The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-08
FISHER TAKES PLACE
OF SEC'Y BALL|NCER
President LaudS Retiring Of.
ficer and His Policy of Con-
Quoting Department.
Continued From Page One.

Continued From Page One.
tion than ever In its history. in which
take pride, and wish to accord TO The
chiefs and other officers full measure
of Just commendatIon for their energy
loyalty and devotion TO the public serv-
ice. Their assistance and cooperation
has been OF great qualification 10 me.
The great burden OF departmental
work added 10 the strain OF contcnding
against assaults from wicked and dish0n-
est men has seriously injured my health,
and the cost of my defense has not been
less than S25,000-lcavinE me a poor man.
Ii is my purpose In prosecute the arch
conspirntors who have been following me
with the assassin's knife. Tho country
shall know fully the Injustice Of the at
tacts upon me
The retirrmen, oC Mr. Ballinger and
tho appointment OF his successor bring
10 n close the most sensational incident
thus far OF the Taft administration in
decd, one Of the most 'sncclaCular bat
ties in recent political history. /, began
with q difference I'm conception Of policy
toward the treatment Of public lands.
especially the forest reserves. between
Mr.. BallinEor and Clifford Pinchot. then
chief forester of the United states. who's"
bureau was a part OF the department Of
agriculture. Mr. Plnchot's views had
been more I'm accord with those Of Mr..
Balinger's predecessor, James Il. Car
field.
Open warfare broke out when charges
relating To Mr.. Ballngcr's administration
OF the public lands, especially in Alaska
and more particularly to The treatment
by the general land office Of the
called Cunningham claims 20 coal lands
in Alaska were Alod with tho president
by l.. r. CLAWS. then n field agent of
the land office.
As result. Claws was dismissed for
characterization by order of the presI-
dent. Subsequently Chief Forester Pin
choi addressed letter To Senator Dol
liver in which he espoused the cause in
which CLAWS had fallen and he. too. was
dismissed by the secretary Of agriculture,
likewise under orders from the president
Political Battle Rages.
From that time. the battle ragcd with
Increasing heat and finally eliminated
in congressional investigations Not since
the famous Schcy- sampson controversy
and court Of inquiry after the Spanish
American war has official Washington
been so torn into factions as during the
hearings In this matter, which was uni
vcrsaly spoken OF as Tho Balnger
Pnchot controversy
Eyen the committee itself could not
get together on tho subject of IFS report.
The Democratic minority on the COM
mittce stole march" on the Rcpub.
licaps and at Minneapolis met as n quo
rum OF the committee and adopted II
report finding Secretary BallinGer guilty
OF charges against him and demanding
his removal from office
Rcprescn ntative Madison OF Kansas an
insureent Republican. also issued re-
port hostile TO the secretary. Later the
Republican majority met AT Chicago and
adopted report, signed by all the Re-
publicans except Mr. Madison which
sweepingly eXoneratcd Mr.. Balllngcr
None of the reports was acted upon In
any manner by congress. although they
were submitted.
President Taft from the outset has been
aggressive in the defense Of Secretary
Ballinger and his faith in his cabinet
member has never wavcred. II Is doubt
10 fIaNs
with his administration he has been more
emphatiCally immovable. The attitude Of
his mind on the subject is clearly shown
In the letter which he wrote TO Mr. Bal
Iingcr accepting his resignation He is
msparing In his dcnunCiation both of the
methods and OF the motives Of those
who sought 10 bring about the downfall
of the secretary.
President Lauds Ballinger
The story Of the resignation and Of the
presidents reluctant acceptance Of IL is
clearly sci forth In the correspondence
which follows:
Dear Mr.. Secretary:
Il accept your resignation with great
reluctance. / have had the fuIlesT opnor
tunity to know you. TO know Your stand :
ARDS Of service TO The government and the
public. 20 know your motives to know
how you have administered your offce
and 10 know the motives Of those who
have assailed YOU. ] do not hesitate to
say that you have been the object of
clcs for the defamation OF character that
history can show.
"I have deemed II NV duty, not only
TO the government. but TO the society in
general. 10 fight out this battle To The
end. confident that in the end YOUR fellow
! citizens would see that the impressions of
YOU as n man and as the administrator
! OF a high public office were false and
We're the result Of malicious and un-
/ principlcd plan for the use OF the press
! TO uisreprcscnt YOU and Your actions ana
I TO distort every circumstance however
free from detrimental significance. into
! proof of corrupt motive.
with the hypocritjcal pretenso that
they did not accuse you of corruption in
| order To avoid what even the worst Grim
/ inal is entitled to. to-wit that of a
| definitely formed charge of some mIscon-
duct they sbowcred Won with suspicion
! and by the most pettfogeing methods
! exploited 10 the public matters which
! had no relevancy TO an Issue OF either
! corruption or efficiency In office but
! which paraded before hysterical body
! of headline readers served 10 baclten
! YOUR character and to obscure the proper
| issue OF your honesty and effectiveness as
a public servant.
! You and yours have lost health and have
! been burdencd financially. The consplra
| tors who have not hesitatcd IN their pur-
! suit OF YOU To resort to the meancst
! methods including the corruption OF your
! most confidential assistant. plume them
! selves like the Pharisees Of old as the
! only pure members OF society. actuated
bv the spirit OF self sacrifice for their
"Every fiber. OF my nature rebels
against such hypocrisy and nerves me
TO fight such combination. and such
methods To the bitter end. lest success
In this instance may form a demoralz-
/ ing precedent But personal consdera- :
| ton for you and yours makes me feel
that have no right to ask you for fur
/ made evident that I was and am the