The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-27
Confident Of His Stand,

connection with the claims and had no
relations With the claimants until Sep.
Cunningham and Smith. two of the
group, he presented an affidavit TO be
filed in the general land office and pre-
sented ii in person to the secretary of
the interior Referring 10 the affidavit
itself. however the attorney declared
Mr.. Ballinger could not be held for its
truth or falsity rs he presented it mere
ly as IL had been presented to him by
Cunningham, He declared that Mr.. Bal
linger had legal aud moral right 10 act
as though for those two claimants.
Mr., Fertrees then recalled the action
of the secretary upon taking office. in
turning over TO his first assistant, Frank
Pierce. all the matter OF the Cunning
ham claims. Mr.. Ballinger did that. the
an attorney for the claims. because he
had not, but because he had been an
attorney In single transaction and he
excused himself on that account.
CLAWS. the attorney described as ap-
parently Jealous and earnest. but con-
sumed with the belief that all Alaska
claims were frauds. When Governor
Moore of Alaska criticised CLAWS. ut first,
Mir. Vcrtrees declared Mr.. Balllnger had
defended him.
Roast for Pinchot
When Mr.. Nertrees came TO review the
part which the forest service took in the
events which followed, he referred to 1t
as 1.-THE Pinchot service" After review
ing the whole story OF the claims from
that time down TO the present, Mr.. YER
trees declared that when Mr.. Ballinger
Is heard, IL will be seen there is no stur-
dier supporter of conservation than he.
holding that development ought not TO be
hampered by theorists and doctralnes.
Mr.. Ncrtrees declared that Mr. Ballin-
ger may have strained The tlmbers of the
law in making Withdrawals for power
sites. but did make them only untn
congress might enact suitable ieGisla-
tion TO provide for their protection
fp ovid iI q = H.
tinued Mr. Vertrees Twill make all these
things so plain and so clear that the com
mittec viii cast about TO discover how
men who knew so much about the truth
could have had the daring TO present
themselves as sincere, honest harborers
of suspicion
perverted by detective service until ap-
parently he was incapable of fair judg-
ment Plnchot. vain and fiattered as
chief of the forest service by his own
publicity bureau. had come to regard
himself as the most important personality
in the department OF agriculture;
The administration Of Mr., Pinchot the
men. men. @But on March /. 1909" he de-
cIared. there came the reign of law.
Defense of Ballinger.
''Mr. Ballmger conceived that his duty
was not TO be expressed in the words Il
hereby direct and order but In the
words. BE 1t enacted by the senate and
the house OF representatives of the
United States OF America, in congress as
sembled and he acted accordingly.
"By command of the law, he uudid
some things which Mr.. Garfield had done.
tiflcates and cooperative agreements and
ranger education at government expense
became things Of the past. .,
when they lost their vivid coloring
and took on n cold. dead gray. there
was a subsistence in the proportions OF
the forestry chIef-he ceased 10 be the
department OF agriculture. He was eN-
uosed and Mr.. Rallnger had committed
The unpardonnble sin Of defeating the
ambition OF exaggerated man, Mr..
Balllnger was now where Mr., Garfield
was not and Mr., Pinchot was confined 10
the forest reserves. Broad as they are, !
they are too small for him. Here was
the birthplace Of that spirit OF resent |
mcnt and revenge which huUGIN wrote
mistakes TO tho president ana utilized
this CLAWS Of the detective service TO at
TEMPT 10 assasSinatc Mr. Ballinger's good |
name and thereby bring reproach upon
the president, who bad not retained Mr'
Garfield and had dismissed Mr.. Pmchot
.'Tkis explanation Will be made OBJ |
yious and apparent when the evidence |
now 10 be offered is seen
witness for Defense
when Mr.. Vertrecs had concluded. ne |
called Adolph II. Bchrens OF Seattle as
nrst witness for the defense.
CLAWS I'm his testimony charged that |
Fred bennett commissioner Of the land |
off,re I'm Seattle. stated one day that he |
aid not know Bchrens. but the next day |
was invited out 10 lunch by Behrens. |
The witness said he never lunched with
bennett and up 10 the time he talked |
with Claws in Seattle, on June % 1908.
he had never seen Mr., bennett. He also |
denied that he ever told CLAWS that he |
wrote TO Mr.. bennett or that he ever |
did write 10 Mr.. bennett on cross-cN- |
nyninnfion Attorney Bgandeis showed the |
witness n card. on the bnck or which he |
md written asking Dir. bennett II he !
could rot meet Il. II. Thompson at Ger |
fain place Mr.. BchrcnS said he wrote |
INC message on the card and left II for |
Mr.. bennett He did not consider that
as writing TO Mr., bennett
Mr. Brandeis asked the witness II he !
i.rnyy n c. IL Turner He said he did /
not remember ever having met him.
The attorney then read n statement |
no MFR Turner as 10 conversation on |
Scc,nr rcd Rchrens told him lac had acted |
Ss agent for Dennctt in real estate deals |
"a ,bnt he had made considerable. |
runner also declared that Behrens had |
toId him that Mr.. BallinGer had acted as
attorney for claimants IN the Alaska Pc
NJ Ecbreug said he usually talked a
GOOD deal on trains. but he denied that
6c had ever made the statements recited
by Mr.. Turner
You also say YOU mover wrote 70 MY,
Dcnnett vet YOU acknowledge writing the
,.a,d bays produced herc?'' said Bran
- LETT the card when found Mr.. Den
,ctt out That is easily explained; ! |
think the committee understands.
Rehrcns snid lac was II coal claimant
In tbc Hunt group in Alaska.
Against which adverse reports have