The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1922-05-31

Have We a New Ballinger Case" is the title of
an article in "Hearsts International Magazine" for
June. The article discusses Secretary Fall and
servation (of which later), and the title
suggests the writer of the article, Charles Bryant
Powers, seems to assume that former Secretary of
the Interior Bainger proved crook and that his
crookedness may be used a standard by which to
measure official misconducts.
And this recalls that of the results of the
Undertaking of dozen years ago was to
give many minimizing people this idea of Judge Bal
Finger and it is not strange that the idea
has become fixed for have a history pre-
fessor of history in the University of Minnesota,
which discussing the conservation movement, refers
to the treacherous designs of Judge Ballinger, and
calls him traitorious This history is used in the
Juneau High School book in the education of
the youth of this city. To make the case plain We
shall quote beginning at the top of page ga
"A group of capitalists had been trying to
engross the mineral wealth of Alaska in part
by fraudulent entries. Roosevelt had checked
the proceeding by temporarily withdrawing
the lands from entry Richard Ballinger had
been the attorney of the grasping ring of
capitalists and previously had served them
with information while in the service of
the Government President Taft induced
TO appoint him his Secretary of the Interior
and it seemed though the grab would be
through under his sanction. The President
dismissed Pnchot Ca devoted public
servant and man of high standing in the
Nation) and also Louis CLAWS, subordinate
OF Ballinger, who had CALAMITY exposed the
treacherous designs of his chief with neces-
sary disregard for official ettequette* Hap
PLY, the sacrifice of CLAWS. the war waged
month"; after month by Golfers Weekly, and
the consequent Congressional Investigation,
even though by packed committee.
PEELED Ballinger to resign and saved the
Alaskan wealth for the Nation No one sus-
Pected the President of corrup motives; but
it was plain that the corrupt interests had
MS ear Other events made this position
clear. He did not scruple to his
powers of patronage to njure progressive
Congressman in their home districts
"A fOotnote, explanatory of this sentence SAYS:
CLAWS "insubordination' consisted in a
noble patriotism which led him show fealty
to the American people rather than to a
traitorious superior in office. Such patriot
ism. more needed than courage on the battle
field, cannot be praised too highly
And there you have the story We shall say
nothing about the slur the intelligence If not the
'pro'bity of the President. whom President Hard
ing regarded sufficiently intelligent and upright to
appoint Chief Justice of the United States Supreme
Court We shall not anything at this time about
the silly charge that graspng ring of CAPITALISTS
We're trying to steal the mineral wealth of Alaska
wealth that it's absurdly declared saved to the
American people by the patriotism" of CLAWS and
THE Undertaking of Golfers Weekly We shall pass
over the subsequent record of CLAWS whom Gov
Hiram w. Johnson appointed office in California
and then dismissed for We shall only consider
the very grave injustice done Judge Ballinger.
The writer has known Judge Ballinger for a third
oil century-since when he young began
practcing law in Port Townsend. He knew him when
he Superior Court Judge of Jefferson County
for four years. and afterward when he began prac-
ticing law al Seattle in 1897. and later when be-
came Mayor of Seattle and redeemed that city from
intoerabe conditions. There are many Alaskans who
haye known him and followed his career. and they
know that he always made good and achieye ed high
position on account OF the fact that clean living