The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-20
AS TO SECRETARY BALLINGER

The interview with Secretary Bal
linger reported in the dispatches yes
| terday morning from Boise wal
straightforward, sensible talk The ide;
that cabinet minister's case woulc
he up for grave discussion at cabi
net meeting in the way that had beer
foreshadowed is exqusitely absurd
The relation Of cablnet minister tc
the President is such that his contin
uance in Office is matter solely be
tween himself and his chief, The 9th
er cabinet ministers have nothing tc
do with it, and the idea that they
would consider it officially is so un
precedented that il is clear that sug
gestion came from someone not versed
in the amenities of public life. In this
city Yesterday. Secretary Ballinger re-
peated the sentiments that he expressed
at Boise. He will stay as long as the
President is content with him.
We think il is time that this uproaf
about Ballinger should cease altogeth-
er, There is absolutely nothing TO the
so-called Case against him. He sim
ply stood fast for the law, and has
refused to usurp powers that are de-
MED by the law or to do things that
the law expressly condemns, Those
who attack him are Of the Pinchot
order and Pinchot is at the back of the
assault in every case. The Pinchot
group has no respect for law, but de-
sires to carry things with high
hand, doing the things that it thinks
ought TO be done whether there is law
for it or not; and if the law is against
ii, then damn the law and worse
yet, disregard It,
Even Mr.. Roosevelt, devoted as he is
to the conservation idea, gave in his
recent speeches in the West distinct
black eye to the Pinchot policies. Pin
chot wants to reserve all the natural
resources of the country for some in
definite time in the future. Mr.. Roose
velt, on the contrary, expressly de-
clared for the use of the resources of
the country al the present time by the
people needing that use to open the
country to tillage and civilizati tion. And
right there is the splitting point be-
tween the two policies of alleged con-
One wants conseryatively
to use; the other wants to conserve
by not using at all. A shining example
Of the Pinchot policies is in operation
in Alaska today. where it is not lawful
to dig coal although the coal sticks
right out of the ground. All who want
sh Columbia or from Australia. The
Alaskan coal could be put on ship
board for about $3.50 per ton, and yet
the shipmasters cannot get Alaskan
coal because it is unlawful to mine it,
and must pay $3.50 per ton for either
British Columbian or Australian coal.
That sort of thing Mr.. Roosevelt would
condemn. He would open the Alaskan
coal mines to present use, so that peo-
pie along the coast and in that coun-
Try could get the coal for say about
$500 per ton instead of having to pay
'our times that much for coal mined
lndcr foreign jurisdiction.
Secretary Ballinger in his Office has
simply made the law his guide, instead
If the whims and notions of various
'onservators who are deeply chagrined
md angry at seeing new order of
'hlngs come in and supersede their ar
,itrary, lawless course, But the man
Il this country who holds fast to the
aw is on solid ground, and especially
30 is the official who makes the law
lis rule and guide. One of the most
lmazing and disgusting exhibits of sen.
imcntal humbuggery that this country
has ever seen IS this warfare On Sec
etary Ballinger simply because he re-
uses to override the law, for that is
What IT all amounts to in the long run.
President Taft made this very plain
n his conservation address at the Pin
hot convention in st. Paul. Those in
harge of that convention and who con-
ldered 1T to be their especial prop
rty, of course dictated the expressions
made by that convention, and in so
!oing they made it all the more clear
hat they are opposed to any present
Ise Of the natural resources of Alaska
nd of all this western region. They
want to arrest development here Just
where 1T is, and they want TO prevent
levelopment even having any be-
inning in Alaska Those who wish to
hut out the development of this coun-
ry and arrest progress of course are
IL Pinchotites. Those who want to
20 forward and develop the country, to
lse the natural wealth everywhere at |
land. Just as inevitably plead their
lights under the law, and those rights |
ught TO be respected by every public |
ffieial. and not frowned upon or de-
led And right there is where Secre.
airy Ballinger is solid with every per.