The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1909-08-26
The Legal End of It.


The defense offered by the friends of
Mr.. Ballinger is that he is himself an
ardent conservationist, but 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. Rumors have been per-
sistent that he has sought to make
peace between the two officials and in
the main has succeeded. AS the ques-
ton involves two opposing forces and
as the conflict between these two has
in nowise abated, such a peace can
scarcely be permanent. So long as
there is opposition between private
selfishness 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
it's ardent champion. Despite legal
technicalities and the antagonism of
special interests, it 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 it's cake and have it, that it
cannot waste it's 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 on
the question has come out Of Alaska.
There immensely rich coal fields were
few years ago discovered, and a
number Of individuals at once filed
claims. It 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
as 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
the decision over to his assistant Sec
rotary, but nevertheless the matter is
being crowded to trial. It forms one
more Of the complications in this ma
ton wide controversy.
Discussion is rife as to what action
the president will finally take in the
matter, if any. The general belief is
that he must stand by his secretary
of the interior, but this view does not
take into account that he is also
pledged to the Roosevelt conservation
program. If he should uphold Bal
linger, will that mean the dismissal
Of Pinchot? Were the forester direct
~ under the secretary Of the interior
it probably would, but as he belongs
to the agricultural department secre-
tary Wilson, who upholds Pinchot,
will have a word to say in the mat
ter.
Frederick H. Newell, the head Of
the reclamation service, is also in
volved in the controversy, and as he
is directly under Ballinger it is cur
rently reported that his removal has
already been decided upon. Newell is
scientist, not politician. He has
stood between the public interests and
the selfish grabbers, and he has been
actively identified with the govern
ment's immense irrigation projects
from the beginning. S