The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-01-08


way delay or divert the congressional
! investigation. One of the subjects
most eagerly debated was the ques-
ton whether the dismissal will rob
/ the investigation OF much of its pub
| tic interest, or will make 1T more sem
sational tl.an before. Friends of the
administration hold to the former view
and today urged it upon the president
ami cabinet officers as an argument
against the summary dismissal.
! Friends Of Pinchot, on the other
hand, have for weeks been declaring
that the president would not dare to
cause breach between Taft and
Roosevelt" and that it would cause
such a split in the republican party
us has not been seen in years.
Situation Regarded as Serious.
Friends Ct the president said to-
night. however, that the actual dis
:liissal of Iinchot could add nothing
to the elp barrassment of the admin
istratiOn. iilasmuch all the ammuni-
ton of ?inLl ct and his partiSans al
ready had been directed against Sec
rotary Baiiinge,. and through him
against the president. AS for posi-
be. breach between Mr.. Taft and ex-
| President Roosevelt, that subject is
much debated, but any discussion of
| it is entirely speculative. In the face
of a party split all republicans here
regard the situation as exceedingly
| serious.
Party leaders in the senate and
and the summary action of the presi-
| dent are sure to lead to many harsh
words in congress, and to. much bit
terness of feeling throughout the
country. They say, however, that the
president could not, with dignity, have
! taken any other course; that Pinchot
had "defied the lightning and that
there was nothing else for the light
ming to do.
| Senator Dixon of Montana. one of
itne few senators who could be quoted
today, said:
DIXON Sorry for Pinchot.
Il am sorry that Mr.. PinchOt who
IS warm friend Of mine, wrote the
letter that resulted in this action.
| The letter undoubtedly will prejudice
| his chances in congress, but the cpl
sude will net affect the investigation
| by congress which will be just as
Thorough as if this action had not
been taken"
Senator Nelson Of Minnesota, who
! is to be chairman Of the investigat-
ing committee, indicated today that
no action with reference to Mr.. Pin
chot would affect the scope or thor
| Oughness Of the inquiry.
| Speaker Cannon received his Jolt"
| hard in the house of representatives
n the wore on the amendment offered
| by Representative Norris, of Nebras-
Il n
149 to 146, five voting present"
Victory Comes Suddenly.
! So Unexpectedly was the victory ac-
complished that the insurgents and
their democratic allies could scarcely
believe their ears when the speaker
announced the vote. For an instant
almost complete silence reigned; then
the storm broke and for almost full
minute the noise in the chamber was
deafening. After that the democrats,
! jubilant that they had helped to pierce
the hitherto imperviOus armOr of the
speaker, seemed willing to abandon
their fight against the resolution it
self, which all afternoon had appear
ed too broad to suit them, and all
Of them voted for it on a viva voce
vote.
Organization Is Confused.
Organization leaders made no at
There was a hurried conference at
Representative Dalzelrs desk. and for
time the insurgents feared that their
triumph was to be short lived, as
three of IS republicans who voted for
the amendment never have been clas-
sed with their number, and they sus-
pected that at least one might have
voteG in the affirmative that he might
move tn reconsider should the amend
ment carry.
But no such move was made. 1t
developed that the three regulars WHO
staunch friends of Chief Forester
Pinchot. They are Representatives
Ames Of Massachusetts, and Fish and
Parsons Of New York.
The insurgent ranks had only one
deserter, STEVENSON of Minnesota.
Strangely enough, Fitzgerald of New
York, was the only democrat to cast
his vote with the republican regulars,
although he led the minority fight on
the joint resolution.
Pinchot's Friends Responsible.
Republican leaders attributed their
defeat to a large number of absentees,
but the tide of battle was really turn
ed by Mr.. Pinchot's three friends.
Nearly the entire day was devoted
by the house to the consideration OF
the joint resolution, which was taken
up after the reading Of the presidents
interstate commerce and antitrust
message had been concluded. The
democrats made their fight on an at
tempt to narrow the proposed in
~estigaiion to the general land Office,
contending that as no such charges
as had been made against Secretary
0allinger had been preferred against
Forester Pinchot, there was no rea-
son for dragging the latter into the
INQUIRY,
The resolution, as it goes to the
senate. provides for an investigating
committee of IL members, six to be