The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-30

piled Mr. BalInser. then reading let
| ter from President Roosevelt In which
| the ex-president spoke OF his admirable
work and OF his "altogeth ther too short
! service" and his patriotism In making
personal sacrifices IN order TO accept the
| commissionership.
1T was n frequent thing for Mr..
Roosevelt to say TO his friends regarding
me, I have secured $4,000 man for
$4,000. ] was glad I'd. to, to go back and
In reply TO an inquiry from his law,
yer as TO whether he and Garfield had
parted friends. Mr. Ballinger said:
YES" and started to read letter
he had written TO Garfield after he had
| returned TO Seattle.
My dear Jim" he began. then his
voice broke and he stopped.
Mr.. Vertrccs took the letter from him
and read. while Mr.. BalllnGer recovered
himself There was reference In the
few dimes TO Mr.. Ballinger's mother; who
| reference caused Mr.. Balinger TO betray
| emotion. The letter was such as one
friend might write to another lie spoke
| OF the political situation In the north
west ard said that Hughes seemed TO be
| very strong and that he. himself. was go
| ing TO work for Taft.
Relations With Coal Claims.
Mr.. Ballinger then told of his relations
with certain coal claims with which he
was professionally connected after he left
| office. He emphaticaly declared that
| in none OF these cases was his connec-
ton with them In any way such as 10
affect their status In the land office.
MIR. Ballinger then related his con-
nectlon with Clarence Cunningham after
he had left the land office. He said
he met Cunningham about September g.
! 1908 through c. ]. Smith. He said Gun
ningham called on him for Information
as to what steps to take, calling atten-
ton TO aftidavits he had made.
He said Cunningham called three or
| four times and In the meantime pre-
pared outline of facts In connection
with efforts to acquire coal lands in
| Alaska He said he did not expect To
represent Cunningham. but as he was
coming east both he and Smith asked
him 10 take the affidavit to GARFIELD
| Ballingcr said he took it to Garfield
saw Garfield and also bennett in Wash
ington on September % and that Car
field had said 10 him that II these peo
| pie would come under the law OF May
| 2s. 1905 they would get their patents"
otherwise they would not
Relations With Cunningham.
Mr.. Ballnger related his connection
with Clarence Cunningham after lie had
lef, the land office. He said he met
through c. j. Smith. Cunningham asked
hIra what steps TO take. calling attention
to affidavits he made.
lie declared Cunningham called three
or four times and In the meantime pre-
pared an outline of facts In connection
with efforts to acquire coal lands In
Alaska, He did not expect to represent
| Cunningham, but as he was coming east.
| both Cunningham and Smith asked him
to take the affidavit to Garfield. He
took IL TO Garfield at his home in Ohio.
He again saw Garfield and also bennett
! in Washington on September 25, and
| Garfield said to him: '1f these people
would come under the law OF May rs.
1908, they would get their patents" 9th
| crwise they would not.
Mr.. BaIiinger said he received 5000 or
$3.50 from Cunningham, which he con-
sidered merely trayeling expenses.
In the Wilson Coal company cases
CLAWS has testified Ballinger had drawn
up an escrow agreement giving his cli-
ent Watson Allen. right to purchase
four claims after patents had been Sc
cured. AS the claims had not been
proved up. CLAWS contended perjury
| would have had TO have been committed
| to secure patents for those lands
Mr. BalIlnger today emphatically de-
MED he had ever prepared such an agree
| ment and characterized the story as AN
! other case where this man Claws DELHI
! erately attempted to build np a case TO
besmireh my character"
'I bitterly denounce his testimony in
that connection added the secretary.
l. Bitter Against CLAWS.
Questioned about Glavis's statement
that he met Mr. BallInger In Seattle in
told him the Cunningham claims were in
bad fix. Mr. Ballingcr interrupted his
| lawyer impatiently.
THAT Is deliberate lie he cx-
claimed. land like many other OF his
statements To this committee. II is an
other contemptibie attempt of that man
| Claws TO besmirch my character"
Passing on TO the time when he be-
came secretary OF the interior. Bslinger
| said he burned all his bridges behind
him. dissolved his law firm and severed
| all connections with corporations"
| Mr.. Vertrees asked Mr. Ballinger to
| explain whether, charged by CLAWS
he had Changed his mind overnight So
about asking Attorney General Wicker
sham for opinion on the proper con-
| struction of the law OF May 8, after he
had promised to do so at "A conference
with Claws. Commissioner bennett and
Chief OF Field Division Schwartz CLAWS
feared Assistant Secretary Pierce TO
whom the secretary had referred the
matter for opinion, might so construe
the law as to validate the Cunningham
claims.
Mr.. Ballinger said he had not promised
TO ask the attorney general for an opin-
ion but did SO subsequently. He spoke
10 Mr.. Wickersham after a cabinet meet
ing and the latter told him CLAWS all
ready had appealed for an opinion on
the ground that II was necessary for his
(l'slltngers) protection, as "it would
place me I'm a somewhat delicate position
to require my department TO pass upon
IT,"
The committee then adjourned until
tomorrow