El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-06-13
IS BALLINGER
A GUILTY MAN?
CONTINUED From Page one.)


the department of which Ballinger com,
plainsd.
Denying the existence of any con-
| spiracy to secure the official deca pita-
| ton of Ballinger. Mr.. Pepper declared
however, that, mo one will have the
! temerity to contend that it is unlawful
to regard Mr.. Ballinger as unfit fCr
office. Nor is it illegal for a number
of people to hold this view. Not only is
Il permissible to hold the view, but
| those who honestly entertain it have
the right to say so publicly. Mr.
Pinchot has long held this opinion re-
specting Mr.. Ballinger and he finally
made up his mind to declare it. Mr..
Garfield, from a position of confidence
in Mr.. Ballinger, came more slowly to a
similar conclusion. A cabinet officer
who does what Mr.. Ballinger has done
must be prepared for protest AMI public
criticism. Those whose policies he las
attacked are inevitably driven to-
gether into a defensive alliance.
BalIinger's Position.
''Ballinger had no objection to war
fare as long as he was the assailant.
What aroused his ire was the refusal
of Mr.. Pinchot and others to act merely
on the defensive. When they began to
open fire on him he raised the con-
spiracy cry"
Mr. Pepper gives a general and a
specific answer to the question as to
what inference ought to be drawn from
the testimony respecting the admins
tration of the interior department
since Ballinger became secretary. His
general answer is that there has been
no administration worthy of the name
but only a series of acts unwise in
themselves, referrable to no sound
theory of principle or action and that
these acts have been directly respon-
sible for embarrassment to the presi-
dent and loss to the people.
His specific answer is that the testi-
mony taken in this inquiry establishes
that the course pursued by the depart
ment has been characterized by q lack
of fidelity to the public interest; that
Ballinger is responsible not merely
technically and officially, but substan-
TALLY and actually for "the entire series
OF unhappy events" and that the presi-
dent would never have found himself
irrevocably committed to an endorse
ment of the secretary had he not at
critical periods been successfully de-
ceived" as to the real significance of
what was happening in the department.
Conservation Policy Hit.
Although the administration of which
Ballinger was a part was avowedly
the DTlSI fOeclaToS, 10
continuation Of the policy adopted I'M
der Roosevelt of protecting from mono
polistic exploitation the water power
sites belonging to the people. Mr.. Ball
niger wilfululy struck that policy a
staggering blow by hastily restoring to
entry power sites withdrawn by Gar
field. thus placing them within reach
of uncontrolled private acquisition.
where they would remain today but for
the interventios Of the president.
Neglect OF Duty
by neglect of duty and by positive
action adverse to his trust in the past.
Mr. Ballinger has seriously endangered
public rights in our Alaskan coal
lands. His present course and atti-
tude constitute a menace to the peoples
interests" says Pepper in summing up
his description of Ballingers coal land
policy.
AS regards the secretary's attitude
toward forest lands, Mr.. Pepper de-
clared that, "In the two instances
where Mr.. Ballinger as secretary has
had to do with the administration Of
the national forest, he has sacrificed