Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-19
HOW THEY DIFFER.

1t IL both curious and instructive to
the country differ as to the merits of
the dismissal of Mr.. Pinchot by the
President
The New York World declares that
the removal of Mr. Plnchot from office
was the only course opon to President
Taft: that the letter which the Chief
Forester sent TO Senator Dolllver to be
read in tho Senate was an act of ia
grant lnsubordination; and that after
his reflections upon Mr.. Taft he must
have known that his connection with
tho administration could not longer be
tolerated. 1t says further:
mo government could be run under
methods so dcmoralizing to discipline.
"As the deliberate victim OF mis- own
unruliness he has deprived himself of
tho privilege of posing as a martyr
TO the cause OF the conservation OF nat
Ural resources,
President Taft has been exceedingly
patient with him, for this Is not the
first time Mr.. Plnchot has disregarded
the ordinary rules of official conduct"
On the other hand, the Kansas City
star. an Independent Republican pa
per. thinks that the President, by re-
moving Mr.. Plnchot on a technical yio-
latIou OF discipline at once deprived the
government OF tho official services of
one of its strongest men and at the
same time made the forester q greater
figure In national affairs thnn he had
ever been before
The latter paper argues that Mr.. Pin
chot must hayo foreseen the posslbili-
ties that might follow his actions and
concludes that he certainly did not
desire to relinquish the Office he had
developed to ono OF great prominence
and Importance. His record of devo-
tlon Is too fine to admit OF such specu-
latlon."
AS to the effect of the removal, the
paper first quoted says:
Now that he Is out OF the govern
ment service, he can make his fight
against Secretary Ballinger and tho
Administration In the open. It Is tn,
more honorable way and relieves him
OF Irksome restraints At the coming
inquiry Into the policy and methods of
the Department of the Interior he will
be perfectly free to appear as accuser
and prosecutor and to provo his case II
he can. But 1t IS a pity, In view OF his
distinguished record in the forestry
service that by tactlessness and mis-
applied zeal he should have made tho
soundness of his judgment a matter of
doubt"
The second paper quoted thinks Mr.
Plnchot's removal will have On imme-
diate result of tho following nature.
Whether he foresaw 1t or not. ne is
| In better position now than he WAS
before his dismissal to make a fight for
| the protection of the public domain
against the plunderers of special priV-
| legc, He Is no longer q 'subordlnate.'
| He Is a private citizen with all the
rights OF private citizen. untram-
| meled by office. or discipline or red
tape And In the great cause OF ma
tional conservation the people will re-
gard the change in his status "a some
thing of a promotion. He will be looked
upon as a general, with q large meas
! ure OF freedom in planning his own
campaign"
The foregoing quotations from COM
petent and opposing authorities may
not serve to settle the dispute. but
thoy provide the unprcJudiced with a
sort OF judicial evidence that should
contribute to wise decision.
All parties seem to agree with the
estimate of Mr.. Pinchot given by ex-
President Roosevelt that ito him more
than TO any other man belongs the
credit" for the present popular policy
OF conservation. 1t was he who both
organized and developed the important
department OF the government of which
he was the first official head
Like most people, we regret to sec
Mr.. Plnchot go. but under all the cir
cumstanoes no other course seemed
proper.