The Washington times., 1911-03-07


best of my ability. l am deeply sem
Bible of the unfailing confidence which
you have reposed in me, under circum-
stances which have necessarily been try
ing to you, and the support and respect
which you have never ceased to accord
me I shall always remember.
"I am anxious to retire as soon as
can properly do so, yet am unwilling 10
embarrass you, and therefore respect
fully ask you to indicate, in regard to
the matter, when it will best suit your
convenience.
with renewed assurance Of my high
EST regard, am,
Faithfully yours r,,,,crp
ITO the President, January 19, 1911"
Presidents Reply.
'The White House. washington.
FDear Mr. Secretary:
For reasons which have deeply i'm
pressed themselves in my heart ana
mind, I would never consent to con,
slider your resignation on any ground
that was based on the good of the SER
vice or of helping me personally OF po-
ltically, for no such ground is tenable
by me. Only on the score Of your health
or personal convenience or to prevent
further pecuniary sacrifice on your part
will consider the possibility OF accept
ing your resignation.
5But not even on the latter grounds
can I consider It until after Congress
hdtourns, until after all unjust attacks
are denied, until after l have had the
benefit of your valuable and necessary
aid during the remainder of crowded
session. and until We have reached the
calm period which ] hope will follow
the present hurry and pressure and ne
cessity for constant action and waIch-
ing incident to the close of a short ses-
sion. Then I'll take it up and answer
you at length.
"CSigned) WILLIAM H. TAFT.
Resignation Renewed.
my dear Mr.. President:
"As you fully appreciate 1 entered the
Government service under protest ana
kt great personal sacrifice.
'rWhile Occupying the office of Secre-
tary of the Interior my most earnes'
and conscientious attention mas oeeh
given to the interests OF the Govern
ment and I feel that in constructive
work and the advancement OF the pub
lie service under existing difficulties,
have nothing to regret in official admin
tstration except that my health and
financial interests have greatly suffered
10 the extent that can no longer sus-
tain the burden.
Your constant support has always
been a course Of consolation during all
the vicissitudes of my term of service
and I deeply appreciate the unfaihng
confidence you have reposed In me. l
must however, renew my appeal to be
relieved as set forth in my letter OF
January l9 last, and respectfully ask
you to designate the time when my res
Ignation shall take effect, which l hope
bnay be Immediately.
Il have the honor TO remain
Faithfully yours,
"R A BALLTNGER
ITO the President, March 6, 1Sl1
President Accepts.
"The White House,
washington, March Z, 1911.
'Dear Mr.. Secretary: .,.
"I accept your resignation with
great reluctance. l have had the full
EST opportunity to know you, to know
your standards of service to the Gov
trnment and the public, to know your
motives, to know how you have ad-
ministered your office, and to know
the motives Of those who have as
sailed you. 1 do not hesitate to say
that you have been the object of one
of the most unscrupulous conspiracies
for the defamation of character that
history can show.
II have deemed it my duty not only
to the Government, but to society in
general to fight out this battle to the
end, confident that in the end your
fellow-citizens would see that the i'm
pressions of you as man and as the
administrator of q high public office
were false and were the result of ma
ncious and unprinCipled plan for the
, your actions, and to torture every cir
cumstance however free from detri-
mental significance, into proof Of cor
rupt motive. With the hypocritical pre-
tence that they did not accuse you Of
corruption IN order to avoid the neces-
fly, that even the worst criminal is en-
titled to to wit, that Of definitely for
mulated charge of some misconduct,
they showered you with suspicion and
by the most pettifogging methods ex-
plotted to the public, matters which had
no relevancy to an issue Of either cor
Tuption or efficiency in office, but which
paraded before an hysterical body of
headline readers served to blacken your
character and to obscure the proper
issue Of your honesty and effectiveness
as a public servant.
"A Cruel Tragedy"
"The result has been\ a cruel trag-
edy. You and your have lost health
and have been burdened financial.
The conspirators who have not hesi-
tated in their pusuit of you to resort
TO the meanest OF methods, including
the corruption of your most confiden-
tial assistant, plume themselves like
the Pharisees of old, as the only pure
members Of society accuated by the
spirit of self-sacriflce for their fell
1ow-men.
Every fibre of my nature rebels
against such hypocrisy and nerve me
TO fight such a combination and such
methods to the bitter end, lest sue
cess in this instance may form a de-
moraliZing precedent. But personal
consideration for you and yours
makes me feel that have no right to
ask you for further sacrifice. Of
course, 1t has been made evident that
] was and am the ultimate object of
the attack; and to insist, against your
will. on your remaining in office with
the prospect of further efforts against
you is selfishly to impose on you more
q burden than ought to impose.
"As / say farewell to you, let me
renew my expressions of affection ana
sincerest respect for you and Of nv
profound gratitude for your hard
work. your unvarying loyalty, and
your effective public service. I hone
and pray that success moy attend YOU
In your profession, an dthat real hap
piness will come to you and yours
when you return to that community
where you live and whose members
know your worth as a man and a
citizen and who will receive you again
with open arms.
Sincerely yours,
= z 4 LII