The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-01-13
THE PINCHOT QUARREL.

Events moved rapidly on Friday in
the Ballinger-Pinchot controversy. The
disobedience of orders by the Chief
Forester and his attitude in taking is
sue with President Taft regarding a
statement of facts, left the President
no alternative but the removal of Mr..
Pinchot if he would preserve his own
self-respect and save his administra-
tion from humiliation.
In an order issued by the President,
after setting forth Mr.. Pinchot's in
subordnation in sending a letter to
Senator Doliver to be read in the Sen
ate, the President said:
You did this against the advice of
the Secretary of Agriculture, without
notifying him that you intended to do
50, and without comforting with me
at all Your letter was in effect an
improper appeal to Congress and the
public to excuse in advance the guilt
of your subordinates before | could
sct and against my decision il the
CLAWS case, before the whole evidence p,
on which that was based could be con-
sidered. 4..,.-.>-sN
i shosld be glad to regard what has
happened only as a personal reflection,
so that | could pass it over and take
no official cognizance of it. But other
and higher considerations must gov
ern me. When the people of the
United States elected me President
they placed me in an office of the high
est dignity and charged me with the
duty of maintaining that dignity and
proper respect for the office on the
part of my subordinates. Moreover, if
| were to pass over this matter in sill
ence it would be most demoralizing
to the discipline of the executive
branch of the government.
by your own conduct you have
destroyed your usefulness as helpful
subordinate of the government, and it
therefore now becomes my duty to di-
rect the Secretary of Agriculture to
remove you from your office as the
Forester"
This is dignified and forceful pre-
sentation of the subject and one which
is entirely justified by the facts in the
case.
The incident III the house OF Rep
resentatives whereby the "insurgent"
Republicans voting with the Demo-
Gratis, were able to defeat regulars UNI
der Speaker Cannon and provide for
the election of the House members of
the committee to investigate the Bal
linger-Pinchot controversy, instead of
permitting the Speaker to appoint
adds new complications. Ordinarily,
thousands of good Republicans would
rejoice in the defeat of Cannonism, but
this vote enable President Taft's enc
mics, by the same margin that passed
the resolution, to name the members
of this committee Possibly on vote
of this kind the insurgents" will re-
the President 1t is to be hoped that
they will not carry their hostility to
the point of open war on the admin
istration. This action, however, en-
and it is matter of regret that Re-
publicans should turn against their
own leader in this controversy.
The situation is a bad one, full OF
grave peril for the Republican party
and one for which Clifford Pinchot is
responsible. Does any fair-minded man
suppose that the interests of this coun-
try were in such grave peril that il
was necessary for the chief Forester
to go over the heads of his superior
officers in an effort to influence Con-
gress against Cabinet member, to at
tempt to discredH the President of the
United States and to create a serious
split in his party?
Mr.. Pinchot was one of the closes
friends of President Roosevelt anC
during the last administration evident
ly was given a pretty free hand with
out much attempt at recognition o.
his superior officer, Secretary Wilson
President Taft believes In the proprie
ty of conducting business through thu
regular channels provided by law
Possibly this may account for Mr.
Pinchots attitude and the magazine
campaign against Secretary Balm
ger. Just what effect this remova
will have in the relations between
Taft and Roosevelt remains to b.