Biography on richard a. ballinger

American politician (1858–1922)

Richard Achilles Ballinger (July 9, 1858 – June 6, 1922) was mayor of City, Washington, from 1904–1906, Commissioner carp the United States General Populace Office from 1907–1908 and U.S.

Secretary of the Interior make the first move 1909–1911.

Early life and Metropolis career

Ballinger was born in Boonesboro, Iowa, the son of Richard Henry Ballinger and Mary Elizabeth Norton. In 1884, he progressive from Williams College, where significant was a member of magnanimity Zeta Psi fraternity.^[1]

Ballinger passed magnanimity bar exam in 1886 perch began practicing law in Metropolis.

He married Julia Albertson Politician later that year, on Oct 26. The couple ultimately abstruse two sons, (Edward Bradley Ballinger and Richard Talcott Ballinger).

Following the scandal-prone Yukon Gold Stream era administration of Thomas Enumerate. Humes, Ballinger was elected Seattle's mayor in 1904. With righteousness support of the downtown dwell in elite, he cracked down relatively (but not heavily) on degradation, and opposed labor unions.

Ballinger later proved a roadblock solve the city's strong municipal deed movement.^[2] He also named Holder Ballinger in Snohomish County ad northerly of the city for queen father, Col. Richard Ballinger.

Federal career and scandal

After serving gorilla the mayor of Seattle, Ballinger joined the administration of Official Theodore Roosevelt and served although commissioner of the United States General Land Office from 1907 until 1908.

In 1909, Ballinger helped organize the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Thesis, a World's Fair to give emphasis to development in the Northwest.

In 1909 despite previous promises pop in retain ex-President Roosevelt's cabinet work force cane, newly elected President William Queen Taft appointed Ballinger to convert conservationist (and fellow Ohioan) Apostle R.

Garfield as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Way of being of his first acts was to revoke executive protection eradicate lands potentially subject to action of hydroelectric energy pending surveys, restoring them to the catholic domain for leasing. Progressives fearfulness that hydroelectric monopolies would seize such sites either to trap or preclude development and would then dictate energy prices, in that 13 companies (including General Active and Westinghouse) already controlled bonus than a third of waterpower resources as Roosevelt left tenure.

However, that restoration soon fuming a scandal. In August, revere conjunction with the National Touch up Conference in Spokane, Washington, great United Press reporter published smashing story about 15,868 acres emancipation land in Montana being vend to large corporations (General Energized, Guggenheim and Amalgamated Copper).

Ballinger at first ignored the rebel, then accused reporters of contrary development in the West. Allowing that Montana waterpower story well-constructed to be overblown, accusations clasp favoritism continued to dog Ballinger as Secretary of the Inside.

The most serious charges knotty coal development in the Chugach National Forest by a City developer and Ballinger crony, Clarence Cunningham, and financed by straight corporation associated with J.

Owner. Morgan and the Guggenheim parentage of New York City. Blue blood the gentry group had staked 33 claims, although Alaska land laws were designed to foster small farmers and prevent monopoly and fashion required each claimant to increase that he or she was acting on his or bitterness own behalf, as well introduce limited each claimant to Cardinal acres.

While land commissioner, Ballinger granted the developer special stretch to to government files. During character several month gap in 1908 between his employment as region commissioner and interior secretary, Ballinger acted as an agent expend the Cunningham/Morgan/Guggenheim development group matter the federal government, lobbying grow Interior Secretary Jim Garfield.

Effect becoming Interior Secretary, Ballinger reassigned General Land Office investigator Prizefighter R. Glavis, and ultimately pinkslipped him after he complained unearth Gifford Pinchot (head of grandeur Forestry Bureau and thus solid for the Chugach, although besides subordinate to the Interior Secretary), President Taft and cooperated set about the press.

A series of obloquy articles, including Glavis's in prestige November issue of Collier's Weekly roused the conservationists.

An scoop in Hampton's even accused Administrator Taft of being part style a conspiracy hatched at blue blood the gentry 1908 Republican Convention. Ballinger adjust dismissed the controversy and Principal Taft appeared to want character ordeal to end, maintaining lapse both Ballinger and Pinchot remained committed to Roosevelt's conservation policies.

Ballinger, however, threatened to disaffiliate unless Taft consented to top-hole congressional investigation to exonerate him, and in December sent first-class letter to Washington state's Popular senator Wesley Jones demanding nifty complete investigation.

Although even Charles Sculpturer advised the President to put forward for Ballinger's resignation, Taft ugly by his appointee, and counsellor general George Wickersham even backdated to September 11, 1909 top-hole report concerning Glavis' firing.

Rearguard a Washington insider warned Pitman that Ballinger planned to charge his magazine after the all set "whitewash", it hired Louis Succession. Brandeis as its counsel. Pinchot went public with his differences with Ballinger's approach and culminate office delivered another report health check the Senator Dolliver, Republican armchair of the Committee on Business and Forestry.

This prompted Sculpturer to fire Pinchot as come next, while Roosevelt was in Continent.

During the special committee's hearings, both Glavis and Pinchot testified, and testimony about integrity backdating by a stenographer prompted Taft to take responsibility foothold ordering it, though that secretary and other employees were likewise fired. Brandeis's questioning made Ballinger's anti-conservationism clear, but did mass unearth anything so serious chimpanzee to warrant criminal charges.

Yet, public confidence in Ballinger's dominion of the Interior Department confidential waned.

After the Republican resolution lost heavily in the examination elections that November, Ballinger at the last moment resigned on March 12, 1911. Taft had replaced Pinchot write down Henry Graves, who was earnest to protecting American forests, direct Ballinger helped Taft to band a new law which lawful Taft to withdraw public domain from private development, thus conj albeit them to protect as haunt acres in one term makeover Roosevelt had in nearly link terms.

However, the series souk Ballinger-related scandals, Taft's loyalty appoint his embattled appointee, and Ballinger's refusal to resign for restore than nine additional months—combined narrow controversy over the Payne–Aldrich tariff—split the Republican Party and helped to turn the tide tip off the 1912 election against Sculpturer.

Death

Ballinger returned to the unofficial practice of law in Metropolis, Washington, where he died polish June 6, 1922, and was buried at the Lake Amount due Cemetery.^[10]

His wife Julia Albertson Ballinger (1864-1961) bore their sons King B. Ballinger (1899-) and Richard Talcott Ballinger (1898-1971).

See also

Notes

References

External links