The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-05-21
NO EVIDENCE TO PROVE
CHARGES, SAYS president
Not Quite the Winpna Endorse
meni FGI the 7alii
Bill

Irrespective OF The verdict Of the IN
vestigatins committee, Secretary Bal
lingor has obtained second public
eXonoration from President Taft,
In my opinion, there has been, up
70 the present time, total lack /
evidence to confirm the charges made
% freely against Mr.. Ballinger."
This is the remarkable statement
nade by The President early in April
Tor publication IN the June issue Of
McClures magazine, The statement
vas made before the cross-examna
ton Of the witnesses for Secretary
Eallinger had been fairly begun. 1t ia
embodied in an interview obtained by
George Kibbe Turner, which is viz
tually a defense by the President oil
the first year Of his administration
concerning the Ballinger-Pinchot con
royersy, Mr.. Taft says
MY administration succeeded Mr.
Rooseyelt's, pledged to the policy ol
observation. chose for my socre
lary of the interior Richard A. Bal
iinger Mr. Roosevelt's choice as com
missioner of the general land office
he most important division Of the in
tcrior Department. reform mayor
Of Seattle, who had the confidence
and esteem OF the great Northwest
oction OF the country
The BalIinger Conservation
"Mr. Ballingcr, while land commits
soncr, had been most energetic il
prosecuting frauds; but he had the
belief, quite generally held in tht
Northwest, that the government
should not hold back the public do
main from development more thar
was necessary; and in this | sym
llathi2ed with him.
| Mr.. Ballinger strongly advocated
/ the passage of new land laws; bu
he questioned whether some of tht
acts taken under executive power Il
relation to protecting and deyelopinl
public lands had been entirely within
The present law A difference o
opinion soon arose between him ant
/ Mr.. Pinchot, involving, in the frs
place, the Withdrawal of public lands
20 protect water power sites, and mat
tsrs connected with the reclamation
seryice; and, later, very strained
situation arising out of intimatons 0
young investigator for the land oil
/ Zee, Louis X. CLAWS. that Mr. Bal
iinger's relations with eltain Alas
kan claimants had not been consist
4 Cnt with the public interest.
These charges of Mr. CLAWS, ant
the evidence upon which he basel
them, were given to me, and wer'
carefully considered by me, and b,
the attorney general, at my request
and, with the full evidence in tn
case before us, we both decided tha
they consisted entirely of unfounde
suspicious, and that Mr.. Claw
should be discharged Mr.. Pincho
had been appealed to by Mr.. CLAWS /
his series of protests against Nj
Ballinger, and he and Mr.. Ballinge
were now in entire disagreement. Th
very effective medium for publlcit
built up under Mr. Pinchot In th
campaign In favor of national conse
yation was directed to attacking tn
administration Finally, Mr.. Pincht
forced meyery much to my regrt
Ito dismiss him from the COVER
: ment service"
! The President then adds his Sc
ond exoneration Of Secretary Balm
+ er.
conciliating His Enemies
Another Illuminating statement
Mr. Taft is his admission that his {
forts were devoted TO eonclliallng Il
reactlonaries who had fought his mol
nation. The progressiyes, he ASSN
ed. would be with him irrespecti
2 of what he might DO He says
e III was perfectly clear to me,
$ The time. thatI could achieve a tel
/ porary personal popularity by yetoil
this tariff bill It was just as cle
y that If did so would cause su
q sslit with my party ia congress tn
r.