Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-27
peared to Mr.. Ballinger that the claims
were entitled to be clear listed.
Withdrawn From Clear Listing.

were entitled to be clear listed.
Withdrawn From Clear Listing.
He believed it to be right then, he be-
lieves it to be right now" declared the
attorney. He then declared that upon
an adverse report from CLAWS Mr.. Bal
linger himself withdrew the claims from
clear listing. And no effort has been
made to reinstate that order to this day.
said Mr.. Vertrees.
The attorney pointed to the fact that
until Mr. Ballinger retired from the land
Office no evidence had been found and no
report had been made assailing the Cum
ningham claims. Ballinger had no con-
nection with the claims and had no
relations with the claimants until Sep
TENDER, 1908, when, at the request OF
Cunningham and Smith. two Of the group
he prepared an affidavit to be filed in the
general land office and presented 1t In
person to the Secretary of the Interior
Referring to the affidavit itself. however.
the attorney declared Mr.. Ballinger could
not be held for its truth or falsity. as he
presented 1T merely as it had been pre-
sented to him by Cunningham. He de-
clared that Mr.. Ballinger had q legal and
moral right to act as attorney for those
two claimants.
Mr.. Vertrees then recalled the action of
the Secretary upon taking Office in turn
ing over to his first assistant. Frank
Pierce, all the matter OF the Cunningham
claims. Mr.. Ballinger did that, the law
yer declared. not because he had been an
attorney for the claimants, because he
had not; not because he had been an
attorney in single transaction, and he
| Reused himself on that account
Ballinger Defended CLAWS.
CLAWS the attorney described as ap-
parently jealous and earnest, but con-
sumed with the belief that all Ala.ka
claims were frauds. When Gov. Moore
Of Alaska criticised Claws at first, Mr..
vertrees declared, Mr.. Ballinger had de-
Tended him.
When Mr.. Vertrees came to review the
part which the forest service took in the
events which followed he referred to Il
as the Pinchot service" After review
ing the whole story Of the claims from
that time down to the present. Mr.. Yer
trees declared that when Mr.. BallinRer
is heard 1t will be seen that there is no
sturd1er supporter Of conservation than
he. holding that development ought not
to be exiled by thorists and doctrinaires
Mr.. Vertrees declared that Mr.. Rallinger
may have strained the timbers OF the law
in making Withdrawals Of power sites
but made hem only until Congress might
enact suitable legislation to provide for
| their protection.
CLAWS, suspicious by nature. became
perverted by detective service until ap-
parently he was incapable OF fair judg-
ment. Pinchot. vain and fiattered az chief
or the forest service by his own publicity
bureau, mad come to regard himself as
the most important personality in the
Department OF Agriculture"
The administration Of Pinohot the ar
toIney characterized as the reign Of men.
But on March 4. 1909" he declared.
there came the reign Of law
Acted by Laws Command.
Mr.. Ballinger conceived that his duty
was not to be expressed in the words, i
hereby direct and ORDER but In the
words. BE It enacted by the Senate and
House Of Representatives Of the United
States of America in Congress assembled.
and he acted accordingly.
by command OF the law he undid
some things which Mr.. Garfield had done.
By command Of the law cooperative
certificates and cooperative agreements
and ranger education at government ex-
pense, became things Of the past.
"When they lost their vivid colorin1 And
took on a cold. dead gray there was sn q
subsistence In the proportions of the
forestry chief-he ceased to be the De-
partment Of Agriculture. He was exnosed
| and Mr.. Ballinger had committed the
| bition Of self-exaggerated man. Mr.
Ballinger was now where Mr.. Garfield
| was not. and Mr.. Pinchot was confined
to the forest reserves. Broad az they
| are they are too small for him. Here
was the birthplace Of that spirit OF re-
sentiment and revenge which blindly
wrote mistakes to the President. and
| utilized this CLAWS Of the detective SER
vice to attempt to assassinate Mr.. Bal
fingers good name, and thereby bring
reproach upon the President, who had
not retained Mr.. Garfield and had dis
missed Mr.. Pinchot