The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-01-12

assistant law officer, forestry bureau,
letters substantially identical. That
to Mr. Pinchot reads:
"Sir: BY direction of the Presi-
dent, you are hereby removed from
your Office as forester. You will de-
liver possession of your office affairs
belonging to the government to Mr..
Albert F. Potter, assistant forester.
Respectfully,
James Wilson,
Secretary oe Agriculture"
The President in his letter to For
ester Pinchot informing him of his
dismissal refers to Mr. Pinchots let
ter to Senator Dolliver of Iowa which
was read in the senate yesterday and
says In part:
THE plain intimation In your let
ter are. first, that had reached a
wrong conclusion as to the good faith
of Secretary Ballinger and the officers
of the land office. although you and
your subordinates had only seen the
evidence Of CLAWS, the accuser, and
had never seen or read the evidence
of those accused or the records that
they disclosed which were submitted
to me. and. second. that under these
circumstances. without the exploita-
tion Of Messrs. Shaw and Price in the
daily, weekly and monthly press of
the charges Of CLAWS, the adminstra-
ton. including the President and the
officers Of the interior department
and land Office would have allowed
certain fraudulent claims to be pa
tented on coal lands In Alaska, al
though the matter had been specifi-
cally brought to the attention of the
president by the CLAWS charges. You
solicited the opportunity to make
such q declarztfon in Congress for
the purpose Of offsetting, II possible,
In the public mind. the Presidents
decision in the CLAWS case. supported
by the opinion Of the Attorney Gen.
eral after full examination by both
OF the evidence adduced by the aocu.
ser. and the evidence on behalf OF
the accused. u. xhiah. lattsrs - sssae~ss
you and your subordinates had never
seen.
You did this against the advice of
the Secretary Of Agriculture, without
notifying him that you intended to do
90. and without conferring with me
at all. Your letter was in effect an
improper appeal to Congress and the
public tc excuse in advance the guilt
Of your subordinates before I could
act and against my decision in the
CLAWS case before the whole evi-
dence on which that was based could
be considered.
Il should be glad to regard what
mas happened only as a personal re-
hection, so that I could pass it over
and take no official cognizance of It..
But other and higher considerations
must govern me. When the people
OF the United States elected me presi-
dent they placed ne in an Office of
the highest dignity and charged me
with the duty Of maintaining that
dignity and proper respect for the
office on the part Of my subordinates.
Moreover, II were to pass over this
matter in silence, it would be most
demoralizing to the discipline of the
executive branch Of the government.
by your own account you have
destroyed your usefulness as a help
ful subordinate of the government.
and 1t therefore now becomes NV
duty to direct the Secretary of Agri-
culture to remove you from your Of
fice as the forester
Mr.. Pinchot received tonight the
letter Of the President and Secretary
Wilson's peremptory note of dismis-
sal: but nothing about his demeanor
indicated that he was surprised or
distressed by either. Asked If he
would say anything for publication,
he replied:
1T Will suit me just as well If you
VIII make for me just that simple
statement: i have nothing to say"
Mr.. Pinchot added that he prob
ably would say something tomorrow
Speaker Cannon received his "jolt"
today In the House of Representa-
tives In the vote on the amendment
offered by Representative Norris of
Nebraska, the insurgent leader. and
the vote was 80 to 146, five "vot-
ing" present.
SO unexpectedly was the victory
accomplished that the insurgents and
their Democratic allies could scarce
ly believe their eorS no., 80 ..