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Show I BALLINGER WILL I not sunmioi H DENTBR, SepL 29. Former Socre- Hj tary of tho Intorior R. A. Ballinger j today Jssuod this statement: H "Many of my frlonds urged me to M institute an aotlon against Mr. Pin- B chot when ho arrived in Seattle on his H. return from Alaska. I would not in H any event compel Mr. Pinchot to H dofond a suit In my homo city, across H the continent, nearly -1,000 miles from M his own home. This would appear to H take an unfair advance. But in any H event, I have definitely determined to H enter upon no legal controversy with H him, Convinced as I am, that tho Judg- H ment of tho American people as to the M matters that would bo involved In B such a suit, already coincides with B that of President Tatt, so emphntlcal- B ly nnd chivalrously expressed at tho B time of my resignation, of tho attor- B noy general and of a majority of tho B congressional Investigating commlt- B B "I am the more strongly led to this H decision by tho fact that to renew the B controversies with Mr. Pinchot must B strongly tend to dotract from the h- B sues that President Taft is now so B energetically presenting to tho Amer-' H ican people, and a clear comprehen- B slon of which he regards as essential H to the success of the Republican party B at the next election. I cannot shut B my eyes to tho fact that such a suit B1 would at once revive and accentuate B the controversies that aro past and B obscure the newer and broader issues B resulting from the extra session of B congress and with which the presi- B dent's future is so strongly linked. B While L have no question about the B result of such a suit, a money Judg- B ment against Mr. Pinchot is tho onlv B punishment it could bring. I do not Bj regard that as necessary to my vlndi- B cation. Tho undiminished confidence B of my former chief, whoso groat lo- B fal mind threaded every tortuous B channel that had been digged to en- B trap me, after which in the strongest B "possible language ho denounced the B accusations of the disappointed fae- B tionlsts who brought thorn, ns fn!. B hoods without a vestige of founda tion, should satisfy the demands of the most punctilious honor Such re-luctatlon re-luctatlon of my accusers, coupled with that of the attorney general, and the result of the congressional Investigation, Investiga-tion, have mado mo content to let Mr. Pinchot and my other traducers depart in peace." |