San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-10
TIME TO STOP

Having recently brought before 1t an
ex-convict for the purpose of obtaining
"oil evidence" the Senate of the United
States is now calling for other witnesses
in an effort 10 corroborate the testimony
it has obtained from this man who is
a confessed and convicted train robber.
This is going about as far as the Senate
can go without straining the patience
OF the people to something near the
breaking point. The country is utterly
sick of the whole cheap and wretched
investigating business.
If the inquiry was, or ever had been,
a simple and honest attempt to expose
corruption and bring criminals to JUS
tice the public would feel differently,
but it has been evident from the begin
ming that the Senatorial committee has
been engaged on fishing expedition in
muddy and Shiny waters for political
purposes. The object has never been
to see justice done but to attempt to
discrcdit somebody for something or
other and if the discredt could be thrown
upon some member OF an opposing politi-
cal party, so much the better.
This cheap tendency of the investiga-
ton has been perfectly plain ever since
the attempt was made to drag Secretary
Mellon and Secretary Wallace into the
scope of the investigation. Neither OF
these gentlemen have done anything that
calls for investigation. Both have shown
themselves cabinet members of more
than ordinary ability. but miserable,
rancorous partisanship has sought to
bring out something against Them The
object in going after" these two men
was nothing but an effort to extend the
| field of investigation so that when the
day of election rolls around, it could be
said that two more men of a certain
party had been investigated. 1t would
seem that the members of the Senate
are losing their minds.
There are now about twenty OF these
investigations going on. The oil inquiry
has been taken to the courts and might
very veil be left with the attorneys that
have been given charge of the prosecu-
ton of possible criminal offenders. The
Daugherty investigation should end with
the retirement of the late attornev-gen-
eral from the cabinet. He was forced
out without one word being heard in
his defense and the committee is still
investigating against him. There can
be no object in this except to discredit
the political party to which Daugherty
belongs and discrediting political parties
is not a proper senatorial function.
There is great need at this time for
certain legislation. The question of
taxation is paramount. AS the situa-
ton now stands, the country is suffer
ing not only from excessive taxation,
but because of certain provisions in Our
tax laws that render men chary of en-
barking in new enterprises or of eX-
tending old ones. The farmers are in
urgent need of remedial action which,
Congress might be able to give them
There are numerous committees and
bureaus in Washington that are serving
no particular good and which are eat
ling out the substance of the people with
expenses and salaries. And while these
needs are pressing, Congress is conduct
ing in the neighborhood of twenty in
INVESTIGATIONS.
1t is about time to call halt on the
horribly cheap politics in which the
Senate is now wallowing and give the
people of the United States little re-
lief in directions where it is urgently
needed.