Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1910-03-10

The President, In Accepting Resiena.
ton, Calls Secretary eaIinaer Oh.
ject of "Most unscrupu:ous Con-
spiracy."
Richard A. Ballinger's resignation as
secretary of the interior, dated j n.
10, was accepted by President Taft,
and Walter l.. Fisher, of Chicago, was
appointed as his successor, his com,
mission being signed Immediately by
the president.
Congress has not acted on the Bal.
linger-Pinchot report, but in the next
session, where the administration will
have little say, it would certainly have
come up. 1t is hardly likely he would
have been eXonerated
Walter Lowrie Fisher, who succeeds
Mr.. Ballinger as secretary of the in.
terror, is a lawyer living in Chicago,
where, since 1906, he has acted as spe-
cial traction counsel for the city of
Chicago. He was born at Wheeling,
at Marietta college. Ohio, and Hanover
college, Indiana, graduating from the
latter in 1888.
In 1883 he was admitted to the bar
in Chicago, where he has since prac-
ticed, being member OF the firm OF
Motz, Fisher & Boyden.
Mr. Fisher has been one of Clifford
Pinchot's staunchest supporters in the
matter of conservation of natural re-
sources. He was president of the Con-
servation League of America, and is
now vice president of the National
Conservation association, which sue.
ceeded the league, and of which Mr..
Pinchot is president.
He has always taken a deep inter
est in conservation and has been iden-
titled with the reforming of the Re-
publican party He was instrumental
in the formation of the Municipal Vot-
ers' League of Chicago, and was i,S
president in 1906
Health Poor, He Says.
Secretary Ballinger rendered his re-
signation in letter of Jan. 19, basing
it entirely upon the condition of his
health. The president replied at once,
expressing his confidence in Secretary
cept his resignation, and requested
the secretary to remain in Office un-
til the close of the session of con.
eress.
Immediately upon the adjournment
of congress Secretary Ballinger re-
newed his request that he be relieved
at date suiting the presidents con-
President Taft in letter formally ac-
cepted the resignation.
The correspondence between the
president and the secretary is not vo.
luminous, but displays beyond ques-
ton the confidence which Mr. Taft
has reposed in Mr. Ballinger through
out the long siege and the indignation
with which he has viewed the attacks
upon the secretary's personal and off
cial integrity.
81 have had the fullest opportunity,
the president says in his letter ac-
cepting the resignation, ito know you,
to know your standards of service to
the government and the public, to
know your motives, to know how you
have administered your office and to
know the motives of those who have
assailed you. do not hesitate to say
that you have been the object of one
of the most unscrupulous conspiracies
for the defamation Of character that
history can show
And in conclusion of his letter the
president declares that every fibre of
my nature rebels against such hypoc-
| risy (referring to the attacks upon Bal
| linger's character) and nerves me t.
| fight such a combine ton and such
| methods to the ute. end, lest success
| in this instance may form demoraliZ.
| ing precedent. But personal consider
alton for you and yours makes me feel
| that have no right to ask you for a
| further sacrifice"
The president goes on to declare it
| evident that he has been himself the
| ultimate object of the attack, and
| says that to insist upon Mr.. Ballinger S
| remaining in office with the prospects
of further efforts against you, is sci
ishly to impose on you more of a
| burden than | ought to impose"
|
SLAYER Chief of Police