The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-02-02


their better features, should be pass
ed. The friends of the cause have
proposed various necessary amend
ments, but the attacks of its enemies
should be watched closely by the pub
lie. Whatever bills are passed, we
must not forget that one of the most
important lessons to drive home to the
country during this investigation is.
that public officials are to do for the
general welfare all that he law al
lows, not merely what under the law
they are literally forced to do. That
there are faults in these bills is nat
ural, since in conservation matters
Mr.. Taft is relying for guidance upon
a recent convert by-force, who is at
the same time a third-rate mind, Leg
ally as well as In other ways. The
bills regarding coal and phosphates
are excellent, with only minor faults.
The water-power bill is bad in form,
but right in principle. THE classlfca-
tion bill is bad in form, but easy to-
correct. The bill giving power. of with
drawl is altogether bad, since II gives
the executive less power than il al
ready has. All the bills should be
studied very carefully and the best of
them corrected and forced through
by public opinion. Conservation is the
greatest present day crusade, and
Clifford Pinchot, now forced by Presi
dents blindness TO forsake his office,
is the prophet who has made 1t un-
derstood. To Mr.. Pinchots vision and
devotion Mr.. Roosevelt brought the
vast backing of his own popularity
For years there had been smoldering
agitation, but there was required, in
order to waken the people and create
the movement in its fullness, the dra-
matte spectacle of an aggressive and
trusted President asserting a nations
rights to control its beds of coal.
We are not worrying about the wor~
of the investigating committee. II
may do whatever II chooses. Several
of the most powerful members began
at the first session the course of con-
duct which we fully expected OF them
They acted aggressively as Ballinger's
counsel, with no concern except to at
tack Mr.. CLAWS and Mr.. Brandeis in
season and out What they do is a
matter of supreme Indifference TO us
If the committee whitewashes Balling-
er, it will only follow up what has
been done already by Seattle Chamber
of Commerce, Frank Hitchcock, the
Attorney the President, part
of the news agencies, various papers
owned by definite interests, and other
papers which, without any actual con-
troll. are habitually swayed by the do
minant social business, and polltlcai
powers. Fortunately, still larger
number of papers are free, aggressive
alive to the measureless interests III
yoIyed. and determined that in th'
end Justice shall be done. With the
aid of this body of newspapers North.
East. South, and West, the people
ultimately will get the truth, and the
of the majority of the
committee will merely react once more
as preceding whitewashes have re-
acted. We are trying this case peiore
la higher tribunal than any committees
of any party organization or any ad-
ministration, and the dice are loaded
in our favor. In one army Is the Sys-
fem. equipped with mighty weapons,
I'm. office, i'm finance, in the press, but
with none so mighty as the truth
which is on our side, and which We
shall be able to bring out The puphc
is unable TO observe the hearings Tor
itself, and see the eager, determined
and unconcealed manner in which var
ious members act not as judges but
as attorneys for the defense, but we
have so much ammunition that we
face this obstacle with perfect equan-
a. N
inst one example of the inadequacy
with which the facts are getting be-
fore the public through the daily re-
ports of what is happening In that ht
tie room in Washington. Few men,
indeed, scattered In town, country,
and city throughout the country,
could form any idea of what came out
against the determined efforts of dis
tingushed committeeman, In the frst
few hours of the investigation. Con-
slider this one fact, and then realize
to what a small extent you are able
TO grasp now the significance of what
later you will be enabled fully to
In April 1907. CLAWS in company
with II. NJ Hoyt, special agent Of the
Departmnt of Justice began to in
vestigate certain coal lands acquired
by the Wilson Coal Company. The
promoter of that company was one
Watson Allen. lie gave to CLAWS and
to Hoyt a statement in which he said
that In contracting for the purchase
of these coal claims he had acted
under the advice of Richard A, Ball
niger. Ballinger had caused Allen tc
make an agreement with the dummy
entrymen, by which, as soon al
patents were issued, they would con
vey the coal lands TO Allen. In pur'
suance of this agreement deeds to
the lands were actually executed b,
the dummy entrymcn and put int
the hands of Ballinger. who was L
hold them In escrow until the patenti
were issued and then to deliver tn
deeds to Allen. This statement of Al
Ilen's was made in the presence o
both Hoyt and CLAWS. 1t was takel
down in typewriting, but was no
signed. One copy of the statemen
lis in the Office of the United State
Attorney General at Seattle. Anothe
copy in the record of the Wilson Goa
Case in the United states Court a
Seattle, and this case, by a dramftl
. x.,aa 1c,fAad fha very da.