The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-17
'BAL[|NGER WILL
FORCE JUDGMENT
Taft and Cabinet Mem
bers Must Render
Their Verdict.
If CONDEMNED.
HE WILL RESIGN
II Taft's Reputed Views That
He Is Wronged and Perse-
cuted Man Are Upheld, He
Will Continue Indefinite
ly as Secretary of
Interior.

Washington, d. c.. September 49,
whether Richard a. Ballingcr's resig-
aation as Secretary of the Interior viii
follow immediatel yupon the meeting
OF the Cabinet September 26, to attend
Hhich he Is en- route from Seattle.
Or whether he will retain his position
indeffnitely--at least until after tho
delivery to Congress OF the reports Of
the committee which Investigated his
etewardship OF the public domain, de-
pends now upon the attitude OF his
Cabinet associates.
Mr. Ballinger Is coming to Washing
ton, his friends here insist, wholly un.
conscious of any act on his part. either
OF commission or Of omission, for
which he should be condemned, and
has determined to force his chief and
his official colleagues to be In effect
his Judges. II they concur in the view
at present attributed to Mr. Taft, that
the accused secretary shall be sus.
tanned as an innocent and persecuted
man. he will retain his position; II
they fall SO to back him up he will re
sign forthwith. That this In substance
is Mr. Ballinger's present position was
learned here to-day upon authority
hardly to be questioned
VIII Last Three Days.
At the first meeting of the Cabine,
after the summer recess, Secre, airy OF
War Dickinkon. the Democratic menu
Der, will not have returned from the
Philippines and will therefore be saw
ed the embarrassment of participation
In what is regarded largely problem
Of Republican policy.
The meeting is expected to last three
days. and the President expects 10
clear up number of important mat.
ters: but 1t will surprise nobody here
II the Ballinger case occupies a large
part of the time.
Rumors have been constant and de-
cidedly definite here during the past
few days to the effect that Mr.. Balm
gers resignation would be one OF tho
first developments OF the Cabinet
meeting: but his friends, including his
associates In the Interior Department.
have refused to believe that he would
retire ''under fire," and have pointed
to his oft-repeated declaration to t!:o
contrary, and to the recent statemer,
attributed to him. that he would resign
only at the specific request OF tho
President.
Some of these, however, to-day ad-
mitted themselves and the Secretary t.
be alive to the fact that the turmoil
and uncertainty into which the pro-
tracted controversy has plunged the
department must be abated soon Unless
this important branch OF the publ.
service is to become hopelesslE de-
| moralized.
Nobody here doubts that majority
all but one of the Republican mem
bers-of the so-called BallinEer-Pi Pm
chot Investigating committee, VIII sus-
tain Secretary Ballinger in their re-
port to Congress. The views Of tina:
majority TO that effect are well known
But Secretary Ballinger and his par,
,,sans here were greatly disappointed
that the absence of Senators Root and
Flint from the Minneapolis meeting
loft the pro- Ballinger portion of the
committee In the minority and permit.
fed the Democrats and the 1nsurgent
Republican member to put forth re-
norts condemnlng him. which for many
weeks will stand before the country
as the only findings of the investigat-
ing committee, whereas he had relied
upon the majority for vindication
Determine. His Course.
n is this failure of the committee TO-
take final action which, 1t is said has
determined Secretary Ballinger's course
IT was said here to-day by close!
friend of the secretary that had the
majority of the committee been ready
20 report at the Minneapolis meeting
he would then have rendered his reslg.
nation to the President and urged Its
acceptance on the ground that the dis
senslons to which he has been party
were detrimental to the public Inter
ests. When the committee failed at
Minneapolis to take action as whole,
and when there was no quorum at tho
subseq uent meeting in Chicago, 1t be-
cana apparent that no decision could be
looked for practically for several
months
This situation is said to have con-
ylncod Mr.. Ballinger that his position.
In spite Of the continued support of
the president, has become untenable.
Unable. as lie sees It. to resign as
either vindicated or condemned by The
committee. he has decided. 1t is SAID.
10 demand Of his superior and his Cab
inct associates either vtndication or
condemnation