Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-12
PREDICTED AT CAPITAL THAT
COMMITTEE WILL SUSTAIN
BALLiNGER.
CLAWS IN BAD LIGHT
BECAUSE OF SIDE DEAL
Goes Into Alaskan Land Speculation
Following His Dismissal - Public
Opinion Sure to Be Against BalInser
Regardless of Verdict of Commit
tee.

Washington, March 12.-Men in this
city who have been following the Pin
chot-Ballinger investigation lay much
stress on the fact that L. r. CLAWS,
thus far the principal witness against
Ballinger, himself did the very thing
that Ballinger has been accused of do
ing, namely, that he took advantage
of his knowledge secured in the gov
eminent service, and before the end of
two years after the close of that ser
vice began operations which We're in
tended to benefit him financially.
Ballinger was accused of becoming
the attorney for the Cunningham peo-
pie in the matter of their coal claims,
shortly following his resignation of the
position of commissioner of the general
land office; CLAWS, according to testi-
mony before the investigating commit
tee, within four months following his
dismissal from government employ
was partner with w. w. Barr, of
Seattle. in a series of land cases which,
if decided in their favor, will net CLAWS
$4,000.
The facts as to this transaction were
brought out with minute detail during
the time Barr was testifying before the
committee Barr is a lun herman in
Seattle. CLAWS told him About certain
lands which the state of Washington
was endeavoring to patent, and at
Bars suggestion he went TO Vancou-
Yer TO look up the records The cases
We're as CLAWS had supposed them to
be, whereupon Barr put up the money
and CLAWS the experience, the profits
to be equally divided between them.
The right of the state to the lands was
protested, and the protests are now
pending. Barr believes he and CLAWS
will win, and if they do CLAWS will get
$4,000 as his share of the profits.
Claws Viewpoint Considered.
The Barr testimony runs thru eleven
pages of No. IA of the political testi-
mony taken before the committee, and
shows the interest the committee has
taken in it,. This interest does not go
to the question of whether Ballinger is
guilty as charged, but rather to the
question of the ethical viewpoint Gla-
Wis has regarding transactions of this
kind. 1t is greater than otherwise it
would be, owing to the vigorous way
in which the CLAWS people have tried
~ ShOW IdSCdills Oh luc part Oh BAL
linger because Of his having been an
attorney for the Cunningham people
following his retirement from the po-
sition of land commissioner.
Section 100 of the revised statutes
of the United States provides that 1t
is unlawful for any person who has
been an employe of the government to
'act as counsel, attorney or agent for
prosecuting any claim against the In
tied States which was pending in eth
er of said departments while he was
SUCH employee, and this prohibition is
extended for period of two years
next after he shall have ceased to be
such" employee.
The effort of the state of Washing
ton to secure ownership of the laEds
above referred to was made long be-
fore CLAWS ceased to be a government
employe, and it was by reason of his
familiarity with government procedure
in these land cases that Barr went into
partnership with him. CLAWS was to
do all the work, or see to hay ing 1t
done, and Barr was to put UP the
necessary money These things he ad-
mitted in his testimony
Fails to Prove Charges.
Another interesting feature of the
investigation thus far was the absolute
failure of Clifford Pinchot to produce
proof of the sweeping charges made
by him in his Introductory statement,
which was published all over the coun-
try. Nine tenths of the Pinchot testi-
nony, according to members of the in
vestigating committee, was argument
in support of vague Surmises and sus-
picions held by him, and would have
been ruled out in any court of record.
1t was admitted by the committee be-
cause none of its members wanted to
appear to be doing anything that would
interfere with Pinchots presenting his
case in his own way and in his own
time.
The fact that the testimony on the
part of the opponents of Ballinger
has not thus far made out their case,
is indirectly noted in certain Pinchot
quarters, where it is already being said
that the committee is preparing to give
Ballinger a "whitewash.'' What the
committee is to decide can not yet be
known, but it is very close to the truth
to say that if the verdict were to be
rendered now. after CLAWS, Pinchot
and Garfield have testified, the three
principal witnesses on the anti-Bal-
linger side, it would be in favor of
Pall:nger lust how much the Bal
linger people, in their testimony, will
be able to further strengthen their
case remains to be seen.
Hostile to BaIIinger.
Assuming a verdict by the commit
fee which will sustain Ballinger, there
will still be public opinion to reckon
with It is admitted here that public
opinion, so far as crystallized, is hos.
tile to Ballinger-not because of speci-
fic charges proved against him, but
rather because of general feeling that
he is unfriendly to and not in SYM
pathy with the administration conser-
walton movement, and therefore can not
safely be trusted to carry that move
ment forward in the interest of the
PEOPLE as whole. So far as this feel
ing exists, it is recognized here that
it is deep-seated and persistent.
The clearing of Ballinger by the in
vestigating committee would not be ac-
copied with favor by the country, but
in reply to this statement it is pointed
out here that the committee must con-
fine itself to the actual facts that can
be proved, and is restrained from TAX
ing notice of suspicious and general
impressions.
Among the men who believe that the
testimony thus far has shown nothing
on which the committee would be justi-
fed in finding against Ballinger are