Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1910-08-18
poNNYsRooK FAIR.

internal discord. While Roosevelt was
in be held the center Of the stage so thor.
oughly that there was room for little else
and the controversy ragged about his pow.
erful personality. When Taft came 10,
however, the lid eemed to be raised and
ever since the Republican party has re-
sembled a Donnybrook fair instead OF a
militant political army. It may not be
all Taft's fault, though. The American
Of healthy boo is spelling for a fight
about seyen-eighths Of the time. Politics
is his %favorite field and the several politi.
cal parties are the marshaied hosts whose
clash brings delight to the good citizen,
Blood-letting in this mild way is a good
thing for the system, relieves the tension
and matters glide on more smoothly. For
the past few years it has been almost i'm.
possible to enjoy an old-fashioned row be-.
tween the organized parties. The al
tempt has been well-nigh ~farcical and the
effect that OF a pugilistic frameup. The
parties have been moving toward each
other very fast OF late until they occupy
almost common ground and there is lit
tie to fight over but the name. The Re
publicans get the control and the offices,
while the Democrats get whatever salts
faction there is iu seeing their opponents
come well over to their way OF thinking
and put many OF their policies into force.
So, in the absence OF any interest ng
opposition from the outside, the Republi-
cans have Teen forced to fight among
themselves-for fight they must. And
they have been doing a good job at it,
with no prospect OF a let-up.
The first round, il we remember cor
rectly was the BallinRer-Pine eontro-
versy. In its direct and side features it
possessed enough elements to make a de-
cidedly interesting spectacle. Under the
Roosevelt administration, the department
OF the interior, captained by James X.
Garfield OF Ohio, was in thorough and &C.
tive sympathy with the conservation poll
cies Of Mr.. Roosevelt. These embraced a
careful Withholding OF public lands
known or believed to contain great ma.
turai agents like coal, gas, timber, water
power, etc, from the hands of private
concerns greedy to exploit them to pri.
vate gain and perhaps to lay them in
waste. One OF the most active agents in
this department was Clifford Pinchot,
who held the Office OF chief OF the forestry
department. He was a fighter by nature
and had lone much to make himself un-
popular with the land-promoting com
panies. He was, too, a friend and ward
Of President Roosevelt, a member OF his
tennis cabinet and enjoyed his complete
favor. When Taft came in, for reasons
that doubtless appeared sufficient to him,
be broke up the well organized interior
department by placing at its head a law.
yer named Ballinger from out West some
where. Garfield went out with a crouch
against Taft, which was shared by
Pinchot and other subordinates who were
retained. Taft protested that be meant to
pursue the same conservation policies as
his predecessor but Pinchot seems to have
scented insincerity. Anyhow, all hands
speedily fell into a row aud there was
friction from the first. It was known to
his subordinates that Ballinger had at one
time acted as attorney for the land com.
panies and he was carefully watched,
even by paid agents. Soon charges were
brought against him to the effect that he
was still in collision with these COM
panies and therefore recreant in his duty
Of guarding the nations undeveloped
treasures. These charges we're brought
to President Taft's attention, who investi.
gated them and found BalIinger blaneless.
He so reported and dismissed CLAWS, who
had brought the charges. This was cal
culated to end the trouble, but only add.
ed to it. Pinehot came to the front open
ly and disobeyed q department order in
sending to Congress a statement OF the
case from his standpoint. Then Taft
summsrily dismissed Pinchot. BY this
time the row had reached proportions
that drew the country's attention. De-
string to be sustained in his position,
Taft asked Congress to Investigate the
question itself impartially. Then the
hoodgatss were opened and the battle
ragged. Both sides dealt in superlative
abuse and each accused the other Of any
and every sin. 1t developed that Taft's
finding in the case had some unusual fea.
lures and there was quite q suspicion Of
prejudice in il. The committee divided
sharply along lines known at the outset,
and the investigation really settled moth.
ing. The public, however, has given the
largest measure Of sympathy to Pinehot,
and Ballinger is discredited, either
tightly or wrongly. The latter still
holds the secretaryship, by virtue OF his
own tenacity and through the loyalty Of
the president, but it is apparent that,
whatever the truth, his usefulness as
public servant is past snd be must soon
T-H H-aa-