New-York tribune., 1910-12-08
SECRETARY BALLNCER
IS FULLY Ex0NERATED
Majority Of Joint Congress Com
mittee Gives Him Complete
Bill of Health.
BOTH HOUSES GET REPORT
Democrats Say Ballinger Should
Be Asked to Resign-Dis-
senting Reports Have Equal
Standing Before Congress.
TFrom The Tribune Bureau.f

ger. Secretary az the Interior is complete
ly and handsomely exonerated from all
blame in connection with the Claws charges
snd the charges and insinuations OF Gif-
ford Pinchot and his associates in the
Bureau of Forestry, by the report of the
majority of the joint committee charged
with the investigation Of the controversy,
which was submitted to the Senate to-day
hy Senator Nelson, chairman
IN the opinion OF seven Republican mem
hers. ajoriry of the committee. Secre-
.sry Ballinger honestly and faithfully per-
formed the duties Of his high office with
an eve single 10 the public interest In
the opinion of the four Democrats Nj. Bal
hncer has not been true 10 the trust re-
posed in him as Secretary OF The Interior
end should he requested ny the proper an-
thorities 20 resign his office
Both reports. together with the indepen-
dent report Of Representative Madison tRe-
ruhiicsnl. also adverse TO Mr. Ral'inser
esr. offered in the Senate by Senator Mel
son, and in the House hy Representative
Mccall. Their presentation followed
meeting OF the fun committee The Demo-
cratic members. led by Senator Fletcher. OF
Florida. agreed TO this method Of getting
the reports before Congress. after their
motion 10 substitute their OVID report had
been rejected bv the committee. Senator
Fletcher first raised the point of order that
the committee had already approved the
report that was made public AT Minneapo-
lis This point was oyerruled by Chairman
Nelson.
Motion 70 Substitute Minority Report.
A motion was then made to substitute the
Democratic report for the report agreed on
fr the seven Republican members This
uax voted down. to = Representative
Madison voting with the forIr Democrats.
II was agreed by the committee, after the
ma jority report had been adopted. that all
three should he presented at once in each
house and printed together. Under this
rransernent the dissenting reports have
equal standing with the majority report be
fore the two houses. An order for thirty
Thousand copies of the report was made by
the Senate
Senator Fletcher said later that steps
would be taken by the Democrats to bring
about action in accordance with the recon
men ations contained in their report The
recommendation in question characterizes
Secretary BaIlinger as mot deserving OF
the public confidence" and recommends
that he should be requested by the proper
authority to resign his office as Secretary
of the Interior
Tho reports were accepted in both houses
-,ithout comment. The plan Of action 10 be
Seis"Ued by tho Democrats has not been
n ,-=7..sauined on. but IT is understood a reso
II t,.-l will be- presented to carry out the
" ,e-pr'nenTation made for the Secretary 5
ienloaal Such a resolution probably viii
~an fatty on the President to discharge his
Cabinet Officer
The Democrats held a conference on IN
matter to-day. They charact the ma
iori-v report as weak while the Republi
IAN members Of the committee say II ha
FULLY answered all charges made agains
AR Rallinger and has disposed Of all testl
roony presented during the long hearings
WouId Put House on Record.
An effort undoubtedly Will be made TO put
-he House on record as TO its opinion Of the
majority report. Some OF the Democratic
House members favor demanding considera-
ZION Of the report al the first opportunity.
fof,o,xing ND their demand with an appeal
from the decision Of the Chair should
Sneaker Cannon rule them out Of order
Il have no comment 10 make on the re-
-o-- ~ the committee" said Secretary Bal
finger. when asked in regard TO the find
ines.
The majority report condemns Nj Bal
u,ger,s accusers as having been INSPIRED
hx deep feeling of animosIty pulit "h d
.,nnosed difference in policy respecting
conservation
,<,er stating that the evidence presented
,efated in the main 10 charges or various
kinds against Mr.. Ballinger and that Ihese
caue chiefly from two souTces-i-' IA
c-zs1-fs and Clifford Pinchot-the maJofiNs
announced the following conclusion
-eTr,e evidence has wholly failed TO make
,u. case Neither any fact proved nor
.I1 .be facts put together exhibits MT Bal
ri,rer as being anything but a competent
"a honorable gentleman, honestly AND
,s,,t-u1Iv performing the duties of his
,svb office with an eye single TO the public
interest
Republicans Broke the Quorum.
TIE report was signed by Senators knute
Nelson. chairman: Frank p Flint George
sutherland snd Elihu Root, ana Repre-
s.n.a5tves Samuel W Mccall. of Massa-
rbpsetts. vice-chair1nan: Marlin Z. Ohm
e,ed- Of Pennsylvania, and Edwin DENLY,
,r Michigan all Republicans lew
,,orfFs ago the Democratic members, Sen
s.or. ID. L. Fletcher and William r. Pur-
cell and REPRESENTATIVES Ollie NJ James,
Of Kentucky and James NJ. Graharn, OF
rr,;no,. together with Representative Ed
r-,ond H Madison. of Kansas, Progressive
Republican, PVT out another report, "hlch
they maintained TO be the majority opinion,
eonGennning the cOnCQct Oh MI fooiiisci
as Secretary of the Interior This report
uas made public following meeting OF
She committee in Minneapolis last Septem-
her which was not attended by some of
the Republicans who now have exonerated
Nr. Baiiinger, and therefore the natural
minority became majority, and the Re-
nublicans who were present, with the ex-
ception of Mr.. Madison, withdrew and
broke the quorum. The members who now
sign the majority report formulated their
conclusions al a recent series of meetings.
Tn speaking OF the 'anrlosity'' created
nv differences respecting the conservation
Of natural resources, the majority of the
committee said that the accusers evidently
had this policy deeply at heart and were
evidently disposed to take a most un-
favorable view OF the character and mo-
dives OF any one whom they supposed 10 De
opposed 10 their views. They thus came to
regard Mr. BaIlinger with suspicion and to
regard the most natural and innocent acts
occurring in the ordinary course Of depart
1ient administration as furnishing evidence
OF some sinister purpose