The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-01-20
SAY BALLEkGER $780, $780,.
So IN The WRONG
Representative Hitchcock Declares
Secretary of Interior Patel,zed
FrHwSS.ens Claims.

WASHINGTON. ID. G. - Special. -
While the investigation of the Interior
Department and the forest service by
Congress is bound TO occupy the at
tentiOn OF the country TO a greater eX-
tent during the coming six months
ture of the subjects involved in the
great controversy is not at all well un-
derstOOd generally, especially outside
those States in which there are great
bodies OF public lands. The best state
ment of the charges against Secretary
Ballinger that has yet been made was
contained in a brief speech made on
the floor of the House a few days ago
by representative Hitchcock, of Ne
braska. Mr.. Hitchcock is a Democrat
yet his outline of the great controversy
was so fair that none OF the Republi-
cans took exception to it, and 1t may
be accepted as a non-partisan state
mcnt of the case. 1t will be found
valuable during the mazes Of the in
vestigation Congress is about to under
take.
The Case I'm Brief.
Mr.. HitchcOck's statement is as fol-
lows:
That Mr.. Ballinger. in 1907. as
Commissioner of the Land Office, re-
peatedly sought to bring the fraudu-
lent Cunningham claims to patent In
spite Of the reports and evidence that
they were fraudulent.
THAT under his order patents had
actually beNI prepared ready for his
signature
That the order was only revoked
and his signature was only withheld
when CLAWS protested and vigorously
eXpOstulated, making covert threat
to take IL TO the Department of JUS
tice.
THAT, while Land Commissioner.
Mr.. Ballinger furnished the owners
of the Cunningham claims with copies
Of confidential letters and kilograms
between Government agents in the
field and the land office relative to
heir claims.
the fact that these claims were illegal,
he went before a committee Of this
House and urged the passage of a
bill curing the fraud and making
fraudulent claims valid.
This was a few days before Mr.
Ballinger retired from the land office.
Shortly after NO retired from the land
office, in NJ. n. 1908. he appeared
before it as tie paid attorney for the
same f}audu.cnt claims he had sought
10 urge TO patent. Later, the charge
is, he wrote the land office in Alaska
representing himself as attorney for
other claims that had been before the
land office. Later still a claimant
wrote the same land office in Alaska.
saying Mr.. Ballinger was his attorney.
'IheSe acts and others show Bal
linger TO have been an attorney rep
reSenting questionable land claims
against the Government That and
more occurred during the year which
elapsed 5etw cen his retirement as
commissioner of the general land Of
fee and his appointment as Secretary
of the Interior.
Then, Mr.. Speaker, we know the
more recent history. after he became
Secretary of the Interior. We know
how, in that higher position. having
the land office under him, pressure
was renewed in the case of these
claims to force them 10 patent. We
know how CLAWS resisted, charging
fraud. and finally took the matter TO
the Department OF Justice; and we
know that the Department of Justice
rendered a decision holding that, not
withstanding the decision of the De-
partment Of the Interior, these claims
were fraudulent. CLAWS was right and
Ballinger and bennett (the present
commissioner of the general land Of
| fice) were wrong. Then we know
that CLAWS was arbitrarily. summar-
lily and without a hearing dismissed
from the service"
To this resume of the case. which
must be accepted as a correct state
ment OF the facts, Mr.. Hitchcock add
ed:
There are many other rumors and
some other charges" concluded Mr..
Hitchcock. Il have not time to go
| over all of them, but / say they are
definite enough and ugly enough 20
warrant an investigation, which should