Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-01-11
Republican Party HopelesSly
Split.

Last Friday was a memorable day
at our national capital and it is one
that will 60 down in history. On that
day Clifford Pinchot, chief forester Of
the United States, was Summarily dis
missed by President Taft, who gave
his reason in letter as follows: "By
your own accord you have destroyed
your usefulness as helpful subordin-
ate OF the government, and it there
fore now becomes my duty to direct
the secretary of agriculture to remove
you from your Office as the forester"
This brought nothing from Mr..
Pinchot more than the simple state
ment, 81 would prefer to say nothing
at this time"
Clifford Pinchot was one of Theo-
dore Roosevelt's most honored assist
ants, one of the worlds greatest
experts in forestry; he had stood like
a stone wall against the land-grabbers
and saved maay millions of acres of
the public domain for the people.
There has been fight on ever since
Taft was made president, between
Pinchot and Ballinger, the latter bent
on g wing the land grabbers full sway
in their irregular entries of forest
and coal lands, and the former fight
ing against SUI high handed outrages.
Within half an hour after the dis
charge of Pinchot, his associate, Over
ton W. Price and assistant law officer
Shaw were also given their walking
papers.
The same afternoon Joe Cannon met
his Waterloo. lie was ignominous-
~ defeated in an attempt to have the
power given him to appoint the COM
mittee to investigate charges made
against Ballinger. After this congress,
Cannon will go down into oblivion.
The whole affair is reputation of
the Taft administration.
The Chicago Tribune, the great
Republican newspaper of the middle
west, in an editorial discussion of
Pinchot's dismissal, says that Presi-
dent Taft has separated himself from
the people and openly allied his adj
ministration with the exploiting in
terests. 1t predicts Roosevelt's re-
turn. 1t says:
Within the last twenty-four hours
there has been an activity about the
White house TO which the country
has become unaccustomed and the
reasons for which we will not suggest
at this moment.
ut is unfortunate that the consider
alton of a carefully prepared and able
message will be deferred or omitted
because during, this time the presi-
dent or those who use his name have
offered to the country greSt moral is
sues for its consideration. Without
inquiring into the technical Justice of
the discharge of Mr. Pinchot, the
Tribune must repeat that the country
viii stand by Pinchot right or wrong.
III does not understand legal techni-
calities and it is prepared to accept
the presidents statement that Mr..
Ballinger has acted within the law.
But long since the country has been
able to distinguish between men who
are honest and those who are moved
10y moral zeal for the preservation of
the public interest against private
privilege. In that sense The Tribune
believes that the great majority will
disapprove the action of the president
in discharging -Pinchoe, who
Of all men under President Taft repre-
SCENTS in the cleareSt sense the spirit
of the administration of Theodore
Roosevelt. The issues are not yet
Joined, but they are nearer and nearer
unto us. The rancor which has been
begotten by difference of opinion
within the party is assuming a graver
aspect than The Tribune hoped, and
carries with it even more momentous
consequences than The Tribune fore
saw.
lex Africa, semper aliquid novi."