The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-08

tary thcreupon wrote a note 10 you. un-
der date OF December 90 asking for your
recommendation in the premises. You
did not answer. but on January you
had conversation with him. In which
you said you wished to make a state
ment which should be read in the SEN
transmitting the record In tho CLAWS
case reached there. and that you thought
You could induce Senator DolIiver 10 In
troduce the statement for you
Tho secretary advised against such a
course; but asked YOU for recommend
alton as TO accepting Prices resignation
IN order that he might bring the matter
to me. TO whom. he told you. il must
ultimately come, because I had consd-
cred the CLAWS charges and had passed
upon them.
Was Letter That Hurt.
without further conference with the
secretary and before making a report
10 hlm. you succeeded In making public
oy having II read in the senate. let
tcT from you stating that you had suf-
nelently disciplined Messrs Price and
your recommendation would he that no
iurthcr punishment was required and
tnis before that recommendation was
submitted TO the secretary and me,
whose power and duty it was 20 deter
mine upon Prices admissions as TO his
completely what action should be taken
with respect to his resignation.
In order to understand the full pur-
port oil your letter. In which You admit
the completely OF Price and Shaw in the
pnnalications pup in the press. Il should 6e
chargcs was that Secretary Ballinger
and tho others were all affected by a
corrupt Wish to patent thirty three So
called Cunningham claims upon coal
lands in Alaska; that the question OF
whether these claims were fraudulent
or not remained 10 be decided upon the
evidence after both the United States
and the claimants had been heard; that
every patent. as an executive act, la
completely within tho jurisdiction of the
president to direct the Withholding of
the. evidence as TO the validity of the
claim.
Conclusions Reached
These facts understood. the plain inti-
nations in your letter are. first, that ]
had reached wrong conclusion as to
the good faith OF Secretary Ballnger
and the officers of the land office. al
though you and your subordnatcs had
.cuser, and had never seen or read the
evidence of those accused or the records
that they disclosed. which were submit
ted TO me; and. second. that you. under
ploltation by Messrs. Shaw and Price in
the daily. weekly and monthly press Of
the charges of CLAWS, the administration.
including the president and the officers
of the interior department and land Of
fee, would have allowed certain fraudu-
lent ella Inns 10 be patented on coal lands
in AlaskS, although the matter had been
specifically brought to the attention OF
tho president by the Claws charges.
Severe Arraignment.
You solicited the opportunity to make
such a declaration in congress for the
purpose OF offsettinG, il possible, in the
public mind. the presidents decision In
the CLAWS case, supported by the opinion
OF the attorney general. after a fun eX-
animation by both, OF the evidence ad-
duccd by the acouser and the evidence
on behalf OF the accused, while the lat
ter evidence you and your subordinates
had never seen.
You did this against the advice Of the
secretary OF agriculture. without notify
ing him that you intended to do so, and
without comforting with me at all
Your letter was, in effect an improper
appeal TO congress and The pubic to eX-
cusc in advance the guilt OF your sub
ordinatcs before ] could act and against
my decision in the CLAWS case, before
the whole evidence which that was
based, could be considered.
Not Personal Matter.
1 should be glad to regard what has
happened only as a personal reflection,
so that l could pass il over and take no
official coenizance OF IL But other and
higher considerations must govern me.
When tho people OF the United States
elected me president, they placed me in
an office of the highest dignity and
charged me with the duty OF maintain
ing that dignity and proper respect for
the offce on Inc part pl my Suporol-
mates. Moreover, if ] were 10 pass over
this matter in silence. It would be most
dcmoralizing 10 the discipline of the eN-
ecutive branch OF the government
BY your own conduct you have de-
stroycd your usefulness as a helpful sub
OF the government. and IT,
therefore, now becomes my duty to dt-
rect the secretary Of agriculture to re-
move you from your office as forester.
Very sincerely yours.
WILLIAM H. TAFT.
Hon. Clifford Pinchot Forester,