The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-09-21

Washington. Sept. 16.-Whether
Richard A. Ballinger's resignation as
Secretary of the Interior will follow
Immediately upon the meeting of the
Cabinet, Sept. 26, to attend which he
is now en- route from Seattle, or
whether he will retain his position
indefinitely. at least until after the
delivery to Congress Of the report of
the committee, which investigated his
control of the public domain, de-
pends now upon the attitude Of his
Cabinet associates.
Mr.. Ballinger Is coming to Wash
ington, his friends here insist, wholly
unconscious Of any act on his part,
either Of commission or omission
for which he should be condemned,
and has determined to force his
chief and his Official colleagues to be
In effect his judges. If they concur
in the view at present attributed to
Mr.. Taft, that the accused Secretary
shall be sustained as an innocent and
prosecuted man, he will retain his po-
stion. If they fail to back him up
he will resign forthwith. This is Mr..
Ballinger's present position, which
was learned here today upon author
hn pA1 20 hA
AT the first meeting of the Cabinet
after the summer recess, Secretary
of War Dickinson, the Democratic
member, will not have returned from
the Philippines, and will, therefore
be saved the embarrassment of par
ticipating in what is regarded as
largely problem Of Republican pol
icy. The meeting is expected to last
three days, and the President ex-
poets to clear up a number of i'm
portant matters; but it will surprise
nobody here IL the Ballinger case oc-
cupies a large part Of the time.
Rumors have been constant and
decidedly definite here in the past
few days to the effect that Mr.. Bal
linger's resignation would be one Of
the first developments of the Cabi-
net meeting; but his friends, includ-
ing his associates in the interior de-
partment, have refused to believe
that he would retire under fire, and
have pointed to the oft-repeated dec
laratlon to the contrary, and to the
recent statement attributed TO him.
that he would resign only upon the
specific request of the President.
Some of these, however, today admit
ted themselves and the Secretary to
be alive to the fact that the turmoil
and uncertainty into which the pro-
tracted controversy has plunged the
department must be abated soon un-
less this important branch of the
public service is to become hopelessly
demoralzed.
Nobody here doubts that a majori-
ty-all but one of the Republican
members of the so-called Ballinger-
Pinchot investigating committee
will sustain Secretary Ballinger in
their report to Congress. 1t was said
here today by close friend of the
Secretary that had the majority of
the committee been ready to report
at the Minnesota meeting he would
then have rendered his resignation
to the President and urged it's ac-
| ceptance on the ground that the dis
| sensions, to which he has been a par
~ were detrimental to the public in
terest. When the committee failed
| at Minneapolis to take action as q
! whole, it became apparent that nc
decision could be looked for practi-
cally for several months.
This situation is said to have
convinced Mr.. Ballinger that his DO
sition, despite the continued support
of the President, has become unten.
able.
Secretary Ballinger left Seattle
yesterday, and will reach Washing
ton several days in advance of the
| cabinet session. His purpose in
thus eXpediting his return is believed
TO be TO counsel with his immediate
Subordinates and TO gain their as
sistahee in preparing for his demand
| pDOn the Cabinet for q "show dou,p ;,