The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1910-03-02
TAFT LETTERS
READ At PROBE
Correspondence Covers Land
Office Matters.
PINcHoT HAS SURPRISE

Tells Committee His Accusation Of
FaIsehood Against BalIinser is
Based on a Communication From j.
A. Ronald, = Former Law Partner of
the Secretary-Conversations With
the President Ruled Out.
Washington March 2.--There was
q surprising development in the Bal
linger-Pinchot Investigation when Gif-
ford Pinchot announced to the COM
mittee that he based his charges that
Secretary Ballinger had been guilty
of making statements to the president
that were absolutely false in three
essential particulars" not upon a let
ter from Mr.. Ballinger himself, but
upon letter written by J. T. Ronald,
. former law partner Of Mr.. Ballinger,
to DR.. Lyman Abbot Mr.. Pinchot
said copy of this letter, with anno-
tations, was forwarded by Mr.. Ballin-
ger to the president.
Pinchot admitted, when questioned
BY the committee, that the three
statements in the Ronald letter, which
he declared to be false, had previ-
ously been covered by letter written
by Mr.. Ballinger himself to the presi-
dent, in which Mr.. Ballinger had stat
ed what the witness admitted was
true statement of the facts.
Mr.. Pinchot said he did not attempt
to reconcile these two facts.
Much correspondence between Pres
ident Taft on the one hand and
Messrs. Pinchot, Ballinger and Gar
field on the other was read into the
record. In the letters of the presi-
dent confidence In Mr.. Ballinger is
frequently expressed and In one of
them. to Mr.. Pinchot, CLAWS Is re-
ferred to as disingenuous person,
possessed of one idea and man whom
the executive could not permit to re-
main In the public service for the rea-
son that to do so would be subversive
of discipline.
1dTHCiQ GSttST 10 FTSSio0Tts
Former Secretary Garfield, in a let
ter to the president, pointed out that
the basic difference between Mr.. Bal
linger and himself was that Mr.. Bal
linger seemed desirous of taking ad-
vantage of every loophole to injure
the cause Of the people, while he had
acted il Just the opposite way.
Mr.. Ballinger was quoted in letter
to the president as saying that he be-
lieved much of the animus against
him was due to the fact that he was
compelled to find so many of his
predecessors acts illegal.
An agreement was reached not to
quote the substance of conversations
with the president In order TO avoid
placing the president in an embar.
RAISING position.
At brief executive session OF the
committee 1t was announced that
counsel for Mr.. Pinchot would not
press for ruling on the point as to
whether or not witnesses would be
allowed to testify as to conversations
Will INC RicSl0cut. Inc oubJCNe was
thereupon dropped.
George w. Pepper. representing Mr..
Pinchot, had agreed that the summon.
Ing Of the president would be unde-
sirable, but had declared that the con.
versations we're necessary as the
foundation for further testimony.
Pinchot asserted In his preliminary
statement that Ballinger, in letter,
had been guilty OF three misrepre.
ssntations to the president. The wit
ness wished to point out the first Of
these, he said, by the declaration that
the letter and the exhibits don't
match"