Pocahontas star herald., 1924-02-15

building at Chicago the misdecds Of
Col. Charles H. Forbes, former head Of
the veterans bureau, are being COM
piled. Forbes was deposcd. 1t looks
bad for him. Already enough is
known to condemn him in the eyes
Of honest men, regardless Of future
action by grand jury and court.
our Chicago correspondent says the
facts brought out show the record to
be "a mixture of booze and boodlc
and pull that made crippled, halting
ana wusteful service out Of the great
fund which the people sought to give
their disabled soldiers of the World
War"
The Imagination could not depict Il
more dcspicabln instance Of theft than
the robbery Of these disabled war vet
Grams. Some of thusC' men had their
limbs shot off ON the CORY fields of
France: some of them were blinded
forever on the field of battle; deadly
gasseS and disease made helpless phys
ical wreck of others
Half a billion dollars annually was
provided bby the government for these
men to be expended by the veterans
bureau The world knows the story
of how This money was being dissi-
pated by those in charge, Of how self
ishneSs and greed trampled honor un-
derfoot.
The ten cabinet members named by
the president are known rs his Off
cial family. They are supposed to bc
his advisers and are selected because
Of their integrity and fitness for the
portfolios rendered them.
OF the ten cabinet members origi-
nally named by the late President
Harding. two are now under fire in
the United States Senate. These two
did not live mp to the expectations of
the good man who believed in and
hOnorcd them.
We do NOT believe there was any
criminality on the part of Secretary
of the Navy DENLY. He told those
investigating the Teapot Dome oil
scandal that "the wool had been pulled
over his eyes" He made frank
statement and the investigators be-
lieve that he spoke the truth.
But Secretary DENLY was like the
Waterman who sleeps while thieves
cart away the property Of his en-
ploycr. He was negligent when he
failed 10 safeguard those assets of the
nation given unto his keeping. He
has failed.
ON the Senate floor Friday Senator
Walsh of Montana charged that Sec
retary Denby's ignorance of the Tea |
pot Dome leases and conditions i'm
general demanded the secretary's dis |
missal
If Secretary DENLY refuses to re-
sign. he should he deposed.
With former Secretary of the In |
terror Fall it is different. Fail is no
longer member of the cabinet. He
never should have been. The public |
knows the story of his stewardship
his intimate association with Sinclair |
and Doheny, the 100000 check he re-
ceived. and the valuable concessions
the oil men obtained.
1, was mighty hard to get Fall he
fore the investigating committee. He
made n trip to Florida he was sick |
man" when he returned. He used the
combined excuses of those hidden to
the marriage feast as set out in the
Biblical story.
But FINALLY he was landed. put on
the stand. He was stubborn and evas- |
i've. lie declined to answer questions,
on the ground that his answers might |
incriminate him in event of future
proceedings.
Such an attitude could not have
been reassuring to friends of the ac-
cused. Innocent men, unjustly ac-
cuSed. do not resent questioning: they
invite il. Shrewd lawyers, If convinc-
ed Of the guilt Of their clients, seldom
allow them to take the witness stand.
Under the law jury cannot consider
this failure tn testify as indicating his
guilt But even If the jury can ignore
! It, the silence Of the accused does not