The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-12-02
Chief Executive Stated that
If Secretary Would Tend,
er His Resignation He
Would Refuse 1t.
ROOSEVELT
AND PINCHOT SPLIT
And Ballinger Figures in the
misunderstanding Between
These Friends - Famous
Incident Not Over.
fAmerican News Service)


Washington, Dec 2--President Taft
today promptly set at rest the report
that ex-senator John l., Wilson, for
merly of Charlottesville. Ind, now
publisher OF the Seattle Post-Intelli-
gencer, was to succeed r. A. Balling-
ger as secretary of the interior. The
president declared Ballinger would
not resign, and If he offered to do SO,
the president said, he would refuse to
accept it.
Differences have arisen between Gift
ford Pinchot. former chief forester,
and former President Roosevelt.
1t has developed that all was not
we'll between the colonel and the men,
ber of his erstwhile tennis cabinet.
The story goes that Mr.. Pinchot didn't
like the hearty manner in which Col.
Roosevelt greeted and consorted with
Secretary Ballinger recently at a re-
ception at the residence of Congress
man Longworth.
This might have had something to
do with the trouble, but as a matter of
fact the GOODNESS dates back to the
Pinchot in common with some other
progressives, particularly Senator
Cummins, did not like the platform
turned out by that convention which
praised the tariff and indorsed the
Taft administration in unqualified
terms
Angered by Taft Endorsement.
Mr.. Pinchot was particularly anger.
ed by the Endorsement of Taft which
a. a bleN a. the cause.~Qf
the progressives. He held Col Roose-
welt responsible for this as well as
the plan of approving the Payne tariff
and he thought the former president
should have used his power in the
convention to avert anything in the
nature of slap at the progressives.
Mr.. Roosevelt, after the convention
made it plain that he had nothing to
He devoted his entire attention to the
nomination of a progressive ticket
and the unhorsing of the bosses. hold
ing that was quite enough for one in
dividual to tackle.
Mr.. Pinchot, however, could not for.
give the former president for even a
sin of omission, and in a number of
public speeches and informal talks
during the campaign he gave vent to
utterances that were construed as crit.
icisms of Col. Roosevelt.
Situation Cheers Democrats.
| After smouldering ., for several
months the Ballinger-Pinchot imbrog
| lio is being famed into fame again on
the eve of the reassembling of con
gress. The indications are that it will
wind up during the session in grand
explosion, jarring still further the
strained relations of the regular and
progressive Republicans while the
Democrats gleefully view the specta
Gle.
Six Of the Republican members Of
the committee which Investigated the
| controversy met yesterday and dis
cussed the formulation of their report
The Republican majority will submit,
a report holding that Secretary Ballin
ger was blameless in his handling ot
the Cunningham Alaska coal claims
and other affairs of the interior de
partment. The Democratic members
and Representative Madison. pro
| gressive Republican, already have
| made public reports condemning the
acts of Ballinger in these. matters.
Mr.. Pinchot is in the offing firing of
demands that the Cunningham claims
be not settled until he has chance t.
submit a few suggestions to the presi
dent