Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-05-27
ATTORNEY BRANDEIs SUMS UP
CASE AGAINST SECRETARY
OF INTERIOR.
SHOWS CLOSE RELATIONS
WITH MORGAN SYNDICATE
Declares Evidence Proved That Bal
linaer Took Care of Friends and Fell
low Townsmen in Alaskan Deals
President Taft MsIed BY BaIIinser
and LawIer.

Washington, May 27. - Attorney
y Brandeis delivered his summing-up
J address before the Ballinger commits
tee today. He pronounced CLAWS the
Ideal public servant" and Pinchot a
Man Of character so high as to be
even above suspicion of self-seekng.
He reviewed Ballingers alleged in
innate connection with capitalists in
terested in Alaska lands, carrying the
intimatian that this connection. was
not for the public good.
Brandeis called attention to those
wealthy claimants remaining undls-
turbed as to the validity of their claims,
while those of residents Of Illinois and
Michigan were Investigated, and asked
IL that was mere coincidence. Bran
deis defended the action of Stenogra-
pher, Kerby in making public the
Lawler memoranda, and said the pres
ident, in sending the letter condemning
CLAWS, was misled by statements only
Of Ballinger and Lawler.
Balinaer Took Caro- Of Friends.
Brandeis declared that Of 461 Alaska
coal claimants whose addresses were
secured by special agents, 356 appeared
to be residents of the Pacific coast and
1874 lived in Seattle, Ballinger's home
city.
among these claimants" he said.
'ewere men Of greatest influence in the
state, financially and politically, and
among these were friends and associ-
afes Of Balilnger. While these Pa-
cific coast claimants remained undis-
aurbed by further Inquiries into the
validity Of their claims, most OF the
others. those residing In Illinois and
Michigan, were, on Sept. "a. 1907. di-
rected to be thoroughly investigated.
Was It coincidence that the investl-
Eations Of Special Agent Jones In the
ssunmer Of 1907 into the Cunningham
claims stopped shortly after Ballinger
returned to Seattle, shortly after the
agreement between the Morgan Gug-
een11eim Alaska syndicate and the cum :
ineham claimants. which rendered an
early issue OF the patents important!
was II coincidence that an active
,no,,;rv was undertaken into the claims
NJ residents OF Illinois and Michigan!
Defends Claws Course.
Then followed long consideration OF
Cunningham claims and Ballingers. al
legged irreconcilable affldaVlts In CON
nection with them, and he preslsteo IN
connecting Ballinger as an interested
nortv win the big claimants either be-
canse of personal or political friend
.hin CLAWS course in the matter
was traced step by step and approved.
Rrandeis defended CLAWS action 7 IN
iavinp the matter Of the Alaska coal
claims before the president by advice
~ Pinchot He said that after CLAWS
had submitted his statement OF Aug.
~ last he was not again communicated
with nv the president before the ap-
pearance Of the latter's letter OF Sept.
r. dismissing him and generating Bal
: Nnger.
He saidA.a ''deluge of typewriter
matter" came from the interior depart
ment in reply, supplemented by oral
statements and arguments by Ballinger
and Assistant Attorney General Law
ler, and that finally the president had
committed to Lawler, IAN appointee
and in effect subordinate Of Ballin-
ger, man who had special grudge
against CLAWS, the drafting Of the
presidents opinion on the whole mat
ter
cumstances that the letter of the presi-
dent exonerated Ballinger," exclaimed
the attorney. He added that 1t was
surprising, however, that the president
should have sent q letter which con-
demned Claws and charged him with
Z falsehood, with the suppression Of
truth and with neglect of duty, "a con-
demnation on charges, Of the prefer
ring OF which against him he had no
knowledge whatsoever"
Brandeis said that up to that time
CLAWS had never given to the public a
single word in criticism Of Ballinger
or his other superiors.
"But for this investigation CLAWS,
the ideal public servant-competent,
faithful and zealous-would have been
permanently condemned and held up to
public disgrace, without hearing. with
out even knowledge that charges had
been preferred against him. He needed
this investigation to give him an op-
portunity to answer the groundless
charges by which the president was
misled."
Pepper Argues For Pinehot.
Attorney Pepper addressed the COM
n1ittee on behalf Of Pinchot. He re-
viewed the testimony and claimed It
sustained the contention that Ballinger
was responsible tor the trouble in the
interior department; that the interior
department showed lack Of fidelity to
the public interest. and the president
had been deceived as to the real signi-
ficance OF what was happening in the
Interior department Pepper insisted
that Ballinger was unfaithful to the
public interests in his handling of pow
or sites, forests and coal lands
vertrsss Scores Newspapers.
vertrees, counsel for Bailinger. in
opening his argument, made a scathing
denunciation OF the press for its at
titude toward the case, and said the
only cornmaHuiiis"t tIie nc e rer wen
seemed to obey was. Give US this day
sur. daily bread"