Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-01-11
WHY PINCHOT WAS RELIEVED.

WHY PINCHOT WAS RELIEVED.
The presidents letter dismissing
Forester Pinchot tells best the reas-
on why that gentleman was let out
WHY it was necessary, no matter in
what high estimation and esteem he
may have been held heretofore by
the president and by the people.
Pinchot is engaged in great work.
He is an enthusiastic, and even in
the face of his characterization pub
lie sentiment, while UNFOLDING the
president, will be slow in condemn
ing Pinchot further than he has al
ready been Inundated, unless it
transpires that there is plot or
conspiracy in which Pinchot is a
factor to embarrass and discredit the
Taft administration.
Walter Wellman the we'll known
correspondent does not believe there
is such a conspiracy. Wellman says
that in deliberately making a mar
tyr" Of himself in compelling the
president to force him into private
life so that he may be a free lance
conservation and political crusader,
Pinchot is acting upon his own re-
sponsibility, and not in collision
with other intimate friends of the
former president. 1t is also declared
almost without exception the men
known as firm friends of Colonel
Roosevelt give unreserved approval
to the action of President Taft and
regret that Mr.. Pinchot had recourse
to such fragrant INSTRUMENTATION in
order to achieve his purpose.
President Taft's letter dismissing
Pinchot very clearly sets forth the
reasons why the move was necessary
and that the president is very gen.
orally upheld is the verdict of the
press both east and west The let
ter is as follows:
The White House, Washing
ton, Jan. 7, 1910.-Sir:-Th
Secretary of Agriculture informs
me that on the 28th of December
your associate forester, Mr..
Price, went to him and proposed
to resign on the ground that he
had been engaged with Mr..
Shaw, assistant law officer, in
instigating the publication in
various newspapers and maya
zines attacking the good name
of Secretary Ballinger and
charging the interior depart
ment and the land office with cor
ruption.
The secretary thereupon wrote
note to you, under date of
December 20, asking for your
recommendation in the prem
Uses. You did not answer, but
on Jan. you had a conversation
with him, in which you said you
wished to make a statement
which should be read in the
senate at the same time that my
message transmitting the rec
ord in the CLAWS case reached
there, and that you thought you
could induce Senator Dolliver to
introduce the statement for you.
The secretary advised against
such course, but asked you for
recommendation as to accept
ing Prices resignation, in order
that he might bring the matter
to me, to whom, he told you, it
must ultimately come, because
had considered the CLAWS charg-
es and had passed upon them.
without further conference
with the secretary and before
making a report to him, you
succeeded in making public, by
having it read in the senate,
letter from you stating that you
had sufficiently disciplined
Messrs, Price and Shaw by rep
rimanding them and that your
recommendation would be that
no further punishment was re-
quired, and this before that rec
.ommendation was submitted to
the secretary and me, whose