special agent of the General Land Office to investigate alleged frauds
in certain claims to coal lands in Alaska, accused Richard Ballinger,
the Secretary of the Interior, of favoritism toward those who were
attempting to get public lands fraudulently. The charges were vigorously
supported by Mr. Pinchot, who broadened the accusation to cover a
general indifference on the part of the Secretary of the Interior to
the whole conservation movement. President Taft, however, completely
exonerated Secretary Ballinger from blame and removed Glavis for "filing
a disingenuous statement unjustly impeaching the official integrity
of his superior officer." Later Pinchot was also dismissed from the
service. The charges against Secretary Ballinger were investigated by a
joint committee of Congress, a majority of which exonerated the accused
Cabinet officer. Nevertheless the whole controversy, which raged with
virulence for many months, convinced many ardent supporters of the
conservation movement, and especially many admirers of Mr. Pinchot and
of Roosevelt, that the Taft Administration at the best was possessed of
little enthusiasm for conservation. There was a widespread belief, as
well, that the President had handled the whole matter maladroitly and
that in permitting himself to be driven to a point where he had to
deprive the country of the services of Gifford Pinchot, the originator
of the conservation movement, he had displayed unsound judgment and
deplorable lack of administrative ability.

The first half of Mr. Taft's term was further marked by acute
dissensions in the Republican ranks in Congress. Joseph G. Cannon was
Speaker of the House, as he had been in three preceding Congresses.
He was a reactionary Republican of the most pronounced type. Under his
leadership the system of autocratic party control of legislation in the
House had been developed to a high point of effectiveness. The Speaker's
authority had become in practice almost unrestricted.

In the congressional session of 1909-10 a strong movement of insurgency
arose within the Republican party in Congress against the control of
the little band of leaders dominated by the Speaker. In March, 1910,
the Republican Insurgents, forty in number, united with the Democratic
minority to overrule a formal decision of the Speaker. A four days'
parliamentary battle resulted, culminating in a reorganization of the
all-powerful Rules Committee, with the Speaker no longer a membe