Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-28
BALL|NGER LAWYER
DENOUNCES CLAWS,
P|NCH0T, GARFIELD
Secretary of the Interior, in His
Turn, Gets a Scoring from
Attorney BrandeiS
SUMMING UP INVESTIGATION
Former and Present Secretaries
ContraSted as Friend and
Foe to Law
TAssociated Press1

iABSOclateu GTeSSJ
w May 27.-With the
w attorneys on one side scoring
Secretary Ballinger as a man
unfit to be at the head of the depart
ment of the Interior and with the lead
ing attorney on the other side defend
ing him and denouncing his accusers,
whom he termed the "Glavis- Garfield
Pinchot group" the Ballinger-Pinchot
investigating committee of the senate
listened to summing up arguments by
the counsel today.
The arguments probably will be con-
cluded tomorrow.
Attorneys Brandeis and Pepper told
the committee they had produced evil
dence which they said established that
Ballinger was not "vigilant" and res
olute" in resisting the aggressiveness
of special interests. and that his course
had been characterized by a lack of
fidelity to the country's interest.
Defending Mr.. Ballinger's action In
restoring water power rights with
drawn during the last days of Garf1eld's s
withdrawing them, Mr.. Vertrees said
had merely carried out the
wishes of the president and that he
was fortified in his construction of the
law by the opinion of the law officers of
the government.
Sneering at what he said were termed
Garfield policies, which Baliinger had
been charged with overturning, Mr..
Vertrees said he believed this contro-
1T Oh, hnc 10
something infamous, originated in an
honest difference of opinion"
Former Secretary Garfield and former
Forester Pinchot came in for most Sc
we're castigation by Attorney Vertrees
who did not hesitate to denounce them
as disappointed men who sought re-
venge upon the new secretary.
He declared that Garfield and Pinchot
used the water power sites question as
a mere pretext and sham, and that
they practiced duplicity in the course
they had adopted.
These two officials, said Mr.. Yer
trees, regarded themselves as faithful
stewards" and believed they had a
right to do anything they thought
ought to be done. whether there was
any law to back it up or not.
GARFIELD "LAWLEsS"
Contrasting the purpose of Secretary
Garfield. as one who believed he had a
right to do anything he was not spec
ifically forbidden to do by the law,
with Secretary Ballinger, whom he pic
tured as being guided by the law, Mr..
Vertrees entered into careful review
of the legal aspect of the water power
sites.
Reading from letters OF President
Taft regarding water power site with
draWals. Mr. Vertrees undertook to
show Secretary Ballinger had merely
carried out the policies of the presi-
dent.
His voice quivering with emotion.
Mr.. Vertrees said:
Fright or wrong, cabinet officer
who carries out the policies of his chief
is not to be censured before the nation.
1.-The Cunningham claims are honest
claims in every respect-as honest as
any ever presented against the govern
ment of the United States. We have
had a great deal of talk about, fraud
and perjury, but these claims are
honest" declared the attorney with
emphasis.
At considerable length Mr.. Vertrees
discussed the subject of conservation.
'In just and proper sense" he
said, I'VE are all conserVationistS, and
as such there is none more sound than
Mr.. Ballinger. Now l am not talking
about these men who have gone to seed
in conservation--men of the Pinchot
degree conserva-
some people running off
with a fake and a fancy"
AS Mr.. Vertrees was about to take up
the question of the Cunningham claims
it was suggested that he should con-
tinue the subject at the session tomor-
row.