Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-03-15
Mi5tellaneous &raaing.
THE CASE OF BALLINGER.
Usefulness of the Secretary of the In
terror Seems to be DESTROYED,


terror Seems to be Destroyed.
In the course of it's determined and
persistent campaign against Secretary
Ballinger, Golfers Weekly has gone
Of that distinguished statesman and
raked up accounts Of his alleged mis-
doings in connection with the develop
ment of certain properties in Ala
bama. The story presented this week
under the title Some Lighter Aspects
Of Ballinger" IL most bold in its man
ner and not unconvincing in particu-
lars.
1t Is set forth that after graduating
from college, Ballinger soon married
and went to live in Decatur, Ala
opening an office for the practice Of
law, but also took up the develop
ment of Industrial enterprises, one of
which was a nail factory, with which
this story mas to do. 1t Is related that
Ballinger went back to the Massa-
chusetts town where he had married
and induced many Of his wife's friends
to invest in the stock of his nail fac
tory, also persuading some of the Mas
and accept positions with the concern.
In the course of his operations, it is
alleged that Ballinger went to Mr..
Casey of Lee, Mass, and secured a loan
of $1,000 for one week on the represen-
tation that Lenox banker had SUBJ
scribed for $4,000 of stock in tine nail
factory, to be paid on the receipt Of
the stock certificate which should, Bal
iinger said, reach him in a few days.
Upon the plea that Ballinger was fore
ed to go to Boston to close up impor-
tant matters, Casey let him have the
$1,000.
1t is then alleged that at the end of
the week the money was not repaid to
MIR. Casey. who began to investigate,
finding that tine Lenox banker had
never subscribed for any of the stock.
Letters to Ballinger, it is stated, were
not answered, and subsequently Ballin-
ger moved to Seattle, after the failure
of the nail factory. Hearing some
years later that Ballinser was a candi-
date for district judge in Seattle, Mr..
Casey undertook to collect the long
standing loan, and succeeded in doing
so only after threatening to make the
whole matter public.
IN itr q a
charge in the article referred to is
that Ballinger l.ayed bold and out
rageous game of swindle, both upon
the people of Lee, Mass, and Decatur,
Ala. 1t would seem that no periodical
would make such a charge against
cabinet officer unless the facts were
certain and proyable. But on the 9TH
er hand, the reputation of Golfers for
reckless assertion is we'll known and
in this particular case 1t must be re-
membered that the period during which
Ballinger is said to have operated in
Alabama was the boom period, when
many men of otherwise sane and judi
cious dispositions chased mere rain
bows and at the end found themselves
utterly unable to carry out pledges
honestly made. 1t is quite possible
that this was the experience of Ballin-.
ger in Decatur
But at any rate, this and other alle-
cations now being advanced deroga-
tory to the secretary Of the interior,
are seriously injuring, and have Sc
riously injured, his reputation, so
much so that his retirement from the
cabinet of President Taft can be but
a matter Of time. In the end Mr.. Taft
must .repudiate Ballinser, avowing
that he has been grossly deceived, or
Ballinger must himself insist upon
his resignation to relieve the president
of further embarrassment
Record.