The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1910-03-27
STORY FALSE
SAYS Lawyer
Ballinger's Attorney Declares
CLAWS and Others Uttered
"Gross Falsehoods.
VERTREES' STATEMENT
SLAM At ROOSEVELT
Field Agent CLAWS Comes in For
Bitter Scoring ano others
Arc Attacked.

Washington, March 2G.-Aftcr the
Ballinger Pinchot investigating com
mIltee had twice declined TO grant
the request of Attorney Brandeis. rep
rcscntlng Louis r. CLAWS and others
to compel the immediate attendance
OF Secretary Ballingsr as a witness.
John ]. Ncrtrees laie today made the
opening statement In Ballingers he
half and bCSan the presentation OF
testimony. Mr.. Vfrtrees declared
that the teStimony7of CLAWS aDd 9TH
crs would be shown TO be grossly
false"
There is no act of Mr. Ballinger,"
asserted the attorney to which It is
possible 10 ascribe an unworthy mo
tive or jmprpper purpose otherwise
than through the suspicion OF per
vcrted mind ar the resentment OF Il
discharged public servant or the pro-
gram of an uHscrupulouS political in
triguc."
Mr. Vertrees' statement sparkled
with episrams. In one OF these. re-
fcrring TO the acts Of officers of the
last administration the attorney said;
There was the raign of men Mar.
A, 1909 came tho re,yn Of law
Although Mr.. vericees was pariic-
ularly referring to Messrs Garfield
and Pinchot some members OF The
committee after Adjournment were in
clined to construe the statement as
n fling at Mr Roosevelt and so ex-
pressed themselves.
CLAWS ls Scored.
Patriot CLAWS" came in for large
share of Mr.. Vertrees' attention.
CLAWS, suspicious by nature, be
came perverted by doteotlye service.
CLAWS was believed to he honest
and known TO Sc cap kble."
CLAWS refusal 70 fPals Is to be as
cribed to vanity that brooks no sug-
gcstion"
Mr. Vertrees also dwclt at length
upon Clifford Pinchot. and the Pin
chot service" as he chose TO designate
the forestry.
"Mr. Pinchot, vain and lattered by
his own publicity bureau
"Pinchot ceased 10 be the depart
mcnt of agriculture,
"He was exposed and Mr.. Ballinser
had committed the objectionable SIN
OF defeating the ambition Of sell
exaggerated man"
Hero was the birth place of that
spirit Of resentment and revenge
to assassinate the good
name of Mr. Ballinger and bring re-
proach on the president Of the United
States who had not retained Mr.. Car,
field and had dismissed Nj. Pinchot.
OF Mr.. Ballnger the attorney said
What BaIlineer Thinks.
"Mr Ballinger holds that conser'
walton is not a thing of caprice. bnt
OF law"
True conservatism has no sturdier
supporter than he"
"Those who have already been born
and now breathe. have rights as well
as those yet 10 bo born and yet TO
breathe"
development ought not to be ex-
lied by theorists and doctrinaires
"In restoring to entry vast areas
OF the public domain, which he be
lieved to lave been wrongfully with
drawn. Mr.. Ballinger still believes be
was right. but II he erred he denies
that II was an error for which the
good faith OF his official action should
be questioned by those who would
substitute opinion for law"
"Not a site was lost
"He could have transferred MT
CLAWS at any tlme and obyicIsly
would have done so had he been mind
ed to bring about the improper ac-
ton which patriot CLAWS was pre-
venting and thwarting where he was "
Mr.. Vertrees' statement was a long
one, going into the details OF pra2-
tically every phase of the case. He
said it would be shown that as re"
CARDS the Cunningham claims and in
all other matters Mr. Ballinger was
"clean handed and that his actions
had been those of an honest and up
right citizen and oflcial.