The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-09-14

members of the Ballinger inyestigat-
ing committee met here today and is
sued a statement condemning the ac-
ton of the four democratic members
and one republican insurgent VINO
delivered a report at Minneapolis last
Wednesday, demanding the retirement
of Secretary Bal1inger
Those present today were senators
Nelson, Sutherland and Root, ana Con
gressmen Mccall, Olmstead and Denpy.
They declared that the action OF wha'
they termed the minority" at Mime
apolis to have been according to the
worst methods of ward politics.
The evidence in the Ballfnser case
was discussed, but in the absence OF a
quorum, they stated. no action on the
case itself was possible 1t was re-
ported that Senator Nelson had author
ity to act for Senator Flint, who Is
member of the committee, but VINO Is
in Europe This could not be con-
firmed, but in any event, no attemp'
was made to use the alleged proxy
Adjournment was taken subject TO tne
cali of the chairman, Senator Nelson.>
.MINoRITY, DoDGEs MEETING
AS the minority declined to attend
today's conference and took their al
iournment at Minneapolis until the
next meeting of congress, 1T IS propaple
that Senator Nelson will not call an
other meeting until the return OF oeha-
tor Flint, who, as the seventh iheiiiDei'
would make a quorum
Following is the statement issued.
Tho hearings of the committee,
after proceeding for months. We're
ended in the closing days OF. the
last session of congress. There was
no opportunity and no attempt on
<1rv n
committee meet for purposes Oh
consultation upon the evidence or
to report its findings to congress
prior to the adjournment OF the
session. Under the circumstances,
that course was manifestly lmpos-
The committee is the creature of
special act of congress, Wnlem
fixed the number of it's memners
at II, six senators appointed by the
vice president, and six representa-
tives elected by the house. me acI
carefully defined the powers an9
jurisdiction of the committee. ana
contained a mandate that IL should
report its findings and conclusions
to this congress.
RECITAL OFF PROCEEDINGS
The day of the meeting found
the membership widely scattereo
and only seven of the twelve mem
bers present. Three other mem
bers were detained by brief but
peremptory engagements. senator
Flint was in Europe, and senator
Root on the sea.
Upon reassembling two days
later eight gentlemen were present
and two more were. reported on the
way. The eighth member to appear
happened to be democrat and the
members of that party found them,
selves in temporary control, and
promptly proceeded to turn the cir.
cumstances to what seemed to
them a party advantage. In adj
vance of any consultation what
: ever, upon the evidence, which
never had been weighed and dis
cussed in committee, they demand
ed the passage of resolutions of the
most sweeping character, formally
finding Secretary Ballinger guilty
not merely of charges that had
been made, but of charges that had
only been implied and of things
which never have been charged,
but which persons appearing at the
hearing had alleged against nm.
present protested against such pro-
ceedfngs. which would dispose OF
the case in the absence of four. of
the IL members. making 1t possible
for minority of the committee to
find the committee verdict; and
this. too, without any consultation
Or discussion
MEETING WITHOUT QUORUM
But the partisan political end to
De gained Dy the dSIiOcidtiC ina
jority became all the more urgent
in proportion as the railway trains
bearing other members of the com
mitIee were approaching Mime
apolis The minority refused even
to take recess, and the other
members, protesting against the
evident determination to take
snap judgment by a minority in the
absence of q third of the whole
tribunal, and declining to bear any
responsibility for thus converting
the investigation into a trayesty
and for violation of the funda-
mental principles which should gov
ern the proceedings, withdrew from
the meeting. and thus deprived the
democrats of their temporary con-
troll of the committee.
The meeting, being left without
a quorum. any attempted decision
of the case would have no more
validity than would have like ac-
tion of a similar number of men
collected at random in the streets,
but the spectacle was presented of
five gentlemen out of a tribunal
of IL, created by the congress of
the United States. assuming to act
as the tribunal itself
faction WHOLLY LAWLESSr
These five gentlemen continued
their proceedings to the end, ac-
cording to the worst methods of
ward politics, and after pretending
to adopt report of SO pages which
they brought to the meeting al
ready prepared. and which was
never the subject of consideration