The San Francisco call., 1910-03-27
Excuse for BaIIinger

Referring to the afnQaNlt ltSelI, now
ever the attorney declared that Bal
inger could not be held for its truth or
falsitv. as he presented it merely as 1T
had been presented to him by Cunning
ham. He declared that Ballinger had
legal and moral right to act as though
for those two claimants.
Vertrees then recalled the action OF
the secretary upon taking office, IN
turning over to his first assistant,
Frank Pierce. all the matter of the
Cunningham claims. Ballinger did that.
the lawyer declared, not because he
had been an attorney for the claims
hecause he had not-but because he had
been an attorney in a.single transac-
ton. and he excused himself on that ac-
count.
CLAWS the attorney described as .ap-
narentIv jealous and earnest, but con-
sured with the belief that all Alaska
claims were frauds. When Governor
Moore of Alaska criticised CLAWS at
first Vertrees declared, Ballinger had
defended him.
When Vertrees came to review the
part which the forest service took in
the events which followed he referred
to IT as "the Pinchot service" After
reviewing the whole story of the
claims from that time down to the
present Vertrees declared that when
BaIlinger is heard it will be seen
there is no sturdier supporter of con
servation than he. holding that devel-
opment ought not to be exiled by
theorists and doctrinaires.
Timber Laws STRAINED"
Vertrees declared that Ballinger may
have strained the timber land laws
in making Withdrawals for power sites,
but did make them only until congress
might enact suitable legislation to pro-
vide for their protection.
The evidence to be submitted" con-
tinued Vertrees. will make all these
things so pNin and so clear that the
committee will cast about to discover
how men who knew so much about the
truth could have had the daring to pre-
sent themselves as sincere, honest har-
borers of suspicion.
CLAWS, suspicious by nature, became
perverted by detective service until
apparently he was incapable of fair
Judgment Pinchot, vain and flattered
as chief of the forest service by his
own publicity bureau, had come to re-
gard himself as the most important
personality in the department of agri-
culture"
The administration of Pinchot the
attorney characterized as the reign of
men. But on March 4, 1902" he de-
clared. there came the reign of law.
Duty Under Federal Law
'.Balnnger conceived that his duty
was not to be expressed in the words,
L hereby direct and order but in the
words, BE it enacted by the senate and
house of representatives of the United
States of America in congress assem-
bled.' and he acted accordingly.
by command of the law he undid
some things which Garfield had done.
BY command of >the law cooperative
certificates and cooperative agree
ments and ranger education at govern
ment expense became things Of the
past.
When they lost their vivid coloring
and took on a cold, dead gray there
was a subsistence in the proportions of
the forestry chief-he ceased to be the
department of agriculture. He was ex-
posed, and Ballinger had committed the
objectionable sin of defeating the am
bition of d self exaggerated man. Bal
linger was now where Garfield was not,
and Pinchot was confined to the forest
reserves. Broad as they are they are
too small for him.
Birthplace of Revenge
Here Swas the birthplace of that
spirit of resentment and revenge which
blindly wrote Mistakes to the presi-
dent and utilized this CLAWS of the
detective service. to attempt to assas-
sinate Mr.. Bailinger's good name and
thereby bring reproach upon the presi-
dent who had not retained Mr.. Garfield
and had dismissed Mr.. Pinchot.
This explanation viii be made OBJ
vious and apparent when the evidence
now to be offered is SEEM
4. Il