The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-03-07
Resignation of Secretary OF
Interior Accepted Today
Was First rendered to Taft
on Jan. 10th.
WITHDREW 1T THEN
AT TAFT'S REQUEST
President Asked Him to Wait
Until Congress Adjourned
Walter l.. Fisher, Chica-
60, Successor.

Washington. March t. r. 4. Bal
finger, Secretary of the Interior. re-
signed today. Walter l.. Fisher, Of
Chicago, is named as his successor
Secretary Ballinger rendered his re-
signation January 19. President Taft
him to withdraw it until af-
ter congress had adjourned. Bailin-
ger asserts that his resignation was
compelled because OF his health. Wal
ter l.. Fisher. the new secretary OF
the interior, is a lawyer. He became
famous in Chicago through the ad
vocacy of municipal reform. He
graduated from Hanover.
Announcement of Secretary Ballin
gers resignation was made at the
White House, the President at the
same time stating he had selected
Fisher to succeed him.
Secretary Ballinger wrote another
formal letter of resignation yesterday
This was presented to President Taft
today and was accepted.
Baltinger's Letter.
On January 10, Ballinger wrote
President Taft as follows:
Il have thought over the talk We
had last Saturday. l am exceedingl,
gratified for your kind expressions O
approval for my work and they Ger
tainly compensate me in the larges
measure for what Il have suffered
Your attitude throughout has been );
great source of comfort to me and ye
feel that the condition Of my. healti
is such that | must ask to be relieved
from office. ! therefore again tende
my resignation and ask you to accep
it,
Il should be untrue to all of m,
impulses if / did not seize the occa
sion to show that | have at all times
striven to meet the obligations i'm
posed upon me and to serve you, tn,
administration and the country TO thu
best of my ability. | am deeply sen
sible of the unfailing confidenc.
which you have reposed in me, unde
circumstances which have necessari
ly been trying to you and the supper
and respect which you never ceaset
to accord me | shall remember.
am anxious to retire as soon as | Cal
properly do so, yet l am unwilling t,
embarrass you and therefore respec,
fully ask you to indicate in regard +
the matter when it will best sui
your convenience"
Reply Of President.
| Replying, President Taft under dat
| of January %, said: For reason
which have deeply impressed them
selves in my heart and mind. l woul
never consent to consider your resie
nation on any ground that was base
me personally or politically, for n
such ground is tenable with me- Onl
on the score of your health and pei
sonal convenience and to prevent ful
ther pecuniary sacrifice on your pal
will l consider the possibility of a.
cepting your resignation. But nc
even on the latter ground can I COT
slider it until after congress adjourn
until after all unjust attacks ar
ended, until after l have had the ben,
fl of your valuable and necessary al
during the remainder of the crowde
session, and until we have reached
calm which l feel will follow the pre-
ent hurry and pressure incident t
those of short session. Then / wi
take it up and answer more at length
/ Under the date of today, Presider
Taft in a letter accepted Secretar
Rallinger's resignation. He said
part: ! accept your resignation wit
great reluctance. | have had the fnl
est opportunity to know You. yog
and to the public, to know your M
tiyes. to know how you have admit
istered your office and to know th
motives of those who have assaiie
you. / do not hesitate to say that yc
have been the object of one of til
most unscrupulous conspiracies for d
famation of character that history ca
show.
! Il have deemed it my duty not onl
to the government. but to society
general TO fight out this battle to tt
end. confident that in the end yo,
fellow citizens would see that the In
preston of you as a man, as an a
!. ministrator Of a high public offit
4 were false and were the result of
malicious and unprincipled plan I.
|, the use OF the press to misrepresel
4 you and your actions and to twist e
!, cry circumstance. however free fro
: detrimental significance, to proof
icorrupt motives"