Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-17
Sec. Ballinger's
Resignation Next?

Washington. Sept. 16.-Whethcr Rich
ard A. Rallinger's resignation as sccre-
tary of the interior will follow immc-
diately upon the meeting of the cabi-
net Sept. 2G TO attend which he is now
en- route from Seattle; or whether hl
will retain his position indefinteiy--at
least until after the delivery to Con
gresS of reports of the committee
which investigated ilis, stewardship of
the public acknowledgements now upon
the attitude of bis cabinet associates.
Mr. Ballinger is coming to Washing
ton, his friends here insist. wholly I'M
conscious of any act on his part, either
of commission or of omission. for which
he should be condemned and has de-
termined to force his chief and his Of
fetal colleagues to 6e in effect his
judges If they concur in the view al
present attributed to Mr.. Taft that the
accused secretary shall be sustained is
Mr. Ballinger's position was learned
here tonight from authority hardly to
be questioned.
At the first meeting of the cabinet
after the summer rest, Secretary
Dickinson, the Democratic member,
will not have returned from the Philip
pines and will therefore be saved
the embarrassment of participating in
what is regarded largely as a prob
lem of Republican policy. The meet
ing is expected to last three days and
the President expects to clear up a
number of important matters. but II
will surprise nobody here if the Bal
lnger case occupies large part OF
the time.
Rumors have been constant and de-
cideoiy definite here during the past
few days to the effect that Mr.. Balm
gers resignation would be one of
the first developments of the cabinet
melting, but his friends, including his
associates in the interior department.
have refused to admit he would re-
tire Under fire. and have cited his
oft-repeated declaration to the con-
trary and the recent statement at
tributed to him, that he would resign
only on the specific request OF the
President. But some of these today
admitted that they and the secretary
were alive to the fact that the tur
MOL and uncertainty into which the
prOtracted controversy has plunged
the department, must soon be abated
urless this important branch of the
public service is to become hopelessly
demoralized.
Nobody here douts that majority
all but one of the Republican mem
bers-of the so-called Ballinger-
Pinchot investigation committee will
sustain Sec. Ballinger in their report
to Congress But Sec. Ballinger and
his partisans here were greatly dis
appointed that the absence of Senators
Root and Flint from the Minneapolis
meeting, left the pro- Ballinger portion
of the committee in the minority and
permitted the Democrats and Insur-
gent Republican members to put forth
reports condemning him, which for
many weeks will stand before the
country as the only findings of the
investigating committee; whereas he
had relied upon the majority for a
vindication.
1t is this failure of the committee to
take final action, which, it is said. has
determined Sec. Ballinger's course. 1t
was said here today by a close friend
of the secretary that had the majority
of the commute. neen ready to re-
port at the Minneapolis meeting, he
would then have rendered his resig-
nation to the President and urged its
acceptance on the ground that the
party were detrimental to the public