The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-01-08

chamber was deafening. After that
the democrats, jubilant that they had
helped to pierce the hitherto imperyi-
Gus arrnor of the speaker. seemed
willing to abandon their fight against
the resolution itself. which all after
noon had appeared ton broad 10 suit
them. and all of them voted for IL
Much Confusion.
Organization leaders made no at
tempt 10 conceal their confusion. There
was hurried conference at Repre-
sentative Dalzelrs desk. and for n
time the insurgents feared that their
triumph was 10 be Shortlived. as }
of &c republicans who voted for the
amendment. never have been classed
with their number and they suspected
that at least one might have voted in
the affirmative that he might move to
reconsider should the amendment car
ry. But no such move was made. 1t
developed that the three regulars who
voted for the amendment were all
staunch friends of Chief Forester Pin
chot. They were Representatives Ames
of Massachusetts, and Fish and Par
sons of New York.
T. The insurgent ranks had only one
deserter, Stevenson of Minnesota.
Strangely enough. Fitzgerald of New
York was the only democrat to cast
his vote with the republican regulars,
although he led the minority fight on
the joint resolution.
Absences Blamed.
Republican leaders attributed their
defeat to a large number of absentees.
but the tide of battle was really turned
by Mr. Pinchot's three friends. Near
" the entire day was devoted by the
house to the consideration of the
joint resolution which was taken up
after the reading of the presidents
interstate commerce and antitrust
message had been concluded. The
democrats made their fight on an at
tempt to narrow the proposed inves-
tigation to the general land office, con-
tending that. as no such charges as
had been made against Secretary Bal
linger had been pronounced against
Forester Pinchot. there was no rea-
son for dragging the latter into the
inquiry.
The resolution as it goes to the sem
ate provides for an investigation COM
mittee of IL members. six to be ap-
pointed by the president of the SEN
ate and six tn be elected by the house.
Taft's Letter.
President Taft's letter tn Forester
Pinchot informing him of his dismissal
follows:
THE White House. Washington, jan
uary /. 1910.
Sir: The secretary of agriculture In
forms me that on tho aSth Of December
your associate forester. Mr.. Price.
went to him and proposed to resign
on the ground that he had been en-
gagged with Mr.. Shaw. assistant Flaw
officer. in instigating the publication
in various newspapers and magazines
attacking the good name of Secretary
Ballinger and charging the interior de-
dartment and the land office with cor
ruption. The secretary thereupon
wrote note to You under date of
December %. asking for your recon-
menaation in the premises. You did
not answer. but on January you had
n conversation with him in which you
said you wished to make a statement
which should be read in the senate
at the same time that my message
transmitting the record in the CLAWS
case reached there, and that you
thought you could induce Senator
Doliiver to introduce the statement for
you.
Advised Against.
The secretary advised against such
n course: but asked you for n recon-
,Aay Ian, "a
ignation. in order that he might bring
the matter to me. to whom he told
You. it must ultimately come. because l
had considered the CLAWS charges and
had passed upon them.
Without further conference with
the secretary and before making a re-
port to him. you succeeded in making
public. by having. 1t read in the ,sen-
ate letter from you stating that. lou
had sufficiently disciplined Messrs.
Price and Shaw by reprimanding them
and that your recommendation would
be that no further punishment was re-
qnired and this before the recammen-
datinn was submitted to the secretary
and me. whose power and duty Ii was
to determine upon Prices admissions
rs to his completely what action should
he taken with respect to his resigna-
tion
Grave Nature.
I'm order to understand the full
purport of your letter in which You
admit the completely of Price and
Shaw in the publications In the press,
ii should be said that the grave ma
lure of the CLAWS charges was that
Secretary Raliinger and the others
were all affected by a corrupt wish
tn patent 80 so-called Cunningham
claims upon coal lands in Alaska: that