The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-08
uRpAY. JANUARY $. 1910.
DISMISSAL OF PINcnoT.

hat Clifford Pinchot was court
missal from Office. The Chief
KS letter to Senator Dolliver
ately gave extreme plausibility
lie rumors. Hard on the heels OF
,eemed practically certain, came
4missal itself.
hnchots public services entitle
the thanks of his country. He
en- one of the most useful and
lie officIals in the employ of
yernment. His dismissal means
iine national loss. But these
,rations cannot blind US to the
,al his bold broadside to the
constituted characterization of
ost direct and deliberate sort.
not simply that he coolly ignored
residents recent order forbid
,ubordinates in any department
out information except through
ads of their department. Dis
ce of such an order might be
lSed If it were formal or tech
b 1t this disobedience was just the
of that. 1t was, of course, as
siie unadorned news dispatches of
day felt free to point out, a most
slap at the President. The Pres
irdered the dismissal of l.. r. Gla-
the ground that he was an unfit
worthy public servant. Mr..
warmly upheld and Endorsed
as the most vigorous defender
peoples interest" The For
position is the more emphasized
e fact that the Senate on the
day listened to report from
.ttorney-General, the Presidents
adviser, scoring the same CLAWS
most outspoken way. Mr.. Pin
oiled 1t on by calmly suggesting
the President was mistaken III
cts and by strongly commend
ice and Shaw for directing crit
,lblic attention to the action OF
Interior Department" which is to
o Secretary Ballinger. whom the
dent has officially indicated and
sed.
i administration could brook open
n of this sort. No President
accept such cool defiance from a
INNATE and retain his own self
ct. Mr.. Pinchot deliberately put
Taft In a position where the lat
d no other recourse than to dis.
s,e him. He virtually dared Mr.
ITO discharge him, and Mr.. Taft
ted the challenge with prompt.
land vigor.
+ what was Mr.. Pinchot's purpose
king so radical step? 1t does
seem possible that he simply de-
TO get his side of the contention
= the country, with the Roose-
n advantage Of. hitting first and
II. His cop.roIersy"was to be
sThly investigated and scruti-
by the present Congress. with
s,r favor already strongly on his
Gould he consider that he, like
.and Shaw, was faced by an emer-
y which made it his public duty
Esak out vigorously, at the risk
tEss official position? Or is it
probable. rather. that we find the
nation Of his sensational act in
aim hint that he did not desire
dirk any part OF his own lcgiti-
responsibility for what was done
iese two subordinatesp?
sts hard not to believe that Mr..
hot wanted to be dismissed, and
that. If this was his desire, he
y promptly, and we shall see what
ads TO. Whether or not this is
Y the boom OF u big gun in the
s-from- Elba revolution later de-
pments can best make plain. 1t
something of that appearance. 1t
something of the sound of the
sshot OF open civil war. Mr.. PIN
I great personal popularity. to-
oF with the rumors that have long
I'D about his name. will make his
Eall echo around the country to-
s Nobody understands more clear
IN the President what may be the
pf dislnissing him. This step, In
pie as it was, offers the unrecoh-
ted Roosevelters in his party the
lie of all others that will best
Ter their desire. 1t Will evoke a
which will never die down this
OF 1872.
it9l -------------- =---
RING BETTER CITY GOVERN
hlENT,
q Municipal Conference which adj
led yesterday blazed wide trail
better city government. The con-
stive spirit Of The gathering
I Z ~ IA K 4 F.1 e .
ed the serious purposes Of the del
ls; their careful dellberations
) plain their sincere desire to
, upon some feasible plan; tl,eii
ton OF exact rutes Of future pro.
re proved at onceb'fheir determi;
"a and their fapaili arity with thu
rs or this important subject, The
ing presages relief from tho press
defects OF city government. per,