The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-02-28


and reflect. The people of the United
States have had their pride hurt.
They could not believe that men in
such high places could stoop to such
baseness. Surely, thought America,
men place such exalted positions
above money and all the gold in the
world could not buy them
The investigation reveals a rotten
sore. 1t must be given a treatment
that will be painful. President
Coolidge finds himself in a predica-
ment. He selected lawyers to handle
the criminal side of the question that
the senate does not approve The
President is accused of playing poll
tics and this is no time for political
maneuvering. The people demand
that big, outstanding lawyers be en-
gagged
The Teapot Dome scandal is not
surprise to those who have been
reading current events. Such people
recall the Ballinger scandal in the
Taft administration when the Alaska
lands were involved. They recall
that only last year an attempt was
made to trasfer the national forestry
department from the jurisdiction of
the Department of Agriculture to
the Department OF the Interior where
Mr.. Fall would have had the hand
ling of it. The deal looked suspicious
and it did not go through The
Forbes scandal in which the sacred
rights of disabled veterans of the
World War were trampled under foot,
was another shock to the country.
The fact that when an Indian is
known to have oil land he suddenly
develops what appears to be insanity
that needs a guardian, is another
grave scandal. The outrageous viola
tion of the solemn treaty under the
Roosevelt administration when, for
the first time in history, this country
broke its word, was another scandal
more clearly understood in South
America than in the United States.
The Panama deal, by which the Unit
ed States recognized the new republic
one day after revolution started
with our warships in the harbor)
gave this country an evil reputation
south of the Rio Grande river even
to Cape Horn.
The fact that Alaskas population
has dwindled and that private inter-
ests have either taken up or have bot
tied up all the resources of that coun-
try is another scandal. The govern
ment built railroad in Alaska but
the private interests will have the
use of it. The coal reserves and oil,
if any, in Alaska, were threatened.
Then there is the big land deal of
the railroads in the Northwest.
And quite as appalling as anything
was the refusal of congress recently
to pass a bill to stop the issuing of
tax free bonds.
Congress used to meet few months
every two years. Nowadays it is in
session all the time. Ninety per cent
of the time of congress is taken up
with legislation that concerns bu-
reaus and boards which handle the
public busiess.
1t may be asked why the secretary
of the interior should be permitted
to least Teapot Dome without the
consent or knowledge of congress. 1t
merely shows that the people of the
United States are giving away their
government. They are building up
plutocracy in Washington that will
some day threaten the liberties of
the people. We ask congress to do
everything. The forefathers wanted
congress to keep hands off. We want
new boards and new bureaus and
these boards and bureaus practically
make their own laws and rates and
defy the people and congress A big
machine is being built up in Wash
ington that rules with an iron hand.
The miners asked the late Senator
Teller of Colorado, to help them es-
tablish a bureau of mines with Sec
retary in the cabinet. He replied
that if it was their wish he would do
SO but he warned them that they
would rue the day. What has the
Bureau of Mines done for mining?
Have not the mines shut down? Have
not the smelters gained control? Has
the price of metals been helped? The
mining men themselves secured the
passage of the Pittman act and
other beneficial legislation.
The railroad men asked for labor
board. They got it. At first it was
satisfactory. What is it now?
The workingman asked for labor
department. A millionaire is the
secretary of labor. Behold the pre-