Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-05-20
that discussion I determined the final
form which 1 employed, and signed the
same on Monday, September 49,

that discussion / determined the final
form which employed, and signed the
same on Monday, September 13.
The conclusions which reached
were based upon my remarks on the
record, and were fortified by the oral
analysis Of the evidence and the con-
clusions which the attorney general
gave me, using the notes which he had
made during his reading Of the record.
I was very sorry not to be able to en-
body this analysis In my opinion, but
time did not permit. l therefore, d.
statement such analysis and conclu-
sions as he had given me, file 1t with
the record, and date 1t prior to the date
Of my opinion, so as to show that my
decision was fortified by his summary
of the evidence and his conclusions
therefrom. Sincerely yours,
William H. Taft
Hon. Knute Nelson. Chairman, Com
mittee to Investigate the Interior
Department and Forestry Servic, U.
S. Senate"
Denial a Tactical Error.
The publication Of the Kerby state
ment has aroused more interest here
in the Ballinger- -Pinchot controversy
than any other episode connected with
the matter. 1t was evident at once
upon a comparison Of the Lawler men,
orandum with the Taft letter of Sep
tember 13, that the White House de-
NAL Of Saturday afternoon was a tao
tical error. The full text of the Law
Ter memorandum, as submitted to the
investigating committee by Attorney
General Wickersham yesterday after
noon, did undeniably support the dec
laration that the president had die
tated his own letter himself. But just
as undeniably 1t showed that Mr.. Taft
used the memorandum in debating
that letter.
Several paragraphs ne used ver-
batim, notably one dealing with "the
responsibility of cabinet positions"
and the qualifications of Mr.. Ballinger
for the Office Of secretary Of the in
terror. The conclusions reached by the
president also agree with those set
forth by Mr. Lawler, although Mr.. Taft
expressed them in somewhat different
language. The internal evidence Of the
use Of the Lawler memorandum Is in
contestible.
This was at once apparent to admin
istration officials and to friends of the
president There was much talk Of the
matter here Saturday. Secretaries
Nagel and Dickinson, with Attorney
General Wickersham, went to the
White House Saturday afternoon and
were in consultation with the president
for several hours. 1t was announced
later in the afternoon that a statement
would be forthcoming early in the
evening which would clear up the
whole matter But the preparation Of
the letter required more time than was
at first expected, and it was not until
nearly II o'clock that it was finally is
sued.
This letter for the first time does
clear up just what happened in the
preparation of the letter Of September
13. At the same time 1t bears out the
charge that has been made constantly
since the publication of the letter ex-
onerating Mr. Ballinger, that It had
been prepared upon material furnished
by the men under accusation The pres
idents use of the Lawler memorandum
Is fully explained by the statement Of
Mr. Taft that he himself asked Mr..
Lawler to draw up that memorandum
for the very use to which he subse-
quently put 1t.
AS a matter Of fact, this Is q pro-
cedure common to all the government
officers, and If that fact had been ad-
mitted at the start 1t would have ended
ion Is general here that all the magni-
tude which has been given to the in
cident Is entirely due to the fact that
the original charge that this was done
was denied and that a mystery has
been made of what did occur in the
preparation of the letter of September
13.
The similarity between the conclu-
sions of the presidents letter of Sep
tember 13, and those Of the Lawler
memorandum Is at once explained by
the declaration of Mr.. Taft that he
discussed the matter fully with Mr..
Lawler set forth his own conclusions,
and directed Mr.. Lawler to prepare a
letter for him to sign embodying them.