Congressional Record-House. 325
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1910. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 325 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. many of the so-called "conservationists," he has done something .more than sermonize and talk in glittering generalities that WEDNESDAY, January 5, 1910. tickle the fancy and mean nothing. For the first time we have The House met at 12 o'clock m. presented to Congress a fixed and definite plan to eonser>e the Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D. resources of the country; a plan upon which Congress can act; The Journal of the proceedings of yesterday was read and a plan upon which results can be accomplished. And this plan approYed. is presented by Secretary Ballinger. I do not believe that th~ INVESTIGATION OF INTE:RIOR DEPARTMENT. most advanced conservationist can go further or desire more than these recommendations made to Congress by the Secretary. Mr. HU)lPHREY of Washington. 1\fr. Speaker, it is my in But these public acts have weighed nothing with certain -0f tentio n to iutroduce a re...,<=olution (H. J.- Res. 102) calling for his accusers. In fact, every time he has done what they con an im·eEtigation of the Interior Department and of the Bureau demned him for not doing their attacks have grown more bitter of F-0resh·y of the Agricultural Department, and I ask unani and malicious. His complete exoneration by the President, mous con ent thn.t I may be permitted to address the House after careful and patient investigation of all the charges, was for ten lllinutes at this time, in order that I may make a state the signal for renewed attempts to discredit him and force him ment in reference to lt. to resign. The word of the President has no weight with tho e The SPEAKER. The gentleman asks unanimous consent who now seek to destroy Secretary Ballinger. It has become that he may address the House for ten minutes. ls there objec a well-settled conviction with many throughout the country tion? that these attacks upon Secretary Ballinger are, in reality, at There was no objection. tacks upon President Taft and the present administr·ation. l\lr. HU:\IPHREY of Washington. :Mr. Speaker, almost from Whether or not this is true, the time h.as come for the whole the day he took his seat in the Cabinet tl:le Secretary of the cotmtry to know the facts. Secretary Ballinger has demanded Interior has been .attacked and denouneed by a certain class of an investigation and has insisted that it shall be thorough and newspapers and magazines. They have by insinuation, innu wide enough to include eYerything connected with him and his endo, o.ud by direct statement accused him of running that great department. The ·country demands this investigation. Let us deprui:ment not in the interest of fhe Government, but in the haw the light. intere t of prirnte parties. It has :also been frequently charged As I have known Secretary Ballinger for many years, so have ·that these attacks upon the Secr·etary of the Interior were I kn-0wn Mr. Gifford Pinchot for several years. I have been a largely inspired, if not actually prepared, by persons connected friend of both and am to-day. I believe that both in their with the Bureau of Foresh·y in the Department of Agriculture. public lives ha-ve tried honestly to serve the public. I believe The time has come when the people of the country should know both have done their duty as they saw it. About them centers the truth Jn relation to these matters. During all these weeks this agitation. The condition has become intolerable. If the Secretary Ballinger has answered these attacks and charges facts demonsh·ate that either or both have been guilty of any up n his moth-es and his integrity with the mere statement that, a.ct deserving it, let them be promptly removed from public life. they were untrue. In his case forbearance has long since ceased If there is nothing in these charges, then let us have an investi to be a virtue. It is of common kn-0wledge that the action of gation that will make the truth so plain th.at it will forever the Secretary of the Interior in refusing to say more in his own close the polluted lips of slander. defense was not in accord with his personal desire, but entirely out of deference for the express wish of the President. l\Ir. Speaker, I now .offer the following resolution, which I 'l'he Secretary from the very beginning wanted to give ills think will accomplish these results, and I ask that it be read side of the controversy to the public. He contended from the at this time. beginning that he had nothing to conceal :and that he had a The SPEAKER. The gentleman desires that it be read in his complete defense to every charge made. The judgment of tbe own time? President now coincides with that of Secretary Ballinger. Mr. HUMPHREY of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unani- They both believe that the time has come for the fullest and mous consent that it be read at this time. most complete investigation. One thing is certain, that he who The SPEAKER. Is there objection? to-0.ay attempts to draw any unfavorable conclusion from the There was no objection. delay of the Secretary in presenting his .side of the case to the The Clerk read as follows: public strikes not at Secretary Ballinger, but he directly as House resolution 102. saults the President. About this there can be no mistake. Resolved, etc., That a special committee of 12 Members be appointed, · There is an old proverb which says that no man suddenly be 6 of whom shall be designated by the President of the Senate from the Membe1·s of that body and -6 of whom shall be designated by tlle comes infamous. If the charges against Secretary Ballinger Speaker of the House of Representatives from the Members of that are true, then the old proverb has lost its wisdom. I have body which committee is hereby empowered and directed to make a lived for many years in the same city and same State in which thorou"'h and complete investiga tion of the admlnistration and conduct of the Interior Department, its several bureaus, officers, and employees, Secretary Ballinger has lived. In that State he was for years and of the Bureau of Forestry in the Agricultural Department, its offi a judge of the superior court. He served with distinction~ and cers and employees, touching or relating to the reclamation, conser fair vation, management, and disposal of the public lands of the United not a word was ever whispered against his integrity -or States or any land held in trust by the United States for any purpose, ness. F-0r one term he was mayor of Seattle. No one ever including all the natural resources of such lands; and said committee que tioned his honesty or ability. He gave the city a model is authorized and empowered to make any further investlgatlon touch ndministration and declined a reelection. At the request of ing said Interior Department, its bureaus, officers. and employees, n.ncl of said Bureau of Forest ry, its officers and -employees, as it may deem '.rheodore Roosevelt he became Commissioner of the G€neral desirable. Said committee is hereby empowered to sit and act during Land Office. He did not seek this place and did not want it. the recess of Congress and during the session of either or both Houses He was induced to accept it only at the most earnest solicita of Congress, to 1·equire the attendance of witnesses and the production of papers by subpama or otherwise, to swear such witnesses and take tion of the President and the then Secretary of the Interior. their testimony under oath or in writing, to obtain documents, papers, He filled this place in such a manner that when he resjgned and other information from the several departments of the Government or any bureau thereof, to employ a stenographer to take and make a and went back to Seattle he received the highest praise and record of all evidences received by the committee, and to keep a record commendation from President Roosevelt. of its proceedings, and to employ such assistance, legal and otherwise, In a.11 these positions he had been successful. He had filled as may be deemed necessary. All the costs and expenses of said investi In gation shall be paid one-half from the contingent fund of the Senate them in a way that met the approval of the people. every and one-half from the contingent fund of the House of Representatives. relation of life he had been true. No man stood higher with All hearings by -said committee -shall be open to the public. The com those who knew him. He had lived a clean, honest, and upright mittee shall report to Congress all the evidence taken and their findings life. He had won the confidence and esteem of his neighbors. and conclusions thereon. And in case of disobedience to a snbprena this commlttee may in No man in all these years of public service and of private life voke the aid of the court of appeals of the District of Columbia or had ever pointed at him the finger of suspicion. No man living any of the circuit e-0urts of the United States within the jurisdiction of which any inquiry may be carried on by said committee in requir bore a better reputation.