy Of the presi-
dent.
We, ourselves, have not the same
confidence in Ballinger that we have
In Taft.
Mother-Why should we make VII
lie doctor when there are 50 many