Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-12-21
.BAll|NCER ISSUEG
ULT|MATUM TO TAFT
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the white House today. He impress
ed upon the secretary the conviction
that the time had come when he
must either demand an acquittal or
retire to private life.
Four important Aspects.
Four important aspects Of the s!tua-
ton are taken into consideration by
the party leaders.
First: The effect upon the future
of the Republican party and OF the
Taft administration II attacks upon
the integrity of a member OF the
Presidents cffcial family may be
made with impunity and allowed TO
pass unanswered. even unchallenged.
Second: The possibility Of the con
;roversy between adherents and op-
ponents of Secretary Ballinger be-
coming so bitter as TO endanger par
ty legislation.
Third: The practical standstill of
the whole policy of conservation OF
natural resources during the present
conflict among those in whose hands
les the administration of that POLICY.
Lastly: The desire TO do justice
toward the cabinet officer whose per-
sonal and integrity has been assailed.
So the decision has been reached 10
sift the entire matter to the bottom.
1t remains only to settle upon the de-
tails of the program. All parties un-
derstand that the investigation must
be CT such character as TO leave in
the public mind not the slightest
doubt of its thoroughness and impair
TALLY.
Baiinger is Impatient.
Mr.. Ballinger is impatient OF delay,
and is said to have urged that a res
olution providing for congressional
investigation be presented to the SEN
ate tomorrow.
1t is understood tonight that he
has been oveTruled on that point and
that the exceedingly complex task OF
determining the form of the inquiry
will be threshed out between now and
the reconvening OF congre SIS on jan
uary 4.
This whole subject has been the
center of heated discussion among
members of both houses of congress
and it is not unlikely that the inves-
tigation will at length be put in the
hands CT a joint committee repre-
senting both. Ordinarily an invesu-
cation of this character will fall on
the committee on public lands in one
house or the othre. This committee
is made largely of men from western
states, who have in one way or an
other taken sides in the controversy
with an unbiased judgment.
No "Star Chamber" Proceedings
One thing appears certain-the IN
vestigation, whoever makes it, must
be relentless and everybody seems
agreed that il must be absolutely
public: it is admitted that anything
in the nature CT star chamber" pre-
ceedings would satisfy nobody.
The entire department of the In
terror. so far as concerns public land
and mineral water rights, it is agreed,
must be barred to the searchlight from
the time when Mr.. Ballinger was COM
missioner general of the land office
under the Roosevelt administration
down 10 the present moment.
The position of Mr. Ballinger and
his friends In this matter goes be-
yond any question OF personal con-
trcversy and they and those who
voice the attitude Of the administra-
ton disavow any desire to convict
somebody else" as a means to vindi-
eating the secretary of the interior.
For instance. it is positively declared
that the interests of the department
OF agriculture and its forest service
Of which Clifford Pinchot is chief. will
be recognized as having an important
stake in this business. since much OF
this unhappy controversy has con-
cerned matters in which the forest
service was more or less directly in
vo,ved.