The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-17

Richmond ought to have 1t, and Will
come very near getting 1t.
AS for the proposed exposition al
Francisco. what assurance can be
given thai the Japanese who have been
said to hav designs in the Pacific. VIII
not como in and break 1t up and over
come the entire country with the yell
low peril? Really, the only safe, sane
and truly progressive place in the
States is Richmond.
GOT MI TAFT THIS TIME, SURE.
Some Of the newspapers and all OF
muckrakers have ound another
mares nest in the Ballinger case.
Several days ago a stenographer en-
ployed in the Office of the Secretary of
the Interior, Kerby by name, betrayed
the confidence reposed in him by telling
somebody connected with this pcrse-
cution that Mr.. Taft's decision in the
case was written by
Lawler. This decision was made
when that other eminent clerk.
CLAWS, acting in concert with
the spotless Pinchot, reported that
Ballinger could not with safety
to the welfare OF the country be per-
mitted to remain at the head OF the
Interior Department. Mr.. Taft was
not favorably impressed with the
trength of the case as presented by
CLAWS and determined to hold on to
| Balllnger, even if in doing so it be-
came necessary to let CLAWS go. That
was a risky thing for Mr.. Taft to do;
because Pinchot and Garfield and Col
licr's Weekly were behind CLAWS. and
they determined to drive Ballinger out
even If 1t should prove to be necessary
to break down the Administration in
doing SO. They were aided and abetted
by Henry Wattersou. and all over tho
country there arose a great popular
tumult fomented by men of action In
support of this remarkable crusade.
The matter was brought to the at
teution of Congress. which appointed
a committee to investigate. This com
mittee has been at work now for sew
eral months. IT has examined many
witnesses and has not found anything
to the discredit of Ballinger or the
President. 1t examined CLAWS, who
admitted under oath TINT he had never
charged BallinSer with any criminal
conduct, but he strongly asseverated
his opinion that Ballinger was not q
. n. - - H. ~ tim Iaal of htG
department. Pinchot was also exam
ined and proved nothing, except that
some of the things he said did not
agree with other things that he said.
port, and there is no telling when II
will, If ever; as a matter of fact
there is nothing to report of an accus-
atory or damnatory sort. The inves.
tigation goes on. however, just the
same, and when the st~enographer
Kerby, said that Mr.. Taft's decision
in the Claws matter was written by
Assistant Attorney General Lawler
and that Attorney General Wicker,
sham a~nte-dated his report to the
President, it had the effect of addinl
fresh fuel to the fire, and We ar
now in the midst of a Worldwide
discussion of Mr.. Taft's way of doing
things.
Mr.. Taft has written a letter to Sen
ator Nelson, of the investigating com
mittee, saying that Kerby was no
altogether in error in his statement
that he did write his opinion afte
reading what Lawler had written O
the subject, using SO much of wha
Lawler wrote as he thought wort
while, and that he told Wickershar
to ante-date his report, which ha
been made to him verbally befor'
Wiclkersham had reduced 1t to writ
ing. Well, what of 1t? There wa
nothing wrong about that. The Presi
lent had a perfect right to do it j
that way IL he wished. 1t does nc
(, make him a criminal or prove that h
d is weak and vacillatinG or uncertai
of his authority. The New York Worl'
a however. Cartoons" him tied up wit
a red tape, and prints an editorial a.
tlclo saying that he Is not the san
y Taft that he was when he was
10 Judge on the bench. Then he wro
his own decisions, then he 'permitt'
no lawyer to ante-date briefs In o
der to meet the claims of opposir
10 counsel, and that all this prove
Y that ho has only piled another bin