New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-30


| Hon. r. A Ballinger. Seattle. Wash.
Am delighted with your telegram 20 Gar
! field. or course, consult your business as
societes and take what time is necessary.
/ hut I earnestly hone that you will see what
1 conscientiously believe to be the fact
namely. that IL is your clear duty 20 help
and responsible post. You and Garfield viii
! lft an immense burden OF my shoulders
& YOU will take this post and be his asso-
ciste in the Department OF the Interior. IL
seems 10 me that I should receive all the
support possible from the men who believe
! in my way Of handling things. and the
only way. you can support me is TO take
''' THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Mr.. BaIlinger told how he came to Wash
ington and took up his new work. On the
! occasion Of HIS first visit 10 the White
House Mr. Roosevelt said he had no
! apology for having him come to Washing
ton. ANY man who could clean up Seattle
as YOU did can dean Up the Land ONCE"
was Mr.. RooseveIlt's greeting. Mr.. Balm
ger told the committee of what he had done
90 place the Land Office on a business basis
and put in evidence highly commendatory
letters written Aim by Mr.. Roosevelt and
Secretary GARFIELD when he decided to re-
tire after years service. Mr.. Roosevelt's
! letter was as follows:
The White House.
Washington. January 8. 1908
My Dear Mr.. Commissioner:
/ greatly regret that YOU feel obliged 70
! leave the public service. but ] thank you
heartily for the admirable work YOU have
done during your altogether too brief terra
Of Office When I requested you to come
here ] realized the sacrifice I was asking
YOU 90 make and appreciate the genuine
patriotism which made you willing TO suf-
! fer the discomfort and the pecuniary loss
incident 10 your accepting the Office.
Thanking YOU again and wishing you all
good fortune IN the future, / am
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Hon. Richard A. Bsllinger. Commissioner
OF the General Land Office.
Jones's Charges Denied.
Besides denying specifically the CLAWS
charges and giving his reasons for such
denials. Mr.. Ballinger also denied state
ments made by Special Agent Jones. who
has been cooperating with CLAWS In the
attacks on the Interior Department. He
said he lacked confidence in Jones who was
always knocking" his superiors and seek
ing TO undermine them. He had even
knocked" his brother-in-law. who was also
an official OF the Land Office. II was this
lack Of confidence. Mr.. Ballinger said. that
impeled him 20 put II. X. Love in charge
Of the Alaska cases, instead Of Jones. He
said he thought the course of Jones before
the committee fully justified his opinion of
Jones
Mr.. Ballinger said he was not candidate
for appointment as Secretary OF the In
terror. When he was appointed his law
firm was dissolved, and he severed all busi-
ness connections in the West. He came TO
Washington believing that HIS relations
both with Mr.. Garfield and Mr.. Pinchot
We're friendly Referring 20 Mr.. Pinchot. he
1 ssT HA.a
men could disagree with without boinr con-
sidered criminals In this Connection he
intimated that friction between him and
Mr.. Pinchot grew out Of the removal Of
George W. Woodruff as Attorney General
for the Interior Department. He said that
Mr.. Woodruff and Mr.. Pinchot were close
personal friends. Mr.. Woodruff came TO
the Interior Department from the Forest
Service and through him Mr.. Pinchot
largely dominated the Interior Department,
so far land matters were concerned.
While he dismissed Mr. Woodruff, he re-
tanned practically all the other officials
who under Secretary Garfield had directed
land matters in the Interior Department.
Among others CLAWS had been retained
and no effort made TO limit his activities.
! Instead Of CLAWS bein- hampered. he vas
pampered, Mr.. Ballinger said.
a Campaign of Cslunny.
The assiduous attempts Of certain ma
Mcous people 20 circulate throughout the
country that I carried away from the Land
/ ONCE information which I could use 10 the
oetriment Of the United States government
has not the slightest foundation I'm it,
said Mr.. Bsllnger. All the information
could have been used in perfect fairness in
! any way I desired 20 Use Il without the
possibility Of prejudice t. any interests OF
the United States. The information was
such as anybody might have had. There
was nothing pending at the time left the
/ Land Office against any Of these interests
/ or a record in -conTavention of the rights
Of the people TO have their patents further
than the unique protest If this man CLAWS.
which had come in through his letter OF
January %. II stated no facts ths: could
have warranted a public officer &c hold up
claims except the suspicion that there
might have been something which might
he investigated"
Did YOU retire voluntarily from the ONCE
Of Commissioner Of the Land Ofice?'
1 asked Mr. Nertrees.
Most delightfully."- voluntarily" replied
Mr.. Ballinger. reading the letter from
President Roosevelt.
/ 1t was a frequent thing for Mr.. Roose-
welt 20 say 70 his friends regarding me. I
have secured a 5000 man for 5000 I
was glad 70 60 back and earn some Of that
$1,000
In the Wilson Coal Company cases
/ Claws had testified that Mr.. Ballinger had
drawn Up an escrow agreement which
would give his client. Watson Allen, a right
| 20 purchase four claims after title had
/ been secured. As the claims had not been
proved UT. CLAWS contended that perjury
/ would have had 70 have been committed in
order 10 secure patents for those lands.
Mr.. Baringer emphatically denied that he
had ever prepared such an agreement. and
he characterized the story as another case
/ where this man CLAWS deliberately At
tempted 70 build up case 10 besmirch my
! character
More CLAWS Charges Denied.
Il bitterly cenounce his testimony in that
connection" added the Secretary Asked
/ about Glavis'e statement that he met Mr.
/ Rallinger in Seattle In the summer of 1905
and that the latter told him the Cunning
! ham claims were IN a bad FIX. Mr.. Bal
linger interrupted his lawyer impatiently.
That is deliberate lie" he exclaimed.
and. like many other of his statements TO
this committee. II is smother contemplate
attempt 81 that man CLAWS 10 besmirch my
-