The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-05-18
TAFT MERELY 4 TOOL,
SECRETARY BALLINGER'S AT
TORNEY WROTE EXONER-
ALTON
StenOgraphcr in Secretary Ballinger's
Office Declares That Presidents
Letter Exonerating Ballinger Was
substantially Prepared for Execu-
tive Signature by Assistant Attor-
ney General Lawler.

AT
White House late this afternoons
with refernce to the published af-
fidavit of F. M. Kerby, stenographer
in the Office Of the Secretary of the
Interior, to the effect that the Presi-
dents letter of September 13, 1909,
generating Secretary Ballinger, was
substantially prepared for the Presi-
dents signature by Assistant Attorney
General Lawler, it was said, at the
White House today that there is abso-
lutely no foundation for any such
statement. The President dictated his
letter personally as the result of his
own investigation of the records, and
consideration of documents and pa
pers In his possession at the time, and
upon the report to him of the Attor-
ney General"
1t was added at the White House
todayday that a comparison of the
the Ballinger-Pinchot investigation
committee today and the Presidents
letter itself will show that the Kerby
charges have no foundation.
kerby, it was said, is an appointee
or former Secretary Garfield.
There was published here this af-
ternoon what purports to be a state
ment of Frederick M. Kerby, a steno-
grapher in the office of Richard A.
Ballinger, Secretary Of the Interior
TO the effect that he and other steno-
graphers in the department wrote
from the dictation Of Oscar Lawler.
assistant attorney general for the in
terioA department, a letter which he
alleges to have been substantially the
foundation for President Taft's letter
exons5ating Secretary Ballineer f+om
the charges Of L. r. CLAWS.
The Kerby statement further al
leges that the original drafts of the
Lawler letter were burned in a CRATE
In the interior department., at the sug-
| gestion of Don M. Carr, Ballinger's
private secretary.
The statement attributed to Kerby
says in part, that after the visit Of
Secretary Ballinger and Lawler to the
Presidents summer residence at Rev.
erly, in the week beginning Septem-
Der b, Lawler returned to WASHINGTON
and took up his quarters ir. Ba'ling-
er's private office, calling in Massey
and me for dictation."
Kerby says that what Lawler die
tated referred to Ballinger as you"
in each case, and the personal nro.
noun "1' was used throughout. From
the context the 81" could be no other
than Taft himself.
There could be no question:" says
the Kerby statement, that Lawler
was drafting letter for Taft's sigma
ture, reviewing the CLAWS charges and
exonerating the secretary. It was
written in such form that Taft might
have adopted it bodily.
"As have said, the letter was die
tated In Ballinger's private office by
Lawler. Probably half a dozen drafts
were made before the final one was
accepted. Each time s, fresh draft was
completed it would be taken to Law
ler, who would revise it. For two
days Massey and 1 did nothing but
help rush this work. Lawler fire.
quently consulted E. C. Finney, as
sistant to Ballinger."
The statement goes on to say that
the draft was the subject of several
conferences. in which participated,
the statement says, "Ballinger, Law
Ter, Finney. Commissioner Frederick
bennett of the land office, Chief OF
Field Service Schwartz, and, I think.
First Assistant Secretary Frank
Pierce. and Private Secretary Carr"
kerby is quoted as saying.
Without attempting II force my
"wr conclusions upon anv reader of
''liS statement. / want 1t to be remem.
h'red that 1T was the draft Of the let
Ter generating Ballnger in the
charges CLAWS has made against
him."
The statement says further:
EARLY in the work Lawler had Civ
CA Massey and myself Instructions
that all rough draft copies discarded
in the composition of the final drafts
were to he retained by us.
eve all understood from the form
of the letter that ii was to be the
basis of Tafts letter covering the
CLAWS charges 1t was understood by
us that this work was Of special i'm
portanCc.
r.nn Il