Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-14
CALL REPORT UNF AIR
Republicans on BaIhnger Com
mittee Issue Statement.
MINORITY" is CENSURED
Said to Have Adopted Worst
Methods of Ward Politics"
NO DEFINITE ACTION TAKEN
After Discussion of Evidence in
Case, Six Republican Members
of Body Adjourn.
10 DEFINITE ACTION TAKEN

september l4.-SlN TepuD-
lican members of the Ballinger investigat-
ing committee met yesterday and issued
a statement condemning the action of the
four democratic members and the one re-
publican insurgent member who deliver
ed report at Minneapolis last Wednes-
day demanding the retirement from office
of Secretary Ballinger
Those present We're Senators Mel
son, Sutherland and Root and Represent
atives Mccall Olmsted and DENLY. They
declared the action of what they term
the minority at Minneapolis to have
been according to the worst methods
of ward politics.
The evidence in the Ballinger case was
discussed but in the absence of a
quorum, they state, no action on the case
itself was possible. 1t was reported that
Senator Nelson had authority to act for
Senator Flint. d member of the commit
tee, who is in Europe This could not be
confirmed but in any event no attempt
was made to use the alleged proxy. Ad-
iOurnment was taken subject to call Of
the chairman, Senator Nelson
To Wait for Senator Flint.
AS the minority" declined to attend
yesterdays conference and took their
adjournment at Minneapolis until the
next meeting of Congress, it is probable
that Senator Nelson will not call another
meeting until the return of Senator Flint,
who. as the seventh member, would make
quorum
Following is the statement issued:
The 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 upon the part of anybody to
have the committee meet for purposes of
consultation upon the evidence to re-
port It's findings to Congress prior to the
adjournment of the session. Under the
circumstances that course was mani
testify impossible The committee is the
creature of a special act of Congress-
which fixed the number of its members
at tweive-six senators appointed by the
Vice President and six representatives
elected by the House. The act carefully
defined the powers and Jurisdiction OF
the committee and contained mandate
that it should report its findings and con-
illusions to this Congress.
Work of Great Importance.
"A great mass of testimony has been
taken, making a direct and collateral rec
ord of about 1000 closely written pages.
The issues involved were full of moment to
luc cause VI pure MISUNDERSTANDING, 10 the
conservation of our natural resources, to
the interests Of the government generally
and to the regulations of some of it's
present and former officers. The work,
therefore, of elaboration and decision
was OF great Importance. as we'll as OF
great difficulty. The committee deter
mined to devote some of the time during
the recess of Congress to this work and
decided to meet in Minneapolis Septem-
Der ).
1.-THE day of the meeting found the
membership widely scattered and only
seven of the twelve members present
Three other members were detained by
Drlef but peremptOry engagements. Sen
ator Flint was in Europe and Senator
Root on the sea returning from arguing
case for the government before The
Hague tribunal. Upon reassembling two
days later eight gentlemen were present
and two more were reported on the way.
The eighth member to appear hap
pened to be democrat and the MEM
bers OF that party found themselves in
temporary control, and promptly pro-
ceeded to turn the circumstance to what
seemed to them party advantage. In
advance of any consultation whatever
upon the evidence, which never had been
weighed and discussed in committee, they
demanded the passage of resolutions of
the most sweeping character, formally
finding Secretary Ballinger guilty, not
merely of charges that had been made,
piled, and of things which never have
been charged. but which persons appear
ing at the hearing had alleged against
him.
Protests Were Made.
Other members of the committee
present protested against such proceed
ings, which would dispose of the case
In the absence of four of the twelve
members. making it possible for a mi
nor1ty of the committee to find the
committee verdict, and this, too, with
out any consultation or discussion
But the partisan political end to be
gained by the democratic minority be-
came all the more urgent in proportion
as the railway trains bearing other
members of the committee were ap-
preaching Minneapolis. The minority
refused even to take recess. and the
other members. protesting against the
evident determination to take snap
judgment by minority in the absence
of a third Of the whole tribunal and
declining to bear any responsibility for
thus converting the investigation into
a traveSty. and for a violation of the
fundamental principle which should
govern the proceedings. withdrew from
the meeting, and thus deprived the
of the committee.
THE meeting being left without a.
quorum, any attempted decision of the
case would have no more validity than
would like action of similar number
of men collected at random in the streets
but the spectacle was presented of five
gentlemen out of tribunal of twelve
created by the Congress of the United
States. assuming to act as the tribunal
itself These five gentlemen continued
their proceedings to the end, according
to the worst methods of ward politics.
and, after pretending to adopt a report
of eighty-nine pages which they brought
to the meeting already prepared and
which was never the subject of consid-
GRAFTON or discussion, or even read in
committee, they gave it to the news
papers, although the law required it to
be rendered to Congress; and they COM
pleted their perversion of the purpose of
the meeting by adjourning to December
3, so as to foreclose. if possible any
action or consideration discussion of
evidence by the committee in the mean
time: and by solemn vote they graciously
extended to the majority the leave to
file minority report.
Action Declared Lawless.
1T does not need to be said that such
action. in both form and substance, is
wholly lawless, and it leaves it entirely
unnecessary to ask what sort of justice
plrhlic urhnSa