The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-02-27

the CLAWS charges. | snail snow you
how the forest service became in
volved in these cases and how CLAWS
submitted his facts to me. / believed
then, as l believe now, that he told
the truth. l am convinced now, as l
was when he came to me, that CLAWS
was faithful public servant and that
the facts which he presented to prove
that Mr.. Ballinger has been unfaiUhful
to his trust as a servant of the public
and as guardian of public property
were of enormous value.
81 shall show you that since l
learned the facts you have heard from
CLAWS and others, which I am about
to lay before you, have acted steadily
in the light of them, and it was my
duty both as q public officer and as a
citizen, to do.
Il shall show you that in pursuance
of that duty I laid before the presi-
dent both by word of mouth and in
letter of November a statement of
my conviction that Secretary Ballinger
has been dangerous enemy to con-
servation.
Il shall show you that this letter
was submitted by The president to Mr.
Ballinger and that as part of his re-
ply, he laid before the president a
statement concerning the Cunning
ham coal cases, which statement is
shown by undisputed documentary
evidence to be absolutely false in
three essential particulars. 1t will
then appear that Mr.. Ballinger Wilfully
deceived the president and was dis
loyal to him.
ENDED IN DISMISSAL.
The third principal matter is con-
cerned with the attitude of this gov
eminent in law and administrative
practice toward the conservation OF
the natural resources belonging to the
people. / desire to show you that the
story of CLAWS courageous and sue
cessful fight to protect the property OF
the people, which ended in his dis
missal without hearing, is but a sin
gle chapter in the history of the pub
lie lands. l shall show you that under
our present law and practice the more
difficult task falls on those who would
protect the public property and not on
those who would despoil it, and that
under the present system, the betrayal
into monopolistic control of what be
longs to all of us, is made easy and
often in practice, inevitable.
''The imperative duty before this
country is not merely to get rid of an
unfaithful public servant. A far more
important duty is to bring about a
fundamental change in the law and
the practice toward conservation, to
prevent for the future what has been
in the past the almost inevitable sacri-
fee of the public welfare and to make
possible hereafter the utilization of the
natural resources and the natural ad-
vantages for the benefit of all the peo-
pie instead of merely for the profit of
few.
When this story has been told and
the witnesses whom l shall ask you to
call have been heard, you Will realize
that the interests of the people are not
safe in Mr.. Ballinger's hands and that
the country will demand of this COM
mittee a verdict in harmony with the
general constitution that the secre-
tary has been unfaithful, both to the
public, whose property he has endan-
gered, and to the president, whom he
has deceived
BARR EMPLOYED CLAWS.
Z. w. Barr, the Seattle timber deal
err and Andrew Kennedy, the coal ex-
pert, were recalled TO the stand az
the morning session.
In questioning Barr, an effort was
made to prove that while CLAWS is
charging Mr. BallingeT with having be-
come counsel for the Cunningham
group, after being land commissioner,
CLAWS himself is now using his knowl-
edge of public lands by entering into
an agreement with a timber dealer.
Barr said that CLAWS was to receive
SO, 900 as his share Of the transaction
by which Barr was trying to defeat a
selection of government land by the
state of Washington.
Barr said CLAWS first called his at
u-h= eb
about the agreement to share the
profits IL the land was secured.
II had often thought Of getting this