The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-09-15

tribute offered every man who does
real work. Ballinger's life was threat
ened in Alabama also by a colonel
who wanted to pull a gun on him and
was made to desist only by a little
judicious choking. The secretary of
the interior does not like to have these
old stories told of him now, it is said.
But why did he get into the cabinet If
he did not want to be talked about?
The Point at Issue.
Having introduced the two princi-
pals in the 'mill," it may be as well to
tell what the row is all about. Prima-
rily it is over one of the Roosevelt poll
cies. Just before the ex-president left
Office he withdrew nearly a million
acres Of timber and water site lands
from public entry. The ostensible rea-
son was to preserve the forests, but
the real purpose was to protect the
water power sites on a portion Of this
domain. Hardly had Secretary Balm
ger entered Office than he again threw
this land open to entry. Mr.. Pinchot
thereupon appealed to President Taft,
with the result that $4,000 acres, con
tanning some of the most valuable wa
ter sites, was a 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 a Roosevelt policy that Taft
is pledged to carry out. In his Spo-
kane address he boldly asserted that a
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 Ballinger'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
ventfon 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 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 a 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 be endangered by
combinations Of capital that seek to
exploit these 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, 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 its cake and have it., that it
cannot waste its resources without i'm
poverishing the unborn. In so mighty
and meritorious a 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
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 a syndicate, to which the
lands would be turned over, a 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 SCI.
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
ma flor ~ INV Thu ~nnnwop Lo1soA g..