Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-05-21

spiracy engineered by Garfield and
Pinchot. The editorial in the MARSHALL
town paper appeared before Kerby
took the stand. When he was called
yesterday Kerby testified that he first
gave confidential information which he
thought prejudicial to his superior, to
Garfields private secretary. Then lat
er he gave this same information to
Garfield, the former secretary of the
interior, the man Ballinger succeeded
and whom he knew to be unfriendly
to Ballinger. HE MET GARFIELD BY
IN THE HOME OF
CLIFFORD PINCHOT, whose hostility
to Secretary Ballinger and President
Taft was we'll known, and in the pres.
ence of Brandeis, Pinchot's attorney.
This bears every earmark Of being a
muckrake conspiracy to cast discredit
on the administration.
That the conspiracy failed was due
to the fact that there was nothing at
all irregular in the transaction that
Kerby learned of in his capacity as a
stenographer. The CLAWS charges
against Secretary Ballinger and other
officials Of the interior department
were filed with the president last Aug
ust. The president had conference
within two or three days Of the re-
ceipt of the charges, with members
Of his cabinet, including the secretary
of the treasury, the secretary Of the
navy and the attorney general. It was
decided to refer the charges to Secre-
tary Ballinger and the other interior
department officials for answer. Secre-
tary Ballinger later submitted the an
swers Of the various parties concern
ed, together with voluminous record
Of exhibits, to the president. After
thoroughly going into the CLAWS
charges and the answers Of the Off
Gals whose conduct had been ques.
toned, the president discussed the evil
dence at length with Oscar Lawler,
the assistant attorney general Of the
department of justice, assigned to the
interior department, and requested
Mr.. Lawler to write full statement
of the case, setting forth the reasons
for the presidents decision. Mr.. Law
Ter submitted this memorandum and
from this the president prepared his
statement of the case, using a few
paragraphs from the Lawler state
ment, and availing himself Of notes
made by the attorney general after a
complete review Of the evidence. The
conclusions reached represented those
of the president and his cabinet after
complete investigation of both sides
Of the controversy.
It was this memorandum prepared
by Assistant Attorney General Law
Ter at the presidents suggestion, that
Stenographer Kerby learned of and at
tempted to mold into sensation by
giving the information to Garfield,
Pinchot and Brandeis at Pinchot's
home after the congressional investi-
cation had been instituted.
That the sensation fell fiat is due
to the fact that what the president did
in this instance is just what his pre-
decessors have always done under
similar circumstances, and what any
business man would do when insubor-
dination and treachery attempts to un-
dermine his business Organization
It is not at all to the credit of Gar
field, the former secretary Of the In
terror, or Pinchot, the deposed fores-
ter, that they should attempt to boil
ster up the evidence of CLAWS, the dis
charged employee, by securing informa-
ton which they thought prejudicial to
political enemy from dishonest
stenographer in his department.