The National tribune., 1910-02-03
The BALLINGER=PENCHOT
INVESTIGATION
The Anti-BaliingerS Have Their
frnings-The Secretary to he
Heard From Later.

. Secretary of the Interior BalIinger
snust get an attorney. The big Repub-
aicans of the Senate passed the word to
him very emphatically a few days ago
Probably he will have one soon-a man
OF good legal training and prestige t.
take care of his interests before the
joint investigating committee of the
Senate and House.
! That was perhaps one of the most
conspicuous developments of the first
week Of the investigation. The neces-
sity of guarding the Secretary's interest
thus closely and of having the evidence
guided as much as might be into chan
nels favorable TO the Secretary came as
something II a Shock to his more ar
lent supporters. 1t does not mean that
ihc investigation thus far has shown
him cuIpahl or necessarily as lacking
sn qualification for the head of the IN
terinr Department But the evidence
tended to show the Secretary in an un-
favorable I:sht and to put him on the
defensive.
Former Special Agent L. R. CLAWS,
who was identified with the eXamina=
tion Of the Cunningham coal claims in
AlaSla, who brought charges of favor
itiSr.? against Secretary Ballinger, which
Acknowledgement Wickersham ana
President Taft dismissed, and which
ended in the separation of CLAWS from
the public service. was the only witness
OF The week. He made an excellent
witness for the opposition, and put in
evidence which will encourage the Sec
Setary's critics the country over. Many
of his statements that are likely to be
Ga-.a-ing 10 Secretary Balinger per-
sein perhaps, to rather minor matters,
but they are cumulative.
He testified that during the Presi-
DENTAL campaign Mr.. Ballinger had
traed hira to hold up an investigation
fbf certain Cunningham coal claimants,
because he CSallinger) was having
hard time collecting campaign funds,
And hoped TO persuade those claimants
10 give up something for the party. He
also testified that Ballinger at one time
was attorney for Alaska coal claims,
held by Representative McLachlan, ot
California, and by Representative Moses
[iBkai,f OF Nebraska, and also that
Ea!linger as an official of the Interior
b. partment at one time directed him to
cease an investigation of the McLach-
Ian claim, because that sort of thing
against Congressman had been going
far enough.
The NcLaciIlan Claim.
There is an impression that the Nc
Iachlan claim was an entirely proper
and honest claim, and that Mr.. Balm
gers services as attorney for Congress
men holding such claims was entirely
within his rights as q practicing attor-
ney. However, because Of the high po-
sition he holds now in the Cabinet, and
because Of the widespread criticism
there has been of him, such acts call
for fun explanation. The members of
the investigating committee have ample
powers to crCss-eXamine witnesses and
to bring out all the facts they can, but
naturally they are not disposed to show
any zeal, either in directing the evil
dence into a course favorable or un-
favorable 10 the Secretary.
IN the meantime the stories go out
to the country. and many people infer
that the Cu-cry against Balliugcr had
good foundation. That carries an at
tond2nt train Of inferenCcs. For in
stance, 1t reflects upon the Presidents
letter, which 50 mphaticaIly exonerat-
ed Secretary PalI.nEer from any wrong
doing, and also reflects upon Attorney
General Wickcrsham. who was supposed
10 have examined all the papers and
gathered al the facts before he wrote
an exhaustive opinion in favor Of his
c. 2inet colleague. Then there is fhc
political effect and the danger that an
accumulation Of such instances WIN en-
force public demand that Air BaIIin-
ger retire from the Cabinet to avoid the
Administration further embarrassment
The Sccretary's Nephew.
The House Committee on Expendf-
tures in the Interior Department also
developed a bit OF evidence during Tho
past week which could not be comfort
ing to the Secre :ary OF the Interior
some little ilr1e ago Repre- sentative
Hitchcock, cf Nebraska. made charyrs
q "a FF rf,ra
Secretary Rallinger. one Of the cEargcs
hEas that Secretary RalIiuEer had I'M
properly approved Of the PAYMENT b,-
the Government Of TRANSPORTATION for.
MS nephew, Jack" Balllrcer. who lis,F
u be his private SECRETARY. across fine
country TO Seattle. when this Young
man was about to leave the Cavern
znent service and 20 To- S,atfIs tn n,,r-
ice lA" Mr.. Hitchcock charged that
IhlS young man was permitted 10 travel
4" seattle As special agent when IL
NaS vel known that he intended 10 re-
sign after his arrival.
rms chaT&c WAS met with most de-
lcrm.l-cd deALals by Secretary EsIIipay.-
hAG House Republicans flung the charg,
o,ll''iltiy '-l-.!.iy PACK INTO the teeth Of Repre-
sentative Hitchcock But the cyidenc.
before the House Intoxicating commit
zee substantially confirmed il Thor,
were probably some initiating circun,-
stances II has been practice Of tn.
- partments to wink at that sort Of
IhinS IN flush times, but il was unror
luHaie Tor Secretary Ballinger thar il
Should have been demonstrated in case
o. MS own nephew at this particular
jun"uI"e.
Stlli ether tidbts of evidence regard
IN Mr Iallinger's activities have heen
brought out There has been so rnuch
O. t1lS t1at when he himself takes the
witness stand before the joint fnvesti-
& III committee he viii have to ex-
J. ain. His attorney. when he gets one.
nEil also have to develop testimony IN
explanation o H. s. acts. 1t is a po-
4iticai axiom ;ntr a public official,
forced upon The defensive. even merely
10 explain, Is al a disadvantages. The
Ieop'" do not like a pubic Official IN
that role.
n MaslSnsio2a.as much interested for