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Show PINCKOT ' BESTS' ' WILSON. Tho contention between Mr. Pinchot and Secretary Wilson on the point whether or not the Secretary consented lo Mi. Pinchot writing the notorious letter to Senator Dolliver. appears to be rather finc-drnwn. The Secretary admits thnt he was consulted about tho writing of this letter, and that he consented con-sented to it. but not to any attack upon the. President. It is not in tho least to be supposed that he would specifically spe-cifically consent to such attack, ft is not at all likely that any idea of attacking tho President was mentioned between them; nor, in fact, was there any particular attack on tho President in the Pinchot letter to Dolliver; all that was said being that Pinchot considered con-sidered the President had come to a wrong conclusion, as no doubt ho honestly hon-estly believed to bo the case. It being agreed that tho matter ftf writing this letter was talked over between be-tween the two, nnd that tho Secretary consented to Pinchot 's writing it, we suppose that it cannot be far wrong to say that Pinchot might honestly and fairly consider himself freo to write as ho felt, without hampering restriction. restric-tion. We believe that Mr. Tiiichot is an honest, truthful man. 'lie is loo zealous to pursuing his fads, and allows al-lows nothing lo stand in his way when he gets started. Ho has mndo much needless trouble, with small public good; nnd wo have not been backward in pointing' out his usurpations and indifference in-difference to the law and to 1 he rights of tho settlers and thoso engaged in developing this mountain region; and in all this, too, we have opposed him. But we havo never attacked his honesty hon-esty of purpose nor his good faith. We believe, accordingly, that he has tho better of this controversy with Secretary Sec-retary Wilson lo the extent which wc have indicated; that, (he Secretary agreed to let Pinchot write (lie letter, that Pinchot could fairly feel himself free to write it as he chose, nothing being be-ing said about attacking or not attacking attack-ing 1 lie President, neither proposition being in the mind of cither, and there being nothing in Pinchot 's letter that could (except through mere sensitiveness) sensitive-ness) bo construed as an attack upon the President. And right iliero is probably the rub. What Secret ar3- Wilson construes as an attack upon the President may have been called up in talks between the Secretary and the President, and tho Secretary so anxious lo clear himself with the President, on tin's point that a "touchy" situation has developed which chafes the Secretary. Mr. Pinchot appears to bo entire-frank entire-frank aud fair in his testimony, while Secretary Wilson is fretful, insistent, and technical; thus Pinchot shows to the better advantage and his enndor will be his justification beforo tho public. |