San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-14

upon them any obligation to keep silent
in the face of false accusations or un-
reasonable suspicion. 1t is inevitably
true that in all scandals some. or even
many. innocent persons are made 10
suffer along with the guilty.
| Presumably it is - defend the inno-
cent, and convince the public that the
oil industry i'll its. entirety docs not merit
the faint which the disclosures in the
Teapot Dome investigation have in the
eyes OF some OF the oil men cast upon
! it, that the 'oifsetting' movement Is
being promoted. But would counter
publicity-publicity praisinG the oil in
dustry. where others have been inclined
to condemn it. afford the best and sur
est means OF defense for the innocent,
as individuals. or of vindication OF the
oil industry as a whole from any SITS
picion of comprehensive faint that may
have developed against it:
Perhaps the promoters OF the counter
publicity project would say that they
are confronted by a condition. not by
a theory. But suppose principle" should
be subs tituted, for theory then what?
In the popular mind there abideS a
wholesome conception OF what is. and OF
what is not. good public policy. 1t is
an old conception-as old as the yearn-
ing for popular seli-government; there
fore it is subject to no fundamental
changes. and fits all political conditions
and circumstances. 1t may be defined
in simple. Ineligible terms. as follows:
Whenever and wherever there is rot
tenness, or any evidence OF rottenness.
in governmental affairs. or in affairs
over which it is the governments prop
er function to exercise any measure of
control, the unsound should be elm
mated, and must be eliminated before
either the government or the interests
associated with the source OF the rotten
ness can regain or deserve to regain
the confidence of the people
If there are unsound spots. so to
speak, in the oil industry, they should
be removed. In less figurative language.
ii there are any oil officials or represen-
tatives who MAY have corrupted. or have
been parties to corrupt practices OF, any
government official or officials. then
such oil officials or representatives.. as
well as such government official or Off
cials. should be made to pay appropriate
penalties.
1t is not by trying to offset men-
viable publicity that any industry can
establish or re-establish itself in the DoD-
ular mind on basis OF honesty. Rath-
Ter would the principle referred to re-
quire the opposite tactcs-namelv. for
the oil industry TO cooperate with the
governments investigators. to the end
that any rottenness existing in that in
dustry may be got rid Of
II the oil industry as whole would
say to the investigators, 'We are with
YOU; let's detect and punish the guilty"
instead OF saying. in effect you're try
ing to ruin lis. and therefore we're go
ing to tell the people about our many
virtues, so as to counteract the effect
of the evidence purporting to describe
our alleged vices wouldn't the public
be inclined to be more temperate in its
pre-judgment as a whole?
As Lincoln said no issue is settled
until it is settled right. The issue grow
ing out OF the Teapot Dome deal. can
not be settled merely by exhibiting the
virtues OF the oil industry as a whole
to offset the allegations of vices on the
part OF individuals engaged in that in
dustry.
M