Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-02-14
IVSURGENT FACTION
IS RUNNING OUT Of
COOLIDGE s CONTROL
President Unable to Rein in
Party Opponents as Tea
pot Dome Attack Shifts to
White House
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal
lColYright. 1921


WASHINGTON, Feb. 13.-Lin-
coins birthday found the party
founded by the great emancipation
split in twain. President Coolidge
cannot command a majority of the
United States senate on an issue
as close to his administration as
the retention or dismissal Of a men,
Der of his cabinet.
The coalition of insurgent Repub-
iicans and Democrats was sufficient
to pass the resolution requesting the
resignation of Edwin DENLY, secre-
tary of the navy. and it will be suf-
ficieut to pass other measures en-
barassing to Mr. Conlidge's laader-
ship.
Although the president has stead
fastly maintained that he had moth
ing &c do with the Teapot Dome con-
froversy and could not be held re-
sponsible for what happened even
though he was an unofficial member
of the Harding cabinet and heard, as
presiding officer of the senate, +he
debates on the oil leases, he is today
involved in the affair from a politi.
cal viewpoint. The Democrats and
tnsurgent Republicans have put him
into the thing, and henceforth he is
on the defensive. AS long as Edwin
Denly remains in the cabinet, Mr..
Coolidge must be the center of bonn
bar1ment The scene shifts from
the capitol to the White House.
Sees Political PeriIs
Mr.. Coolidge is kcenly aware that
his attitude in suspending Judgment
till he has completed a thorough in
vestigation may have an effect on
his political fortunes, for in his
statement commenting on the SEN
ate resolution the president says: Il
do not propose to sacrifice any inno-
Gent man for my own welfare, nor
do [ propose to retain in office any
unfit man for my own welfare
Tho right Of the senate to compel
a president to call for the resigna-
tien .of a cabinet officer is of 70
eeuseauence In theacontroversy
..-.-NeIles of those who voted for the
resplUtion seriously believed they
hanl that right. They hoped, how
ever, to advise the president of the
senate's opinion SO he could act for
himself Mr. Coolidge points out
thar the senate can impeach a cabi-
net officer if it wishes.
nowhere in the senate debate was
there the slightest intimation that
secretary DENLY WIS guilty or COM
plicity in the financial transactions
which are said to have influenced
the action Of former Secretary Albert
B. FALL The senate believes Mr..
DENLY innocent but incompetent.
That's what the majority vote meant.
That Mr.. DENLY should have per-
mitted his name to be signed to the
transfer of the oil reserves to the
department of interior is the premise
on which the competency to hold
office is based.
The president has taken Secretary
DENLY unto his bosom. Months, pos
sibly a. whole year, will elapse be-
fore the special counsel appointed to
investigate the case can possibly
form their conclusions. Meanwhile.
the political opposition to Mr.. Cool
idse will point out that he retains
hi his cabinet men who, in the opin-
ion of majority of the United
States senate, failed to do their duty
by the government
A Personal Affair
No longer is it a legal issue or
personal affair against Mr.. DENLY
for he is personally well liked and