The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-03-27
BY WILLIAM &. SMYTHE.

GlIIOrQ IluCnOI is lle new llldu
in our national life. He is the
apostle of 'the new patriotism" He
is for government by men for HUI
man welfare, and against govern
ment by money for profit
He lost his official life that he
might save the life OF his cause, and
his cause is bigger than Alaska,
bigger than all the coal lands and
power sites in the United States.
AS he puts it, the question is not
only the conservation of natural re-
sources, but the conservation of
popular government"
Ballinger will have place in his
tory of his times. His appointment
as secretary Of the interior, pro.
foundly unfortunate as it was for
Taft, was fortunate for the people
and their institutions.
Ballinger's presence in the cabi-
net, as trustee and custodian of vast
wealth belonging to the public, pre-
cipitated row with young Louis
II. CLAWS, field agent of the land
office.
CLAWS row with Ballinger precip-
itated row with the president.
The presidents row with CLAWS
precipitated a row with Pinchot.
And Pinchot's row with the presi
dent precipitated a row with con
gress and the American people.
No Ballinger. no row! No row
no popular cutlery against the old
policy of plundering the public do
main, and no sudden conversion OF
millions to an appreciation Of the
true Significance of the cause OF
conserving natural resources in par
ticuIar and human good in general
Let lis extract from the mass OF
evidence accumulated in the con
gressional investigation few shin
ing facts:
In the Alaska coal business, the
public was not afraid of the obscure
Cunninghams. but of the rich, pow
erful and aggressive Guggenheims
1t was believed that the Cunning
hams acted merely for the Guggen
helms. and that Ballinger was re
lied upon to assist the Guggenheims
In acquiring some of the most valu
able resources on the public do
main during the Taft administra
! ton.
This was denied. In an affidavit
dated September d. 1908, Clarence
Cunningham swore that the Gug
genheims had mo interest direct OF
indirect" in his Alaska coal claims
Mr.. Ballinger, the attorney, who
! had Just retired from the place o.
commissioner of the land office
and who later became secretary o
the interior, presented this affidavit
to the authorities at Washington.
A few weeks ago the Guggen
helms, with the apparent purpose o
breaking the force of an inevitable
revelation, sent their attorney t.
the senate committee on territories
TO testify that thew held an assign
ment of One-half of the Cunningham
coal claims and that this assign
ment was dated December Z, 1907
some 10 months prior to the date
Of the affidavit made by Cunning
ham and presented by Ballinger.
With his claims still pending be
fore the interior department, where
they were held up by the opposi
ton of the uncompromising CLAWS
Cunningham employed Ballinger as
his attorney during the interval be
tween his service as commissioner
Of the land office and his appoint
ment rs cabinet officer
A statute of the United States for
bids the employment of any former
! official to represent claim before
the government within two years
of his retirement from office
Mr., Ballinger turned up al Wash
ington as the representative of tho
Guggenheims talias Cunningham
within two months from his retire
ment as the head of the land office
Attorney General Wickersham de
cidcG that the word "claim" car
refer only to money claims, not t
claims for tens of millions of dol
lars worth of coal. The presiden
decided that Mr.. Wickersham',
logic Is unassailable.
Both James r. Garfield and Gif
ford Pinchot charge that Ballinge
deceived the president on materia
points and that the presidents ex
oneration of Ballinger was due tt
this fact.
As one evidence of this assertion
Chief Engineer Arthur p. Davis o
the reclamation service testifiei