The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-20
Playing DcuUn Oil

Denby's resignation has plunged the capital
list press into discussion Of the legality of his
part in the transfer of public oil lands to pri-
vate hands.
We submit that this has little to do with the
major issue which is that Secretary OF the
Navy DENLY, an important cog in the machin-
cry of American capitalist government took
part in the conspiracy for which all members
of the Harding Coolidge cabinet must be held
responsible.
This conspiracy, entered into long before
the Harding administration took office, and in
which participation in the profits thereof was
part of the reward for the support of Harding
by various individuals, had as its object the
theft of public property-if public property
can be said to exist under capitalism.
Perhaps the steal had the sanction of law
Legal authorities appear to be divided on the
matter-their opinion depending upon their
professional connections. It will be discovered
in all probability that the Denbys, Daughertys,
Roosevelts and others are not legally guilty
that at the worst they were merely indiscreet
Senator Fall may be prosecuted if he does not
save his former friends from embarrassment
by dying. He is the scapegoat.
DENLY is a 100 per cent American type.
Below the average intelligence, even for an
American business man, his career in the
cabinet was the elimination of life of publ
city-seekng Over fifty years of age when
this country entered the war; with one eye on
future political developments, he enlisted as
private and bravely aided in keeping the
German army out of Detroit, Ypsilanti, Kala-
mazoo and other Michigan cities.
His appointment by Harding was in line
with policy which filed the cabinet with
vicious mediocrities like Davis, Daugherty and
firseff with with hardheaded- fnanciers
of the Mellon type and skillful corporation
lawyers like Hughes Considered from the
standpoint of capitalist morality alone the
Harding cabinet was little above the average
of convention of oil stock statesmen.
The 100000 majority polled by the repub
licans made their capitalist hackers a little
careless Neither did they take into account
the discomfort that has been growing thruout
the nation since the war and which has been
aggravated immensely by the bankruptcy of
the farmers and middle class elements, living
on the farmers to whom the democrats make
an appeal.
The theft Of the Teapot Dome oil reserves
was little too raw; the masses had been
waiting for some opportunity to express a
hatred of capitalist normally that had been
nurtured until it was lusty and vociferous.
The exposures of the robberies let loose a
storm that has all but wrecked the republican
party and that has involved the democrat OPP
position. The resignation of DENLY, probably
followed by Daugherty, is the first attempt to
clean house The feeling in Washington is
that the exposures have gone too far and that
in the interests of both capitalist parties
truce should be arranged.
The next few days will tell whether popular
resentment is strong enough to prevent the
playing down of the oil scandal Investigations
The endorsement of McAdoo by Senator
Walsh of Montana shows that for a cabinet
official to sell his influence to an oil corpora
ton is not regarded as cupable, but in line
with the best capitalist traditions. AS chair
man of the senate investigation committee,
Walsh now is hardly in position to demand
the prosecution of republicans like DENLY and
Daugherty.
This will doubtless be a source of great re-
Lief, not only to the culprts, but to many of
the babbittry, who were afraid that in the
heat of presidential year the rules of the
game had been forgotten.