The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-02
BALL|NGER IS NOW
IN THE L|MEL|GHT
Official Investigation To Be
Made of Land Office
ONCE LIVED IN ALABAMA
Has Been Honored BY Several Pres.
idents and Holds Letter of Conn
mendation for Public Work
From President Roosevelt
ONCE LIVED IN ALABAMA
BY JONATHAN WINFIELD.

BY JOf1NA1 HAN WINFIELD
Washington, January Especial -Now
that DR.. Cook has been pushed overheard
from the ship of responsibility by the once
! credulous Danes. and the Cook-Peary con-
troversy has lost it's popularity as main
attraction. the spotlight will, for the next
few months at least. settle upon Secre-
tary of the Interior Ballinger.
The Ballinger- Pinchot controversy over
the conservation of the nations natural
resources, is to be threshed out by
congressional investigation. All brands Of
rumors are afioat as to who is to get
cruz the great exposure, and COM
ment is rife as to what attitude In the
alignment of forces Bwana Tumbo will
take, as both attackers and attacked claim
to have his approval.
The Pinchot clan is loudly proclaiming
that 1t is the only original, genuine 500
ciety for the enforcement of the Roose-
veltian policy of conservation, and that 1t
has the official Endorsement of the former
executive. The Ballinger forces, publicly
championed by President Taft, make
similar claim.
Spokesman for the Secretary of the In
terior say that he was a Roosevelt dis
"
made commissioner of the land office,
and then promoted to be head of the in
terror department, when Mr.. Taft sue
ceeded to the office and policies of Roose
Welt.
james R. Garfield, who was Roosevelt's
Secretary of the Interior, and chief re-
former of the iniquities of the public land
system that were brought to light in the
west was sponsor for the Seattle man. A
new land commissioner was needed. Gar
field, who as a member of the Roosevelt
tennis cabinet, was mighty of influence.
recommended Ballinger. The President
took kindly to the suggestion.
Ballinger for a year and at great APP
parent financial sacrifice, as he left unat-
ter6ed splendid law practice. guided the
affairs of the land office. When he was
named as Secretary of the Interior the
west to a man loudly sang his praises,
and President Taft was congratulated on
his selection.
Then came the Claws charges concern
ing the Cunningham coal lands of Alaska,
a couple OF irrigation and conservation
congresses In the western states, and a d.
vision of the solid sentiment that had
been behind the interior department chief.
The career of the man who is the storm
center of a tempest that Congress will
attempt to clear is like that of many
Americans who by their own endeavor
have risen from obscurity and common
place position to offices of credit and
honor
Richard Achilles Ballinger was born in
1858 at Boonesboro, Ia. His father, a
Kentuckian, had studied law in Abraham
Lincoln's Office at Springfield, Ill. The
father, naturally, was an ardent abolition
list during the stormy days leading up to
the civil war.
Balinger, Sr.. served through the war
and was promoted for signal bravery on
the battle field. When the war was over
Ballinger's father was mustered out a
colonel He was appointed postmaster at
Virdon ILL.,, by President Grant.
In 1868 the family moved to Larned,
Kan, where young Ballinger was in the
saddle and on the range a good por-
ton of the time, his father being engaged
in the cattle business
Having digested a Kansas common
school education. young Balllnger attend
ed the State university at Lawrence. and
later went to Washburn college at To-
peka. 1t was while pursuing his studies
there that Mr.. Ballinger met United
States Senator Ingalls, of Kansas, who
urged him to attend williams college in
Massachusetts,. He followed the advice of
his patron and graduated at Williams In
the class of 1884
The law appealed to young BaIlinger,
and Immediately after graduation he went
to Chicago where he entered the law Of
fice Of s. Corning Judd. In 1885 he was
admitted to the bar and moved to Kan
kakee. ILL.,. where he hung out his shin
gle.
Subsequently he was appointed city at
torney OF Kankakee, and after serving
one term he moved to New Decatur.
Ala. where he was appointed to similar
position. One term in Office there and
young Ballinger was on the move again.
This time he removed to Port Townsend,
Wash, arriving there during the winter of
1889.
Three years previously he had married
at Leo. Mass, Miss Julia A. Bradley, a
graduate of wellesley college.
Secretary Ballinger has two sons, Ed
ward, who is 10 and student in Williams
college. and Richard. 10. who attends q
public school in Seattle
The old saying that a rolling stone
gathers no moss is disproved in the case
Of the interior department chief. While
he was still a young man the five states
Of Iowa. Illinois, Kansas, Alabama and
Washington had known him as resident,
and he had schooled and marred in the
great state of Massachusetts,.
In the great northwestern state BAL
linger struck his goal. At Port Townsend
he became the law partner of John M.
Scott, brother-in-law of the late Presi-
dent Harrison. For four years he was SUI
perior judge, but in 1897 found 1t was
time to move.
He did not quit Washington, moving
to Seattle, where he became the senior
member Of the law firm of Ballinger.
Ronald & Battle. In 1904 he was
elected mayor Of his city. Two years
later. his term having expired, he went
back to the law.
In 1907 President Roosevelt made
him commissioner Of the land office.
When he resigned the office, having
made many changes that the hen Sec
rotary Of the Interior, Garfield, de-
clared to have bettered the service,
President Roosevelt, In a personal let
ter, thanked him for his services. He
was back at his law practice when
President Taft made him q member of
his official family.
Before the break Of the Ba1linger-
Pinchot squabble the Interior Depart
ment Secretary was repeatedly urged
to run for governor of his state. He
always refused to consider such pre-
ferment. He is the author of several
law books, and has held many posi-
lions of honor in the republican ranks
Of his state.
He was chairman of the Washington
delegation to the republican national