The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-21
INVESTIGATION DEMANDED
BY SECRETARY BALLINGER
CONTINUED From Page ons.l


who has recently left the government SER
vice, who has himself been an inVestlga-
tor OF the department of Justice and who
is an expert on land laws, urging lust
such an ultImatum as Mr.. Ballinger car
rted to the White house today. He i'm
pressed upon the secretary the cOnvic-
ton that the time had come when he
must either demand an acquittal or re-
tire to private life.
-Four important aspects Of the situation
are taken into consideration by party
leaders:
First-The effect upon the future Of the
Republican party and of the Taft ad-
ministratiOn if attacks upon the integrity
Of member Of the Presidents official
family may be made with impunity and
allowed to pass unanswered, even unchal-
lenged.
Second-The possibility Of the contro-
versy between adherents and opponents
OF Mr.. Ballinger becoming so bitter as
to endanger party legislation
Third-The practical standstill Of the
whole policy OF conservation OF natural
resources in the present conflict among
those in whose hands lies the admins
tratiOn Of that policy.
Fourth-The desire to do justice toward
the cabinet officers whose personal and
official integrity has been assailed.
Details Not Settled.
So the decision has been reached to
sift the entire matter to the bottom. 1t
remains only to settle on the details of
the program. All parties understand that
the investigation must be Of such char
acter to leave in the public mind not the
slightest doubt Of its thOroughness and
imparuality.
Mr.. Ballinger is impatient Of delay and
is said to have urged that resolution
providing for a congressional inVestiga-
ton be presented IN the senate tomOr-
row. 1t is understood that he has been
overruled on that point and that the eX-
rs-NH 90 mHwma-m
the form Of inquiry viii be threshed out
between now and the reconVenlng OF con-
gress on January 4.
This whole subject gives promise Of
heated discussion among members Of both
houses Of congress, and II Is not unlikely
thar the investigation will at length be
put in the hands Of joint special COM
mfttee representing both. Ordinarily an
investigation Of this character would fall
to the committee on public lands in one
are made up, however, largely OF men
from western states who have IN one
way and another taken sides IN the con-
troversy and whose interests might be
regarded as possibly interfering with an
unbiased judgment.
one thing appears certain-the investi-
CATION. whoever makes Unjust oe re-
ientless and everybody seems agreed that
il must be absolutely public; 1t is ad-
mitted that anything in the nature Of
star chamber" proceedings would sat
isfv no one.
The entire department Of the interior.
so far as It concerns public lands ana
mineral and water rights, it is agreed,
must be barred to the searchHght; from
the time when Mr.. Ballinger was commits
sioner general Of the land office until
| the Roosevelt administration, down TO
the present moment
The position of Mr.. BallingeF and his
/ friends goes beyond any question Of per-
| sonaI controversy and they ana those
/ who voice the attitude Of the administra-
] tion disavOw any desire to convict some
/ body else' as a means Of vindicating the
! secretary OF the interior.
| For instance, 1t is positively declared
that the interests of the department OF
agriculture and it's forest service, OF
/ which Clifford Pinehot is chief, will be
/ recognized as having an important stake
1 in this business, since much of this I'M
/ happv controversy has concerned matters
in which the forest service was more OF
| less directly involved.