The National tribune., 1910-02-03

a time in a rumor that VIM. Travers
Jerome, the former District Attorney oi
New York, would appear as Secretary
Ballingers attorney. 1t appeared tc
have no foundation beyond the fact
that Mr.. Jerome was a spectator. of the
proceedings in No. 210, the big room in
the Senate Office Building where the
investigation is being conducted. for a
few minutes one afternoon. 1t was de-
MED by one of Secretary Ballingers
immediate friends that Mr.. Jerome was
to be employed in any such capacity.
Attractive 10 the Public.
The committee hearings are very at
tractive to the public. The room seats
comfortably some $50 people, and most
of the time standing room is at pre-
MUM. At least this was the case while
former Special Agent CLAWS had the
stand. He had as his attorney Louis
d. BrandeiS, of Boston, very brilliant
lawyer of long experience in cases of
this character MIR. Brandeis not only
saw to it that his client presented his
own cause in the most convincing way,
but he had vast amount of doCumen-
tary evidence. which was marshaled to
bear out the statements of his client.
4 great bulk of evidence, making Il
volume four inches thick, was made
public and printed on the order of the
Senate. 1t comprises the CLAWS charges
and evidence as reviewed by Attorney
General Wickersham for the informa-
tion of the President.
This volume had been given thoro
by Mr.. Brandeis, who devoted
hours of the hearing to presentation
of kilograms and letters intended to
bear out the statements of his client.
of course, as already pointed out, any
therefrom at present would
be eX parte until the other side has
been emphasized, but it is a safe asser-
ton that the CLAWS -Brandeis presenta-
ton made n distinctly favorable i'm
preston for that side.
IT was brought out during the hear
ngs that n counter publicity campaign
was encouraged in the Interior Depart
nent last Autumn with the hope that
il would blanket the fire of the oppoSi-
ion. One of the kilograms which Mr.
Prandeis got before the investigating
was from Henry H.
Schwartz, Chief of the Field Service. a
very aggressive young man, instructing
I field agent on the Pacific Coast TO
hurry into the public prints, with first
page, scare head stories about Secre-
Alaska frauds. Mr.. Schwartz. proceed
ng. of course, on the authority of Off
7ial superiors, wanted this to kill the
effect of big story against the Sec
'etary regarding those frauds, which
he Department had been informed was
about to be sprung in the West. This
disclosure of attempted newspaper tao
les interested quite q Washington con-
ingent. as il has come to be recognized
IS a prevalent practice in many of the
Departments. President Roosevelt was
1 master at it and has had many imita-
ors. He could get away with it,"
lcwever. better than his imitatOrs, be-
'ause of the prestige of his position and
lis ability to speak eX cathedra.
EX-Forester Clifford Pinchot has not
1gured much in the proceedings thus
ar. He attends the hearings very stead
" and listens attenti"ely to every scrap
# evidence presented. He is to be a
witness later on, and meanwhile is
ort OF general in command of the anti
2allinger forces.
Interest in the West.
The Westerners are taking very
lively interest in the proceedings, and
constitute the bulk of the daily audi
.nees that come early and stay late
There are many Western attorneys in
own, as usual during a session of Con-
rress. Then, the Western Senators and
representatives All nave q lively con-
ern over the developments there. More
# them side with Secretary BaIlinger
han is generally supposed, and would
ike to see him and the administration
# the Interior Department vindicated.
They are furnishing him and his imme-
late assistants a lot of ammunition,
which is to be used as opportunity Of
ers- The members of the joint COM
nittee are to allow much latitude in
he presentation of evidence, very
it is claimed, and this viii
nable Congressman who have had to
ght battles at home over this and that
,oIicy of conservation affecting the
Forest Service as well as the disposition
# public lands a chance to work up
ome good campaign material that will
,e frankable.
For the proceedings are being taken
Iown stenographically, and will be
printed at the Government Printing Of
ice. Any parts or, extracts of the pro-
eedings accordingly Will be admissible
0 the mails without the payment of
he usual postage. The outgoing west
rn mails are already being weighted
own with this material for the perusal
f interested constituents on the other
ide of the Mississippi River. II makes
,ood Winter reading for them, and
hey have plenty of time TO devote to it
low during their Idle months on the
anches and in the mining camps