The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-28
Attorneys for CLAWS Score Sec
retary of Interior in Sharp
Manner.
ATTORNEY FOR BALLINGER
ATTACKS THE REPORTERS
Holds That a Newspaper Mans
Ideal Is Merely to "Get
His Bread"

WASHINGTON, May 27.-With the
attorneys on one side scoring Secretary
Ballinger as a man unfit to be at the
head of the interior department and
with the leading attorney on the other
side defending him and denouncing his
accusers, whom he termed the "Glavis.
Gar6eld-Pinchot group" the Ballinger-
Pinchot investigating committee lis
tened to summing up arguments by
counsel today. The arguments probably
will be concluded tomorrow
Attorneys Brandeis and Pepper told
the committee they had produced evi-
dence which they said established that
Ballinger was not "vigilant' and "res-
olute" in resisting the aggressiyeness
Of special interests and that his course
had been characterized by a lack OF
fidelity to the public interest.
Attorney Vertrces's reply was that
Mr.. Ballinger was as much Of "con-
servationist" as anyone, in ga proper
sense but be did not belong to the
''Pinchot brand of thirty-third degree
conservationists who have gone to seed
on conservation.
Prosecution Is Through.
The lawyers for the prosecution y
finished their speeches, but Mr., Yer
trees was hardly launched Oh his argu-
ment when the committee adjourned
He Will conclude tomorrow. Brandeis
and Pepper will make short arguments
in rebuttal.
1t was his "constant yielding under
pressure that Rrandeis thought most
untitled Ballinger to carry forward the
broad policies of conservation. Pepper
advanced as the reason Balllnger
should be supplantcd as secretary was
that during his regime there had been
no administration worthy the name, but
series Of acts unwlsc In themselves
rcferable to no principle of action and
tho cause of embarrassment to the pres
ident and Of injury TO the public.
Vertrees said Ballinger was TO be
commended for the so-called Garfield
policies' he had reversed and contrast
cd former Secretary Garfield with Mr..
Ballinger. He said the former thought
he had the right TO do what he was
not specifically prohibited by law from
doing. while Mr. Ballinger always was
guided by law in his official acts.
Emphatic in Defense.
Defending Mr. Ballinger's 5 action in
restoring water power rights withdrawn
during the last DAYS of Gar1eld's ad-
ministration and III subsequently re-
withdrawing them, Ncrtrecs SAID Bal
lnrer had merely carried out the wishes
Of the president and that he was
fortified in his construction or the law
by the opinion of the law officers OF
the government.
When the ambitions Of Pinchot and
Garfield were shattered, Mr.. Vertrees
said. then revenge took the place OF
good intention and they endeavored
TO drive down the man that was doing
the thing he thought was right.
Vertrees indulgcd in scathing dc
nunciation of CLAWS and kerby, refer
ring to the latter as ''that creature
Kerby.' He said Pinchot had testified
he knew of nothing himself to sub.
stantiato charges he preferred against
Mr. Ballinger.
s'It remained for this hireling of the
CLAWS Garfield Clifford Pinchot group TO
insinuate and intimate what they did
not dare to charge and could not
prove exclaimed Vcrtrces shaking Il
bouy finger at Brandeis.
Glavis's lawyer smiled in reply.
Before Mr. BraudeiS began his argu
ment Attorney Pepper. counsel for Mr.
Pinchot, submitted a lengthy affidavit
of e. A. BrauifI. who was in charge of
the forestry work done on the Menomi
nee (Wis.) Indian reservation. whore 1t
had been charged by the "defense
that the forestry department had been
wastcful.
Brauiff was present and ready to tes-
tify in rcfutation Of the charges, but 1t
was decided to dispose of the matter by
G'c al in
ord
Letter From Golfers.
Chairman Nelson read letter which
he said he had received from G. p. Con- |
molly of Collier s Weekly. The Connol |
Iy letter referred TO the testimony OF
Assistant Attorney General l.awler that
on the deck of the steamer Republic he
had trampled down women and children
in an attempt to get to llfeboat- Con |
molly wrote that he was never on the
Republic or any other trans Atlantic
steamer,
"No incident Of my career has given
the slightest foundation or the rcmotest
warrant for this unjust statement.
wrote Connolly.
Mr.. James then read letter from
James r. Connolly, n writer OF sea
stories, declaring that be evidently was
the man to whom l.awler referred, but
lnat tno cnalGCS against NM Hdu DtCu
absolutely disproved,' - and that the
steward who had started the story had
fed to China, and he had been unable TO
him because libel was not an
olenso,
Attorney Brandeis offered in evidence
a letter which he said Ballinger had
addressed to Secretary Garfield ut West
Mentor, o.. on September Is, 1908, ma
king an appointment regarding a mat
ter pending in the Indian bureau. also
one in the government land office, - Mr.,
Ballinger wrote that he was ut present
involved in the pleasurable labor of as.
,isting Judge Taft s candidacy
Mr.. Brandcis then began his argument
before the committee.
In summing up the case of the so
Continued on Page Three.