The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-05-29
END OF THE OPEN HEARING
MARKED eY oRAToRIcAL
FiRewoRkks.
BRANOE|S TALKS LAST
Declares CLAWS Condemned Un-
heard TO Protect Department Head
Demonstrations Follow Close Of
Every Address in Final Argument
Speakers Congratulated.

/ Washington. May 2S--The Ballinger-
Pinchot investigation ended today In a
blaze Of verbal fireworks. The ora
torlcal efforts closed the open hearing
and the attorneys who have been en-
gagged In the case now will prepare
briefs for submission to the commit
tee. which will mee; June n To- re-
ceiye them
when came into this case.
stranger 10 Mr. Ballingor." exclaimed
Mr. Vertrees in closing his address.
these were my Instructions SO far
as am concerned there Is no bottom
to this said Mr.. Ballinger: as to my
subordinates II IL not matter OF
knowledge. but | believe those about
me are honest. but whether they are
or not, let this Investigation proceed
IN every direction In which IL may
Whatever your report may he.
realize fully that you cannot save him
from the injury that has been done. but
at the same time know the report
must be In accordance with the evi-
dence and the facts Ia this case, and
or stain"
Il am afraid Mr. Vertrees has been
corrupted since he came here from the
southwest" was Attorney Peppers
parting shot in defense of Mr.. Pinchot.
"Unsophistlcated AZ he was. he came
In contact with a spirit OF suspicion.
and ] think he scented conspiracy
where there was none.
What there was was crisis of
successive blows. dealt by Mr.. Ballln-
ger against interests which were vital
Ia "A group Of men who had dedicated
their lives to a cause. shall take the
responsibility of showing that the con-
ception Of man of great capacity and
independent resources. devoting him
self To the interests of the people. with
no hope Of reward and no hope of am
bition. is so far beyond the ken OF
some people when they come into his
presence that appreciation In impos-
sible and unntentional detraction IL
inevitable"
CLAWS attorney. Mr.. Brandels. had
the last word. Here was a man dis
graced. condemned not only without
hearing, without seeing the hundreds
and hundreds of pages OF evidence
which were collected by Assistant At
torney General I.awler. but without
knowledge that there was charge
against him. why? Why was he sac
rificed? II rests deep In the concep-
ton which actuated Mr. Ballinger and
the men who stood with him. and IL is
the conception of a class of privilege
that men high In exalted station must
be protected at all costs: but n man.
merely an humble servant of the gov
ernment. has no rights, n. for the pro-
lection OF Ballinger II Is necessary to
condemn innocent men. He is nothing
but an inferior officer. This Is a ques-
ton OF privilege whether political or
financial, and II Is absolutely connected
with that same idea that pertains To
Guggenheim. Morgan and other great
resourceful men OF the country"
The hearing room was crowded and
at the conclusion of each speech "A
demonstration interrupted the proceed
ings Women crowded about the at
torneys after the hearing and congrat-
ulated them Attorney Vertrees con-
sumed the greater portion OF the day
in concluding his argument He was
most bitter in his denunclatlon OF for
Chief Forester Pinchot. who, he said.
conspred To accomplish the removal or
Mr.. Ballinger from public life. because
his was an administration OF law and
not OF man" lie said Pinchot had
been credited with IA loftiness of pur-
pose that he does not deserve. and in
sinuated he would hesitate at nothing
to carry out his purposes and plans"
He referred To the 20 missing letters
found in CLAWS box at Seattle ms eyi-
dence of the tactics pursued by Bal
linger's enemies, asserting that they
Intended to charge Balllnger with con-
cealing them If they were called for
and not produced Mr. Nertrees said
the stir that had been raised over the
l.awler memorandum was merely an
indirect attack upon the president and
that the president had fully and frank
ly explained the circumstances under
which that document was prepared. In
beginning his reply Mr.. Pepper de-
clared IL was u wholly haseless
charge" that Garflelds opposition 10
Ballnger has been inspired by any
feeling OF disappointment AT not hav-
ing been retained in the TAFT cabinet
lie said II IL were so. Mr.. Garfields
antagonism would not have been di-
rected toward Ballinger, Saying he
suspected MIR. Vertrees of caricaturing
conservation when he depicted Pmchot
and his friends as standing between
private interests and the peoples coal.
exclaimlng Don't let Guggie get it,
Mr.. Pepper added; The Ballinger