The Cairo bulletin., 1910-05-15

NuSulIELOll, htog 19Not s~et
ler, assistant attorney general for the
interior department Of which Ballin-
ger is head. did in fact, prepare a
draft of a letter addressed to. BaIiiif-
ger. and in such form and phrase
that 1t might have been adopted ver-
batim and signed by the president as
Taft's exoneration Of the secretary
from the charges Of l.. r. CLAWS, and
authorizing the dismissal Of CLAWS
from his position as special agent OF
the interior department.
The draft by Lawler was delivered
this afternoon to the Balinger-Pin-
chot committee and ordered spread
upon the records, Careful compari-
son of the Lawler draft with the let
ter of the president shows that Taft
did, in fact, adopt practically YER
batim two short paragraphs Of Law
lers language The substance of the
two documents are otherwise widely
dissimilar
The subject is on every tongue to.
night in Washington.
Started. by kerby.
The thing came to a head this
afternoon In the publication Of a state
ment attributed to Frederick M. Ker
by, one of the stenographers in the
office of Ballinger, in which Kerby
related circumstances under which
the alleged Lawler draft had been
prepared. Kerby asserted further that
all preliminary drafts used in the
preparation of the letter were burned
in the CRATE in the interior depart
ment at the suggestion and under the
direction of Don M, Carr, Balllnger's
private secretary Kerby drew the
inference that the Lawler letter had
been adopted by the president essen
TALLY as his own; that Ballinger and
his legal adviser had therefore vir-
tually prepared the exoneration which
Taft issued over his own signature,
Almost simultaneously with the
publication, Attorney General Wicker
sham sent to the committee, then in
session, copy of the Lawler draft,
accompanied by a letter in which
Wickersham declared the document
had been overlooked in sending the
papers requisitioned at the request of
CLAWS attorney.
Denial From White House.
The publication of Kerby's state
ment evoked from the White House
statement declaring that there was
absolutely no foundation for the state
ment that the presidents letter of
September 13 1909, was substantially
prepared for the presidents signature
by Assistant Attorney General Law
ler," and asserting unequivocally that
the president dictated his letter per
sonally as the result Of his own in
yestigation of the records, documents
and papers in his possession at the
time and upon the report of the at
torney general"
Ballinger held long conference
with Wickersham. Coming out of the
conference he appeared angry but
said there was nothing to be
ashamed Of
Kerby could not be found this after
noon. It is said that he has gone to
Sunday SCHOOL picnic.
Wckersham Heard From.
Wickersham declared 1t is obvious
that Lawler did MT prepare the let
ter signed by Taft, and said Taft
adopted only one clause. He said:
what Lawler prepared was what
might be termed suggested form OF
the letter which the president could
adopt II he saw fit--a practice OF
every day occurrence in the executive
departments Of the government"
He said the Lawler letter was given
to him by Lawler, September IL, and
that he left 1t with TAFT at Beverly
the next day
Lawler said he could not discuss
the matter without the presidents
permission.
Don Mr. Carr and Assistant Secre-
tary of the Interior Pierce, refused to
talk.
e. G. Finey, assistant to Ballinger,
declared that Kerby's assertion that
Ne (Finney) took part in any confer
ence on the Lawler memorandum was
"lIe. \ Attorney Brandeis. counsel
for CLAWS, has made several attempts