The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1910-01-10
Confldenee IN COMMITTEES.

NAARD@2Nh~ANt
Confidence in Committee.
Now that the president has acted
many are beginning to inuire if after
all there mas been as much national
politics In the controversy as was al
first thought The political potential
-ities OF the case are Of course great
bat there is great confidence, both al
the capitol and at the White House. of
ability to manage the affair in a wav
that will satisfy the country and do
harm to nobody connected with tbe
administration.
Back Of this talk, and resnonsib,e
for the most of it, is the confidence
which public men mere have in the
fairness and thoroughgoing integrity
and strength OF character of Senator
Nelson OF Minnesota, who will be
chairman of the investigating board
1t Is indeed fortunate, for all sides to
this controversy that nobody finds
fault with the selection of Mr.. Nelson
but on the contrary indorses it fully.
The presence of Mr.. Nelson on the
committee, and the fact that he will
be in immediate charge Of its work
is taken by both sides to mean that
there will be no "whitewash" no at :
tempt to cover up anything pertinent
to the case, and no favoritism shown
to either side. This means that fine
committee will get started under good
auspices, regardless of whether the
house selects it's members of it
through the speaker or by ballot.
Pleased at House Action.
The insurgent victory in the, house
did not touch the merits of the Bal
Hnger- Pinchot case in any way, or
indicate now the house as a body
regards that case. Nor did it throw
any light on how the house regards
the president.
The fight was fight against the
speaker and the rules; and the insur-
gents and democrats, taking advan-
tage OF the absence of goodly num-
ner of the regulars, sailed i'm and
won victory over the speaker. They
would have done the same thing had
the question before the house been
of another character and a similar
opening come in connection with that
question.
The president, so far as can be
learned today, is rather pleased than
otherwise at the trimming" of the
speaker. To some of his callers today
he laughed heartily about 1T. He takes
the view that it mad no bearing di-
rect or otherwise, on either himself
or the Ballinger-P -Pinchot matter. The
president hopes tine house to be elect
ed next November viii be republi-
can house, and that it will have a
wAcs he's lnfI h.
CARDS as important to the success of
mis- administration. the latter almost
to the degree as the former.
Taft Had No Alternative.
Sentiment among public men, as
crystallized tonight, confirms the
judgment of the morning dailies of
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore.
and this city, in holding that the pres
fdent had no alternative but to dis
miss Pincnot. That dismissal, 1t is
now generally agreed, will not affect
the forthcoming investigation, unless
1t should be to bring Pinchot into
the open as one of the prosecutors Of
Ballinger, role he could not have
ment employ.
The dismissal has Of course no
bearing on the broad question of con-
servation, just as it has no bearing on
the investigation that Is soon be be-
gin. The president will act upon the
report of the committee, whatever it
may be, and that will close the i'm
cident 1t is hoped, so far as the poll
itics of the case is concerned.
But there will be a good deal of
anxiety among republican politicians
until the whole matter is over and
out of tine way. The friends of Mr..
Pinchot will lose no opportunity to
rrea 70 fhr rrnininrn n1Enr. the country